October 2016 Monthly Forecast

Status Update

Counter-Terrorism

On 1 September, Council members issued a press statement condemning a terrorist attack against the Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan (SC/12502). A 4 September press statement condemned a terrorist attack perpetrated in the Philippines in which at least 14 people were killed and over 67 injured (SC/12503). On 22 September, the Council held a ministerial-level meeting on countering the terrorist threat to civil aviation. The Secretary-General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Dr. Fang Liu, briefed. At the meeting, the Council adopted resolution 2309 which called on member states to work within ICAO to ensure that its international security standards are reviewed, adapted and implemented to effectively address this threat. According to the concept note circulated by New Zealand, the objective of the meeting was to highlight the importance of having effective security arrangements in place at airports given the “iconic” nature of attacks against civil aviation by terrorist groups (S/2016/791).

Guinea-Bissau

Following the Council’s 30 August briefing and consultations on Guinea-Bissau, Council members issued a press statement on 4 September expressing serious concern over the political impasse, urging national actors to abide by the constitution and the rule of law and to engage in dialogue to find a solution. The statement further stressed the urgency of deploying the ECOWAS presidential mission and encouraged ECOWAS and the CPLP to take steps towards organising a meeting of the International Contact Group on Guinea-Bissau. Issuing the statement was delayed due to Council members’ negotiations on language related to donor funding, in particular whether the release of pledges should be dependent on finding a solution to the political impasse.

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia

On 6 September, the Council adopted resolution 2306 amending the Statute of the ICTY to allow the Secretary-General to appoint a former judge of the ICTY or the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda who is also a judge of the International Residual Mechanism, to be assigned on an ad hoc and temporary basis to the ICTY Appeals Chamber.

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

On 6 September, Council members met in consultations to discuss the ballistic missile launches conducted by the DPRK on 5 September. In a 6 September press statement, they strongly condemned the launches as a grave violation of relevant Council resolutions and called on the DPRK to refrain from further such actions (SC/12509). They also called on member states to redouble their efforts to fully implement the sanctions measures against the DPRK. The DPRK protested the press statement in an 8 September letter to the Council, affirming its intention to continue to bolster its nuclear force (S/2016/771). Following the DPRK’s fifth nuclear test on 9 September, Council members again held urgent consultations and in a press statement strongly condemned the test and expressed their intention to immediately start work on a resolution imposing “appropriate measures under Article 41” against the DPRK (SC/12513). In a 9 September letter, the Republic of Korea called for tougher sanctions against the DPRK and said it would maintain a “posture of heightened readiness” against further provocations (S/2016/775).

Colombia

On 13 September, the Council adopted resolution 2307 approving the Secretary-General’s 18 August recommendations (S/2016/729) on the size, operational aspects and mandate of the UN Mission in Colombia (S/PV.7768). On 21 September, the Council was briefed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia delivered a short statement and presented the peace agreement between the Colombian government and FARC-EP to the Council (S/PV.7773).

Libya

On 13 September, the head of UNSMIL, Special Representative Martin Kobler, briefed the Council (S/PV.7769). The Council was also briefed by the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Ramlan Ibrahim (Malaysia).

Afghanistan

On 14 September, the Council held its quarterly debate on Afghanistan (S/PV.7771) which focused on the most recent UNAMA report (S/2016/768). Special Representative Tadamichi Yamamoto briefed the Council for the first time in his new role. On the same day, the Council issued a presidential statement calling on the international community to continue its civilian and development efforts to assist Afghanistan, ahead of the 5 October 2016 Brussels Conference hosted by Afghanistan and the EU (S/PRST/2016/14).

Liberia

On 14 September, the Council adopted resolution 2308 which extended UNMIL’s mandate, in its current configuration, for an additional three months. The extension of the mission’s mandate will allow the Council to review the recommendations from the Secretary-General’s assessment mission, due by 15 November, before ultimately deciding on when to withdraw the mission.

Non-Proliferation

At the initiative of the US, the Council on 23 September, adopted resolution 2310 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the opening for signature of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Egypt abstained, while all other Council members voted in favour (S/PV.7776). The resolution stressed the importance of achieving the early entry into force of the treaty and urged all states that have either not signed or ratified it to do so without delay, while encouraging all state signatories to promote its universality and entry into force. Also, the 1540 Committee met on 27 September to consider the first draft of the report on the comprehensive review of resolution 1540 which is due for submission to the Council by 1 November.

Somalia

On 27 September, Special Representative Michael Keating briefed (S/PV.7778) the Council on the latest report of the Secretary-General on Somalia (S/2016/763). A representative from the AU also briefed on the activities of AMISOM. On 28 September, the Council issued a press statement that expressed regret at the 26 September announcement by the Federal Indirect Election Implementation Team that the timetable for the 2016 electoral process required a further extension (SC/12538).

Protection of Civilians

On 28 September, the Council held a briefing on the protection of health care in armed conflict (S/PV.7779). The meeting focused on the Secretary-General’s recommendations on this issue, as requested by the Council in resolution 2286 on 3 May (S/2016/722). Briefers included Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, ICRC President Peter Maurer and Médecins Sans Frontières President Joanne Liu.

Golan Heights

On 29 September, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations briefed Council members in consultations on the Secretary-General’s latest UNDOF report (S/2016/803).

Subscribe to receive SCR publications