Overview

France will hold the presidency of the Security Council in March. An open debate is planned on children and armed conflict, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expected among the briefers. Also planned is a debate on Haiti, with a briefing by the head of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, Sandra Honoré. There will also be a debate on Afghanistan, during which the Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and receive a briefing from its head, Nicholas Haysom. 

Briefings are planned on:

• UN cooperation with the EU by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini;
• the work of the 1737 Iran Sanctions Committee, by its chair, Ambassador Román Oyarzun (Spain); and
• the Council visiting mission to Africa, by its leads.

Briefings, followed by consultations, are expected on:

• the situation in Libya, by Bernardino León, the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the work of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, by its chair, Ambassador Hussein Haniff (Malaysia);
• the humanitarian situation in Syria, by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos;
• the Middle East, by Special Coordinator Robert Serry;
• developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Martin Kobler, and Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region Said Djinnit;
• two Secretary-General’s reports on the AU/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur, by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous; and
• possibly, the situation in Liberia.

Briefings in consultations are likely on:

• developments in Yemen, by the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, Jamal Benomar;
• Syria’s chemical weapons, by High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Angela Kane;
• implementation of resolution 2046 on Sudan-South Sudan relations, most likely by Special Envoy Haile Menkerios (by video teleconference);
• the implementation of resolution 1701, which called for a cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel in 2006, by Special Coordinator Sigrid Kaag; and
• activities of the UN Disengagement Observer Force, by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

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

• UNSMIL;
• UNAMA;
• MONUSCO; and
• the Panel of Experts assisting the 1718 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Sanctions Committee. 

The Council is also likely to undertake a visiting mission to CAR, Burundi and the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.

Throughout the month members will be following closely developments in Mali and Ukraine and additional meetings may be scheduled.