Overview
Rwanda will hold the presidency of the Council in July. A high-level open debate on regional partnerships in UN peacekeeping is planned, to be presided by Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo of Rwanda. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Chairperson of the AU Commission Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton are expected to brief.
The quarterly open debate on the Middle East is also expected with a briefing by Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry.
A briefing is expected on the annual report of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) by Ambassadors Vladimir Drobnjak (Croatia) and Antonio de Aguiar Patriota (Brazil), the former and current chairs of the PBC.
Briefings, followed by consultations, are expected on:
- Iraq, by Nickolay Mladenov, the head of UN Assistance Mission for Iraq;
- the UN Office for West Africa by its head, Special Representative Said Djinnit; and
- the work of the 2127 Central African Republic Sanctions Committee, by its chair, Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaitė (Lithuania).
At press time, it appeared that the briefing followed by consultations on Darfur by the head of the AU/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, scheduled for July, might be postponed until August.
Briefings in consultations are likely on:
- Libya by Special Representative Tarek Mitri, the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya;
- Syria, on humanitarian access by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos and on the chemical weapons track by Sigrid Kaag, Special Coordinator of the OPCW-UN Joint Mission;
- Sudan-South Sudan issues, by the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan and head of the UN Office to the AU, Haile Menkerios;
- Lebanon and implementation of resolution 1701, likely by Special Coordinator Derek Plumbly and Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Edmond Mulet;
- Cyprus and the status of negotiations by Special Representative and head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, Lisa Buttenheim;
- preparations for the deployment of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic, by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Hervé Ladsous; and
- the work of the 751/1907 Somalia and Eritrea Sanctions Committee by its chair, Ambassador Oh Joon (Republic of Korea).
Formal sessions will be needed to adopt resolutions renewing the mandates of UNFICYP in Cyprus and UNAMI in Iraq.
Also in June, Council members plan to hold an Arria-formula meeting with the Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry on Syria and an informal interactive dialogue with the chairs of the PBC country-specific configurations.
Throughout the month members will be following closely events in Ukraine, Iraq, Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and additional meetings may be scheduled.
