General Issues relating to Africa
-
Among the Security Council’s ten elected members, the three African states—currently Niger, South Africa and Tunisia—constitute a group with some unique features that translate into how these countries work within the Council. They come from the continent whose conflicts have occupied between half to three-quarters of the Council’s time during each of the past 25 years, and that hosts most of the Council’s mandated peace operations. The three states from the continent have also (with the exception of Morocco until 2017) all been members of the same regional organisation, the African Union (AU), and prior to that, its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU).
-
Expected Council Action In September, the Council will hold a debate at the initiative of Russia, as Council president for the month, under the agenda item “Peace and Security in Africa”. Background Over the past nine months, the Council has...
-
Tomorrow (27 February) the Security Council will hold a high-level open debate on how the AU and UN can cooperate to end conflict in Africa under the agenda item “Cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations: Silencing the...
-
On Monday (4 February), there will be a high-level debate in the Security Council on “Mercenary activities as a source of insecurity and destabilization in Africa”. The Central African sub-region will be a focus of the discussion. President Teodoro Obiang...
-
In December, the Security Council will hold a ministerial-level open debate on cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to brief.
-
On Monday (25 June), the Council will hold a debate on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, which is expected to focus on root causes of conflict in these regions and ways to address these conflicts. Secretary-General...
-
On Monday morning (30 November), Angola and Lithuania will co-host an Arria-formula meeting on the impact of the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons and poaching in Africa. The meeting will be open to all UN member states...
-
In April, the Council will be briefed on the prevention of and fight against genocide to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Possible briefers are Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon or Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson. In addition, the Council may adopt a resolution on the prevention of genocide.
-
The AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) is the only international body with which members of the Security Council have regular interactions. They have been meeting annually since 2007, alternating between their respective headquarters.
-
On Monday morning (13 May), at the initiative of Togo, the Security Council is scheduled to hold an open debate on the challenges of combating terrorism in Africa. The meeting will be chaired by President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé of Togo,...
-
In May, the Council is expected to be briefed in consultations by the Secretary General’sSpecial Envoy for the Sahel, Romano Prodi, on the Secretary-General’s report on the Sahel. The Council also expects to hold a debate on “Peace and Security in Africa: the challenges of the fight against terrorism in Africa in the context of maintaining international peace and security” with a briefing from the Secretary-General.
-
On Monday, 15 April, the Security Council will receive a briefing from the Secretary-General on “Prevention of Conflicts in Africa: addressing the root causes”. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda, Louise Mushikiwabo, is expected to preside. It seems that...
-
In April, the Council is expected to receive a briefing on “Prevention of Conflicts in Africa: Addressing the Root Causes” from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and possibly the Chairperson of the AU, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia.
-
Tomorrow (13 June), Security Council members and the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU PSC) are scheduled to hold their 6th annual consultative meeting, taking place in New York. (The previous consultations took place in Addis Ababa on 21...
-
This afternoon (8 February), the Secretary-General is scheduled to brief Council members in informal consultations on his recent visit to the Middle East and Addis Ababa where he attended the AU Summit from 29-30 January. (The Secretary-General was in Lebanon...
