Status Update since our December Forecast
Iraq
On 5 December, the Council held a briefing on the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD)(S/PV.9206). Special Adviser and Head of UNITAD Christian Ritscher briefed. Iraq participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.
UNDOF (Golan)
On 8 December, Council members received a briefing in closed consultations on the Secretary-General’s latest 90-day report (S/2022/887) on the activities of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and the implementation of resolution 338. The report covered the activities of UNDOF from 21 August to 20 November 2022. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari briefed.
On 22 December, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2671, which renewed the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan for six months (S/PV.9234).
UNOCA (Central Africa)
On 8 December 2022, the Security Council held a briefing and consultations on the Secretary-General’s semi-annual report (S/2022/896) on the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) and the implementation of the UN’s regional strategy to combat the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) (S/PV.9213). Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) Abdou Abarry briefed the Council for the first time since his appointment on 28 July. President of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) Gilberto da Piedade Veríssimo also briefed the Council on the latest political and security developments in Central Africa.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
On 9 December, the Security Council held a briefing and consultations on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including on the work of MONUSCO and the activities of the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee (S/PV.9215). Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of MONUSCO Bintou Keita briefed on MONUSCO and recent developments in the DRC. Deputy Permanent Representative Lilly-Stella Ngyema Ndong (Gabon) provided an update on the work of the 1533 DRC sanctions committee. Peter Mutuku Mathuki, the Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), also briefed at the meeting, explaining the EAC regional initiative to address the situation in the eastern DRC. Rebecca Kabuo, an activist and member of Lutte pour le Changement (Fight for Change), shared a civil society perspective on the political, security and human rights situation in the country. DRC’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Christophe Lutundula, as well as representatives of Burundi and Rwanda, participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the provisional rules of procedure of the Council.
On 20 December, the Council adopted resolution 2666, which renewed the mandate of MONUSCO for one year, and resolution 2667, which lifted the notification requirement for the shipment of arms and related materials under the 1533 DRC sanctions regime (S/PV.9226). Both texts were adopted unanimously.
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
On 9 December, Council members discussed the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) under “any other business”. The meeting was requested by Albania and the US.
Sanctions Regimes
On 9 December, the Council adopted resolution 2664, which established a “humanitarian carve-out” to the asset freeze measures imposed by UN sanctions regimes (S/PV.9214). (The carve-out is also referred to as a standing humanitarian exception or exemption.) The resolution was co-sponsored by 53 member states. 14 Council members voted in favour and India abstained.
International Criminal Tribunals
On 12 December, the Council held its semi-annual debate on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT). The IRMCT’s president, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, and its prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, briefed. They met with the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals prior to the debate.
Arria-formula Meeting on Youth, Peace and Security
On 12 December, an Arria-formula meeting was held on youth, peace and security. The meeting, which was organised by Ireland together with Ghana and Ecuador, marked the seventh anniversary of the adoption on 9 December 2015 of resolution 2250, which was the first thematic resolution on youth, peace and security. The briefers were UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Natalia Kanem and youth peacebuilder Nynar Koul.
Subsidiary Organs
On 12 December, the outgoing chairs of subsidiary bodies briefed the Council on their experiences (S/PV.9218). The Council heard briefings by Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj (India) on the work of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee, the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, and the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee; Ambassador Fergal Mythen (Ireland) on the 751 Al-Shabaab Sanctions Committee; Ambassador Michael Kiboino (Kenya) on the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa; Ambassador Juan Ramón de la Fuente Ramírez (Mexico) on the 1540 Non-Proliferation Committee and the 2374 Mali Sanctions Committee; Ambassador Mona Juul (Norway) on the 1718 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee and the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict; and Ambassador Trine Heimerback (Norway) on the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.
South Sudan
On 13 December, the Council held an open briefing on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) (S/PV.9219). Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of UNMISS Nicholas Haysom briefed on the Secretary-General’s report (S/2022/918). The Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), Major General (Retired) Charles Tai Gituai, also briefed (via videoconference) from Juba. Ambassador Michel Xavier Biang (Gabon), the chair of the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee, briefed on the work of the committee. Consultations followed the briefing.
New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism
On 14 December, the Council held an open debate on “New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism”, under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item (S/PV.9220). This was one of the signature events of India’s presidency. India’s Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, chaired the meeting. The briefers were Secretary-General António Guterres and General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi. Several other member states—including Council member UAE and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Japan, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Poland—participated at the ministerial level.
Counter-Terrorism
On 15 December, the Council convened a high-level briefing on “Global counter-terrorism approach—principles and the way forward” (S/PV.9221). India’s Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, chaired the meeting, which was also a signature event of India’s presidency. The briefers were Under-Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov; Acting Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) Weixiong Chen; and Anjali Vijay Kulthe, a survivor of the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. A presidential statement on counter-terrorism was adopted during the meeting (S/PRST/2022/7).
Afghanistan
On 16 December, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2665, which renewed the mandate of the Monitoring Team supporting the 1988 Afghanistan sanctions committee for a period of one year (S/PV.9222).
On 20 December, the Council convened for its quarterly briefing on Afghanistan (S/PV.9227). Special Representative and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths briefed. Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj (India) also delivered the annual briefing of the chair of the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee. Representatives of Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan also participated in the open session under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. The meeting was followed by closed consultations.
Council members also issued three press statements regarding terrorist attacks in Afghanistan during December: two regarding terrorist attacks (SC/15125 and SC/15126) and one calling for the rights of women and girls to be upheld (SC/15165).
Libya
On 16 December, the Council held a briefing, followed by consultations, on Libya (S/PV.9223). Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Abdoulaye Bathily briefed on the Secretary-General’s report (S/2022/932).
Iran
On 19 December, the Council convened for its biannual briefing on resolution 2231 of 20 July 2015, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear programme (JCPOA) (S/PV.9225). Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the implementation of resolution 2231, which was issued on 12 December. The Council’s facilitator for the implementation of resolution 2231, Ambassador Fergal Mythen (Ireland), reported on the Council’s work in relation to resolution 2231. The deputy head of the EU delegation to the UN, Ambassador Silvio Gonzato, briefed on the work of the JCPOA’s Joint Commission.
Nagorno-Karabakh
On 20 December, the Council held a meeting on Nagorno-Karabakh (S/PV.9228), following a request for the meeting from Armenia (S/2022/688) that was supported by France. Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas Miroslav Jenča briefed. In addition to Council members, Armenia and Azerbaijan participated under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.
Peacekeeping
On 21 December, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2668, which was proposed by Mexico, on mental health and psychosocial support for UN peace operations personnel (S/PV.9229).
Myanmar
On 21 December, the Council adopted resolution 2669 on the situation in Myanmar, which demands an immediate end to all forms of violence and urges restraint and de-escalation of tensions (S/PV.9231). The resolution, which was proposed by the UK and is the Council’s first resolution on Myanmar, received 12 affirmative votes and three abstentions (China, India and Russia).
Somalia
On 21 December, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2670 authorising the extension of the drawdown of 2,000 personnel from the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) until 30 June 2023 (S/PV.9232). (The drawdown was originally expected to be completed by 31 December 2022).
