What's In Blue

Posted Tue 4 Sep 2018

Security Council “Unofficial Calendar of Events” in September

The US is the president of the Security Council in September. In a highly unusual development, Council members were unable to reach agreement on the provisional programme of work for the month, given disagreement over whether to include Nicaragua on the programme. Instead an unofficial calendar of events has been circulated. All meetings this month are currently scheduled to be held in public, like today’s discussion of the programme of work, also a departure from standard practice.

In addition to a possible briefing on Nicaragua, Haiti is expected to be discussed this month with Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita scheduled to brief on the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH). The other Latin American event scheduled this month is the adoption of a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia.

The US will hold a briefing under the agenda item “Maintenance of International Peace and Security” on corruption and conflict. Secretary-General António Guterres and John Prendergast, Founding Director of the Enough Project and co-founder of The Sentry, will brief.

The US is also planning a high-level event on the world drug problem late in the month that US President Donald J. Trump is expected to chair.

There will also be a debate on peacekeeping reform this month. The Secretary-General is expected to brief the Council. The US further plans to pursue a resolution during the month on performance accountability in peacekeeping.

The Council expects to receive the monthly Syria briefings on political developments, the humanitarian situation, and the use of chemical weapons. The briefers are expected to be Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura (political issues), Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock (humanitarian situation), and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu (chemical weapons). There may also be a briefing (or Arria-formula meeting) early this month focusing on the humanitarian situation in Idlib.

Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov is expected to brief via video-teleconference on the Middle East (Israel/Palestine).

A briefing on Iran is also planned for late in the month and is expected to be chaired by President Trump.

The Council will hold its quarterly debate on Afghanistan this month and will consider the latest Secretary-General’s report on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, is expected to brief. A civil society representative might also brief.

African issues scheduled this month include Libya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan/South Sudan. Regarding Libya, the Council is expected to receive a briefing from the Special Representative and head of UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Ghassan Salamé. The Council is expected to renew the mandate of UNSMIL, which expires on 15 September.

Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Michael Keating will brief on Somalia. AU Special Representative for Somalia and head of AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Francisco Caetano Madeira will also brief via video-teleconference.

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is scheduled to brief the Council on the Secretary-General’s 90-day report on South Sudan, requested in resolution 2406.

Lacroix will also brief on the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and on the report of the Secretary-General containing detailed recommendations about the reconfiguration of UNISFA, requested in resolution 2416 and submitted to the Council in August.

Arria-formula meetings on Venezuela and corruption and on Idlib are scheduled this month.

Sign up for What's In Blue emails

Subscribe to receive SCR publications