January 2018 Monthly Forecast

Posted 28 December 2017
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Overview

Kazakhstan will preside over the Security Council in January. There will be a special focus on the Central Asia region. A ministerial-level debate on building relationships between Afghanistan and Central Asia, chaired by Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov, with Secretary-General António Guterres expected to be among the speakers, is planned. In addition, the regular semi-annual briefing on the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) will be held.   Kazakhstan is also planning a high-level briefing on non-proliferation and confidence-building measures, chaired by the country’s President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, with the Secretary-General briefing.

Following the December adoption of a resolution renewing the authorisation of cross-border and cross-line humanitarian access in Syria, the Council will continue to receive its regular monthly briefing on the humanitarian situation, as well as on the political situation and chemical weapons. The other Middle East meeting will be the quarterly open debate on Israel/Palestine.

Council members will be following closely developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and will receive a briefing from Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, followed by consultations. Other briefings followed by consultations on African issues in January are: Darfur, with an update on UNAMID; Somalia; South Sudan; Mali; Libya; and the work of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel. The Council is also expected to adopt a resolution renewing sanctions in the Central African Republic and the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee.

The Council will also be updated on situations in South America and Europe in January.

It will hold a briefing, followed by consultations, on Colombia, with Special Representative Jean Arnault presenting the Secretary-General’s 90-day report on the UN Verification Mission in Colombia.

On Cyprus, it will be briefed in consultations on developments and the latest report on UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus and is expected to renew the mandate of UNFICYP for another six months.

Over the month, Council members will likely follow closely developments in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Myanmar, Ukraine and Yemen, and other meetings may be scheduled. 

 

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