Overview
In November, Ghana will hold the presidency of the Security Council.
Ghana plans to organise two signature events during the month. The first signature event is a ministerial-level open debate on the theme “Integrating Effective Resilience-Building in Peace Operations for Sustainable Peace”. Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey is expected to chair the meeting. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs and Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye, Chair of The Elders Mary Robinson, and Security Council Report Executive Director Karin Landgren are the anticipated briefers.
The second signature event is a debate on “Counter-terrorism in Africa—an imperative for peace, security, and development”. Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo is expected to chair the meeting. AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and a civil society representative are expected to brief.
In November, the Security Council will hold its annual briefing with the heads of police components of UN peace operations. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix; the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) police commissioner, Christine Fossen; the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) police commissioner, Mody Berethe; and Emma Birikorang, director at the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, are the anticipated briefers.
The Council is also expected to receive its annual briefing from UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in November.
In addition to the debate on counter-terrorism in Africa, other African issues on the programme of work in November are:
- Libya, the semi-annual briefing by the ICC Prosecutor concerning cases in the country;
- Gulf of Guinea, briefing on the Secretary-General’s report on Gulf of Guinea piracy pursuant to resolution 2634;
- Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (FC-G5S), briefing and consultations on the activities of the force;
- Sudan/South Sudan, mandate renewal of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA);
- Central African Republic, meeting with troop-contributing countries to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and renewal of MINUSCA’s mandate; and
- Somalia, renewal of the mandate of the 751 Somalia Sanctions regime and its Panel of Experts.
Middle East issues on the programme include:
- Syria, monthly meetings on political/humanitarian developments and on the chemical weapons file, as well as the bimonthly informal interactive dialogue on the implementation of resolution 2642;
- Yemen, the monthly meeting on developments;
- “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question”, the monthly meeting; and
- Lebanon, consultations on the implementation of resolution 1701.
The Council is expected to meet on two European issues in November. It will hold the semi-annual debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina and reauthorise the EU-led multinational stabilisation force (EUFOR ALTHEA). There are also likely to be one or more meetings on Ukraine.
The only Asian issue planned in November is the consultations on the report of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee.
The Council is expected to receive a briefing from chairs of the 1267/1989/2253 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee, the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee and the 1540 Committee. The Council is also expected to renew the mandate of the 1540 Committee.
The Security Council and General Assembly will both hold elections for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in November.
The annual Finnish workshop on “Hitting the Ground Running” is scheduled to take place on 17-18 November.
Other issues could be raised in November depending on developments.
