Overview

Nigeria will hold the Council’s presidency in August. An open debate on regional organisations and contemporary challenges for maintaining international peace and security is planned, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expected among the speakers. Nigeria has also planned a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Dmitri Titov on security sector reform (SSR), an issue it made a centerpiece during its previous presidencies in October 2011 and April 2014. (The 2014 open debate resulted in resolution 2151, the Council’s first ever standalone resolution on SSR.)

Briefings are expected on:

• lessons learned from the Ebola epidemic, by the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, and the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Ebola, David Nabarro; and
• the situation in Kosovo, by Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, Farid Zarif.

Briefings, followed by consultations, are expected on:

• developments in the Central African Republic by Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, Babacar Gaye; 
• the humanitarian situation in Syria, by OCHA’s head, Stephen O’Brien;
• the situation in Libya, by Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, Bernardino León;
• developments in Guinea-Bissau, by Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau, Miguel Trovoada, and most likely also Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota (Brazil), chair of the Guinea-Bissau country configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission;
• the Middle East, by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman;
• the situation in South Sudan, by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous and the work of the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee, by its chair, Ambassador Cristián Barros (Chile); and
• possibly on the work of the 1521 Liberia Sanctions Committee, by its chair, Ambassador Dina Kawar (Jordan).

Briefings in consultations are planned on:

• the situation in Yemen, by the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed;
• chemical weapons in Syria, by the acting High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Kim Won-soo;
• the work of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee, by its chair, Ambassador Román Oyarzun (Spain); and
• the work of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, by its chair, Ambassador Rafael Ramírez (Venezuela). 

A formal session will be needed to adopt a resolution renewing the mandate of UNIFIL.

Nigeria is also planning to hold a public wrap-up session at the end of its presidency.

Throughout the month members will be following closely developments in Ukraine, the Boko Haram-affected areas of Africa as well as the migrant crises, and additional meetings may be scheduled.