Overview
In September, Albania is the president of the Security Council.
Albania plans to organise three signature events. The first signature event is the annual working methods open debate, which will be held under the “Implementation of the note by the President of the Security Council (S/2017/507)” agenda item. Ambassador Ferit Hoxha, Albania’s Permanent Representative to the UN and Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions (IWG), is the anticipated briefer.
The second signature event is an open debate on “Advancing Public-Private Humanitarian Partnership”. The meeting is expected to focus on how to better coordinate the efforts of member states, the private sector, philanthropies, and other humanitarian actors in responding to humanitarian crises. Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Olta Xhaçka will chair the meeting. The expected briefers are Cindy H. McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP); Eric Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Futures—a philanthropic venture that funds science and technology research; Michael Miebach, CEO of the payment-processing corporation Mastercard; and a civil society representative.
The third signature event is an open debate on “Upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter through effective multilateralism: Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine”. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is expected to chair the meeting, which will be held during the UN General Assembly’s high-level segment.
In September, the Security Council will also hold a briefing on peacekeeping reform pursuant to resolution 2378 of 20 September 2017. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is the anticipated briefer.
Council members are also expected to hold a high-level Informal Interactive Dialogue (IID) with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (LAS), Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and members of the Arab Summit Troika—a group of three rotating countries that monitor the implementation of resolutions and commitments adopted by the LAS, which consists of the outgoing, current, and incoming Arab Summit chairs (Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain).
African issues on the programme of work in September are:
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, briefing and consultations on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO);
- Libya, reauthorisation of the mandate to inspect and seize vessels suspected of being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking;
- South Sudan, briefing and consultations on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS); and
- Sudan, briefing and consultations on the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) and briefing on the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee.
Middle Eastern issues on the programme are:
- Iraq, renewal of the mandate of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD);
- Yemen, the monthly meeting;
- Syria, meetings on the political, humanitarian, and chemical weapons tracks; and
- “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”, the monthly meeting.
There will also be a briefing and consultations on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the one Asian issue expected to be discussed in September.
Other issues could be raised in September depending on developments.
