Overview
Sweden takes on the presidency of the Security Council in January and has planned a ministerial-level open debate on conflict prevention and sustaining peace, chaired by its foreign minister, Margot Wallström. Incoming Secretary-General António Guterres will present his ideas for how he plans to approach the issue of prevention.
Council members will be closely following developments in Syria, and meetings are planned on the chemical weapons, humanitarian and political tracks. There will also be the quarterly open debate on Israel/Palestine.
Council members will continue to monitor developments in South Sudan. Other African issues that will be considered are:
- CAR, the renewal of the sanctions regime and the mandate of the Panel of Experts;
- DRC, an update on developments in the country following the 19 December expiry of the term of the country’s president and the latest report on MONUSCO;
- Mali, a discussion on MINUSMA;
- Somalia, an update on the activities of UNSOM and AMISOM;
- Sudan, on the activities of UNAMID in Darfur and the work of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee: and
- UNOWAS, update on the activities of the UN Office in West Africa and the Sahel.
Other issues on the January programme of work include:
- Cyprus, the quarterly discussion on UNFICYP and renewal of the mission’s mandate; and
- Iran, on the implementation of resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear programme
Throughout the month, Council members will be monitoring developments in Burundi, Guinea-Bissau and Yemen.
