Middle East, including the Palestinian Question
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Sourced with articles from AFP, Al-Jazeera, Christian Science Monitor (US), Daily Star (Lebanon), Financial Times, Foreign Policy Magazine, Guardian (UK), Haaretz (Israel), Time Magazine (US) and Xinhua. The release by al-Jazeera of the ‘Palestine Papers’ provided a rare public airing...
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Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, will likely brief the Council in February.
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A group of 120 co-sponsors, which includes most of the NAM countries and a number of UN members, have formally tabled a draft Security Council resolution on the Israeli settlements in Palestine. So far no European country has come forward...
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A group of 120 co-sponsors, which includes most of the NAM countries and a number of UN members, have formally tabled a draft Security Council resolution on the Israeli settlements in Palestine. So far no European country has come forward...
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The momentum for a resolution on Israel/Palestine appears to be losing some of its steam. While earlier in the week some Council members were anticipating having the resolution before the Council next week, it now appears possible that it may...
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Security Council members are discussing a draft resolution informally circulated on 21 December 2010 by Lebanon on behalf of the Arab Group. The resolution addresses Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory and peace negotiations. Before any further steps are taken there will be a period of ongoing discussions.
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Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, is likely to brief the Council in September. The substantive progress made in August on restarting direct Israeli-Palestinian talks and establishing the Secretary-General’s Panel of Inquiry into the 31 May Gaza flotilla incident are likely to be the focus.
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Regular monthly consultations on the Middle East are expected in August. Council members are mindful that developments in August have the potential to shape the approach to the Middle East quite significantly—in particular, whether or not there will be a shift from proximity to direct talks.
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An open debate on the Middle East is expected in July. No outcome is expected. However, recent developments related to the Council’s 1 June presidential statement on the Gaza flotilla incident—including Israeli policy towards Gaza and the Secretary-General’s possible investigation—may add new elements to the discussion.
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A briefing on the Middle East is expected. No outcome is expected. However, members will be mindful that the Secretary-General is due to submit a report to the General Assembly on Israeli and Palestinian investigations into violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Gaza, following the Goldstone Report.
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The Security Council is set to hold an open debate on the Middle East on 14 October. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe is expected to brief the Council and the Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Secretary-General of the Arab League are likely to participate. No outcome is expected.
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Russia (which has the Council presidency in May) was agreed in 2008 as the venue for the next high-level meeting on the situation in the Middle East to follow up on the 2007 Annapolis summit.
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The Secretariat is expected to brief the Council on the conclusions of a UN commission of inquiry into the damage to UN facilities and loss of life during the recent conflict in Gaza. The Secretary-General established the commission in February.
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On 27 January the Council will hear a briefing from UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East’s (UNRWA) Commissioner General Karen Koning AbuZayd and Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes on the urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza. It will be the first time ever that UNRWA has briefed the Council.
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Council members are discussing a draft resolution circulated on 27 June by Libya which addresses the Israeli decision to expand its settlements in the Palestinian Territory. It seems that there will be a period of discussions in Informal Consultations. But it is possible that the co-sponsors will move to put the resolution to a vote.
