Overview

 In April South Africa will have the Presidency of the Council. The combination of a large number of scheduled items for consideration and ongoing unresolved issues seems likely to make April an extremely busy month.

An important open thematic debate is scheduled for 17 April, at a high level. It will combine two key thematic issues on the Council agenda:

• Conflict prevention; and
• Cooperation between the UN and regional organisations.

It will be preceded, on 16 April, by the second formal meeting between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC). (The first meeting with the PSC took place in 2007 in Addis Ababa.)

Debates are also under discussion on:

• Small Arms;
• Georgia (to renew the mandate of UNOMIG);
• Western Sahara (to renew the mandate of MINURSO);
• Sudan (to renew the mandate of UNMIS); and
• Iraq (for briefings by the SRSG and the US)

A public session on the Middle East, in accordance with normal practice, is also expected—although the format is unclear at this stage and is likely to be influenced by developments.

Debates are also possible on:

• Kosovo (depending on developments in the region);
• Somalia (to adopt a Council response to the Secretary-General’s “strategic approach” presented on 14 March. But much will depend on progress in negotiations);
• Ethiopia/Eritrea (Major decisions on the future of the force may need to be taken); and
• Counter-Terrorism (to renew the mandate of the 1540 Committee and its group of experts).

A public meeting or a briefing on Nepal is likely following the elections on 10 April.

In addition, consultations or briefings are expected on:

• Lebanon (progresswith the tribunal, the 1559 report and to respond to developments);
• Cote d’Ivoire (the Secretary-General’s report on progress towards the elections);
• DPRK (North Korea) (to hear a report from the Chairman of the Sanctions Committee);
• Sierra Leone (report and briefing on UNIOSIL progress);
• Liberia (report and briefing on UNMIL progress);
• Haiti (report and briefing on MINUSTAH progress); and
• Chad (depending on developments).

On Myanmar, it remains to be seen whether consultations at the expert level on a draft presidential statement will resume in April and whether Myanmar will be in the footnote to the April programme of work.

On Uganda, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)-affected areas, Joaquim Chissano, may brief the Council.

Full forecast