Overview
In July, Brazil will hold the presidency of the Security Council.
Brazil plans to organise two signature events. The first signature event is a ministerial-level open debate on strategic communications in peacekeeping. Brazilian Foreign Minister Carlos Alberto Franco França is expected to chair the meeting. Secretary-General António Guterres will deliver remarks. The anticipated briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix; Force Commander for the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) General Marcos De Sá Affonso Da Costa; and Jenna Russo, Director of Research and Head of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations at the International Peace Institute (IPI). A presidential statement is a possible outcome.
The second signature event is the annual open debate on children and armed conflict. The Brazilian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Fernando Simas Magalhães is expected to chair the meeting. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba, Executive Director of UNICEF Catherine Russell, and a civil society representative are the anticipated briefers.
In July, the Security Council will also receive a briefing on the annual report of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).
African issues on the programme of work in July are:
- West Africa, briefing and consultations on the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS);
- Central African Republic, renewal of the 2127 CAR sanctions regime and of the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the CAR Sanctions Committee;
- Libya, briefing and consultations on the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), extension of the mandate of the mission, and renewal of measures related to the illicit export of petroleum from Libya and of the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee; and
- Sudan, the semi-annual briefing by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on its Darfur-related activities.
Middle East issues on the programme include:
- Syria, possible reauthorisation of the cross-border aid mechanism and meetings on the political, humanitarian and chemical weapons tracks;
- Yemen, monthly meeting on developments and renewal of the mandate of the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA);
- Lebanon, consultations on the Secretary-General’s 1701 report; and
- Middle East, including the Palestinian question, the quarterly open debate.
The Council is expected to meet on two European issues in July. A private meeting on Ukraine is expected to take place early in the month. The Council will also hold consultations on Cyprus and renew the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
On the Americas, there will be a briefing and consultations on Colombia. The Council is also expected to renew the mandate of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).
There will also be consultations on the work of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) late in the month.
Other issues could be raised in July depending on developments.