Overview

The United States will preside over the Security Council in July.

A high-level debate on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region is expected, to be presided over by US Secretary of State John Kerry, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region Mary Robinson as briefers.

Open debates are likely on:

• protection of journalists; and
• the Middle East, with a briefing by the Department of Political Affairs.

Briefings, followed by consultations, are likely on:

• the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) by its head and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Hilde Johnson;
• the UN Office for West Africa by its head and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Said Djinnit;
• the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations;
• the AU/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), by the Joint Special Representative Mohamed ibn Chambas;
• developments in the Central African Republic (CAR) and the work of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the CAR, by the Secretariat;
• the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) by its outgoing head and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Martin Kobler; and
• developments in  Burundi and the work the UN Office in Burundi by its head and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, and by Ambassador Paul Seger (Switzerland), the chair of the Burundi configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission.

Briefings in consultations are likely on:

• the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of resolution 1701 (which called for a cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006), by Derek Plumbly, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon;
• the implementation of the Somalia and Eritrea sanctions by the chair of the 751/1907 Sanctions Committee Ambassador Kim Sook (Korea);
• the mid-term report of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee by Ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev (Azerbaijan), the chair of the Committee;
• Sudan and South Sudan issues, twice, most likely by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan and South Sudan Haile Menkerios;
• the work of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, by its head and Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Miroslav Jenča; and
• developments in Cyprus and the work of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus by its head and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Lisa Buttenheim.

Formal sessions will need to be held to adopt resolutions to renew the mandates of:

• UNMISS;
• UNFICYP;
• UNOCI;
• UNAMID;
• UNAMI; and
• the Monitoring Group of the 751/1907 Sanctions Committee concerning Somalia and Eritrea.

Throughout the month, Council members will be following closely the developments in Mali and Syria and meetings on these issues may be scheduled.