Overview

In January Libya will have the presidency of the Council. For a newly elected Council member, assuming the presidency in its first month is a huge burden. However, Libya seems to have made a big effort to prepare and they have had the benefit in December and part of November of being present in informal consultations as guest observers. Also the list of mandates expiring in January is shorter than for many other months.

Important procedural decisions will be required in the first days of the year—the election of the chairs and vice-chairs of Council subsidiary bodies and of Council representatives on the PBC.

It seems that the Council will not have any thematic debate in January.

A major debate on the Middle Eastis expected. Discussions were still continuing at time of writing as to whether this would be in the format of an open debate—at which the wider UN membership could participate—or whether it would be limited to Council members.

Debates are expected on:

• Kosovo (perhaps following a briefing by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative); and
• Iraq (on UNAMI and the MNF).

In addition consultations or briefings are likely on:

• Afghanistan (the possibility of a new Special Representative briefing the Council has been raised);
• Chad/CAR;
• Côte d’Ivoire;
• Darfur/Sudan;
• Ethiopia/Eritrea;
• Georgia;
• Nepal (the Special Representative is likely to brief the Council);
• North Korea(a briefing from the Sanctions Committee Chair is due); and
• Somalia.

The mandates expiring in January and requiring Council decisions are:

• Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI);
• Ethiopia/Eritrea (UNMEE); and
• Nepal (UNMIN).

A number of other situations could be discussed in informal consultations and could result in outcomes approved in formal open meetings. These include:

• DRC (the intensified fighting in eastern DRC could lead to consideration of the situation);
• Lebanon(tensions over the presidential election continue);
• Myanmar (a further discussion is possible); and
• The non-proliferation issues relating to Iran (it is unclear whether or when a third sanctions resolution will be discussed in the Council).

Full forecast