Overview

 

The United Kingdom will preside over the Security Council in June.

A ministerial-level open debate on women, peace and security, focusing on prevention of sexual violence is planned, with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague presiding. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Zainab Bangura, the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, are expected to brief. An open debate on the linkages between conflict prevention and natural resources is planned, with briefings by Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson and a representative of the World Bank. The semi-annual debate on the ad hoc international criminal tribunals may be open to the membership at large to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Briefers will be the presidents and prosecutors of the ICTY and ICTR.

Debates are planned on:

• Afghanistan, with a briefing by Ján Kubiš, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan;
• Kosovo, with a briefing by Farid Zarif, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (postponed from May); and
• children and armed conflict, with the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, among the likely briefers.

Briefings are expected on:

• Somalia, by Eliasson, most likely with UK Minister for Africa Mark Simmonds presiding;
• Sudan and the work of the International Criminal Court, by Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda;
• the work of the 1737 Iran Sanctions Committee, by its chair, Ambassador Gary Quinlan (Australia); and
• peacekeeping operations, by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Hervé Ladsous and three UN force commanders.

Briefings, followed by consultations, are likely on:

• Libya, by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, Tarek Mitri, and on the work of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, by its chair, Ambassador Eugène-Richard Gasana (Rwanda);
• Yemen, by the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, Jamal Benomar;
• the security situation in the area of responsibility of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali by its head Albert Koenders;
• the Sahel strategy, by Special Envoy Romano Prodi; and
• the Middle East, by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman.

Briefings in consultations are likely on:

• “horizon scanning” by the Department of Political Affairs;
• Iraq-Kuwait issues by Feltman;
• Sudan-South Sudan issues, twice, respectively by the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy Haile Menkerios and Ladsous;
• the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) by Ladsous; and
• the Panel of Experts midterm report to the 1521 Liberia Sanctions Committee, by its chair, Ambassador Masood Khan (Pakistan).

Formal sessions will need to be held to adopt resolutions to:

• renew the mandate of UNDOF; and
• renew the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1737 Iran Sanctions Committee.

A wrap-up session in a private meeting is planned at the end of the month.

Throughout the month, Council members will be following closely the developments in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria and meetings on these issues may be scheduled.