June 2021 Monthly Forecast

Posted 29 May 2021
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Overview

In June, Estonia will have the presidency. The Council may hold meetings in the Security Council chamber this month, although high-level meetings will most likely continue to be held by videoconference (VTC).

Estonia has chosen to hold three open debates: children and armed conflict, cybersecurity and working methods. The children and armed conflict open debate on the Secretary-General’s annual report will be at ministerial level and will be chaired by the President of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid. Briefings are expected from a senior Secretariat official, UNICEF and a civil society representative.

The cybersecurity open debate will also be at ministerial level, with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, expected to chair the meeting. A briefing is anticipated from High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu. This will be the Council’s first formal meeting on cybersecurity.

The annual open debate on working methods will feature briefings from the chair of the Informal Working Group on documentation and other procedural questions, Ambassador I. Rhonda King, and Loraine Sievers, co-author of “The Procedure of the UN Security Council (4th edition)”.

The quarterly debate on Afghanistan will be held at ministerial level with Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eva-Maria Liimets, expected to chair the meeting. Deborah Lyons, the Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), is the anticipated briefer. An official from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and a civil society representative may also brief.

There will also be the annual briefing on cooperation between the UN and the EU with a briefing by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

Regarding African issues, the regular briefing on the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is expected together with an adoption to renew the mission’s mandate. Council members will be paying close attention to the situation following the recent coup and may hold further meetings as necessary.

On Sudan, the Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) and to receive briefings by the ICC Prosecutor and the chair of 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee.

An adoption is also anticipated to renew the authorisation for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of  Libya, bound to or from the country, that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo.

There are a number of other meetings on Africa scheduled this month:

  • CAR, on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA);
  • Central Africa region, on the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) and the implementation of the UN regional strategy to combat the Lord’s Resistance Army;
  • DRC, on the renewal of the 1533 sanctions regime and its Group of Experts,
  • Somalia, briefing by the chair of the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee; and
  • South Sudan, on UNMISS.

Regarding Middle East issues, there will be the regular briefings on the political, humanitarian and chemical weapons tracks in Syria, as well as the monthly meeting on developments in Yemen.

Other Middle East issues this month include:

  • Golan Heights, quarterly briefing and renewal of UNDOF’s mandate;
  • Iraq, on the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability Against Da’esh/ISIL Crimes (UNITAD);
  • Iran, on non-proliferation; and
  • Israel/Palestine, monthly briefing on recent developments.

A meeting is also expected on Haiti.

In June, the Council will hold its semi-annual debate on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT).

The General Assembly is expected in June to elect five Security Council members for the 2022-2023 term.

The Council will also be closely watching developments in Myanmar and Tigray and may meet on the selection of the next Secretary-General.

 

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