Overview

In June, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) holds the presidency of the UN Security Council.

The UAE is expected to convene three signature events during its presidency. The first is a briefing on cooperation between the UN and the League of Arab States (LAS). A senior UN official, LAS Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and an Arab youth civil society representative are the anticipated briefers. Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Minister of State at the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, is expected to chair the meeting.

The second signature event will be an open debate on climate, peace and security under the “Threats to international peace and security” agenda item. Mariam Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, will chair the meeting.

The third signature event this month is a briefing on “The values of human fraternity in promoting and sustaining peace” under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Muhammed Ahmed Aṭ-Ṭayyeb, are expected to brief. A high-level representative of the Holy See is also an anticipated briefer.

The Security Council is scheduled to hold 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, are expected to brief.

In addition to the briefing on cooperation between the UN and the LAS, other Middle East issues on the programme this month are:

• Iraq, briefing on the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD);
• Golan, meeting with troop-contributing countries of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), consultations on UNDOF, and renewal of the mission’s mandate;
• Yemen, the monthly briefing and consultations;
• “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”, the monthly meeting;
• Syria, the monthly meeting on political and humanitarian developments and an informal interactive dialogue (IID) on the implementation of resolution 2672 of 9 January, which reauthorised the cross-border mechanism for the delivery of humanitarian aid into Syria.

Several African issues are on the programme in June:

• Libya, renewal of authorisation for member states to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo, and briefing and consultations on the work of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL);
• UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA)/Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), meeting on developments;
• Mali, meeting with troop-contributing countries of theUN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), meeting on MINUSMA, and renewal of the mission’s mandate;
• Sudan, briefing by the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee and renewal of the mandate of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS);
• Somalia, briefing by the chair of the 751 Al-Shabaab Sanctions Committee, meeting on the situation in Somalia, and reauthorisation of the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS);
• Central African Republic (CAR), meeting on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA);
• South Sudan, meeting on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS);
• Gulf of Guinea, briefing on maritime security;
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), meeting on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and vote on a resolution renewing the mandate of the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee and its Panel of Experts.

Afghanistan is the one Asian issue on the programme this month, with a meeting planned on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

There may be one or more meetings on Ukraine in June, and other issues could also be raised during the month, depending on developments.

The General Assembly is scheduled to vote to elect five new members to the Security Council on 6 June. Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, and Sierra Leone are running uncontested; Belarus and Slovenia are vying for the Eastern European seat.