September 2006 Monthly Forecast

Posted 31 August 2006
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Status Update

Recent developments on the situations covered in our August Forecast are covered in the relevant briefs in this issue.  However, other interesting Council developments in August (but not due for consideration by the Council in September) include:

  • Timor-Leste: On 18 August the Council adopted a week-long technical rollover of UNOTIL (S/RES/1703).  Upon its expiry, resolution 1704 established a new integrated mission (UNMIT) with a strengthened police component, up to 34 military liaison and staff officers, but no UN troops.  The Secretary-General’s proposal, which was also Timor-Leste’s preference, for the international military force to be under UN command and control was strongly opposed by Australia, the US and UK, causing real bitterness in the Core Group.  Compromise proposals by New Zealand and Japan failed.  As a result, the Australian troops will remain without a specific UN mandate but with a supportive reference in the preamble.  The Secretary-General is requested to undertake a review of the military arrangements by 25 October.  In addition, the Council reaffirmed the need for credible accountability for the serious human rights violations of 1999 and incorporated relevant provisions into the UNMIT mandate.
  • Haiti: The Council adopted resolution 1702 on 15 August extending MINUSTAH’s mandate for six months.  (The Secretary-General’s report recommended a year (S/2006/592).)  The mandate slightly increased the mission’s troop and international police levels. The Council urged the completion of local elections.
  • Peace Consolidation in West Africa: Ghana, the Council president for August, initiated a thematic debate on West African issues.  The outcome was a presidential statement calling for cooperation between West African governments, the UN, ECOWAS and the AU in order to consolidate peace in West Africa by addressing illicit trafficking of small arms and the illegal exploitation of natural resources.  It underlined the importance of DDR programmes (S/PRST/2006/38).
  • Cyprus: Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari briefed the Council on 29 August about his recent visit to Cyprus, Greece and Turkey. A brief press statement was issued by the Council (SC/8820).
  • InterpolResolution 1699, sponsored by the US, UK and Denmark, was unanimously adopted on 8 August and called upon the Secretary-General to increase cooperation between the UN and the International Criminal Police Organization to better enable sanctions committees to fulfill their mandates.

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