Overview
In August, the US will hold the presidency of the Security Council.
As the signature event of its presidency, the US plans to convene a ministerial-level open debate early in the month on conflict and food insecurity. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will chair. Expected briefers include UN Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator Reena Ghelani; Navyn Salem, the founder and CEO of Edesia—a non-profit that combats malnutrition; and President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Rescue Committee David Miliband.
Also anticipated in August is a briefing on the Secretary-General’s bi-annual strategic-level report on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) to international peace and security.
Middle Eastern issues on the programme of work in August are:
- Syria, meetings on the political, humanitarian, and chemical weapons tracks;
- Yemen, monthly meeting on developments;
- The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, the monthly meeting; and
- Lebanon, meeting with the troop-contributing countries to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), consultations on UNIFIL’s work, and renewal of the mission’s mandate.
African issues on the programme of work are:
- Libya, meeting on the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the 1970 Libya sanctions regime; and
- Mali, meeting on developments and vote to renew the 2374 Mali sanctions regime and the mandate of its Panel of Experts.
Asian issues on the programme of work are:
- Central Asia, meeting on the work of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA); and
- Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), briefing on the work of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee.
The Council is also expected to hold a briefing on Ukraine in August. The Council may also hold additional meetings on Ukraine during the month.
Other issues could be raised in August depending on developments.
