Overview
Ethiopia has the presidency in September. A visiting mission to Addis Ababa is planned in early September for the 11th annual consultative meeting between members of the UN Security Council and members of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC). Immediately after the visit there will be a briefing on the visiting mission. A briefing on the report of the Secretary-General on strengthening the partnership between the UN and the AU by UN Special Representative to the AU Haile Menkerios is also expected in September.
A summit-level open debate on “Reform of UN peacekeeping: implementation and follow-up” is planned for the high-level week of the General Assembly’s 72nd session. Secretary-General António Guterres and Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, are expected to brief the Council, along with a representative from the High-Level Panel on Peace Operations. A resolution may be adopted as an outcome.
There will be two briefings related to counter-terrorism. The Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, Ambassador Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta (Egypt), and the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Fang Liu, will brief the Council on security in civil aviation, in accordance with resolution 2309. A presidential statement may be adopted as an outcome.
The second counter-terrorism meeting will take place in late September where the head of the newly-created UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, is expected to brief the Council for the first time. The newly-appointed Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, Michèle Coninsx (Belgium), is also likely to brief the Council.
Two resolutions on the mandates of peace operations in Colombia and Libya are expected to be adopted in September.
- The Council expects a briefing from the Special Representative and head of the UN Mission in Colombia, Jean Arnault, and will discuss recommendations and adopt a resolution on the size, operational aspects, and mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, which is expected to start its activities on 26 September.
- An adoption is scheduled for the renewal of the mandate of UNSMIL (Libya) ahead of its expiry on 15 September.
Other discussions of African issues this month include:
- Somalia, on the activities of UNSOM;
- Sudan, on the activities of UNAMID in Darfur; and
- South Sudan, update on the activities of UNMISS and deployment of the Regional Protection Force.
There will also be a briefing on developments in the Lake Chad Basin region, required by resolution 2349.
Regarding Middle East issues, Council members expect to receive the monthly briefings on political and humanitarian developments in Syria and on chemical weapons.
Other Middle East issues to be considered this month are:
- Israel/Palestine, the regular monthly briefing and consultations; and
- Yemen, an update by the Special Envoy.
Regarding Asian issues, the Council will hold a debate on UNAMA in Afghanistan.
The chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee is expected to provide the quarterly briefing on the DPRK, which had originally been expected in August. Following the launch of a ballistic missile over Japan on 28 August and the adoption of a presidential statement, members are expected to consider ways of further increasing pressure on the DPRK.
In addition, Council members will watch closely developments in the DRC and Mali and may begin negotiations on a draft resolution on accountability for Da’esh crimes in Iraq. More meetings may be scheduled during the month.