Status Update since our September Forecast
Venezuela
On 5 September, Council members discussed Venezuela under “any other business”. Ecuador requested that members address the situation in the country, where the results of the 28 July presidential election, in which Nicolás Maduro was announced the winner, have been strongly disputed by several national and international actors. Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Miroslav Jenča briefed. It seems that the discussion was contentious. While some members argued that it is a domestic issue that should not be within the Council’s purview, others said that the situation in the country poses a risk to regional stability and therefore the Council should remain abreast of developments in order to fulfill its conflict prevention role. Ambassador José Javier De La Gasca (Ecuador) reiterated the latter argument in a stakeout after the meeting. On 12 September, Panama, an incoming Security Council member, delivered a joint statement on Venezuela on behalf of approximately 50 member states and the EU. Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez read the remarks, which urged the publication of the election results from all polling stations and the impartial verification of results by independent observers. The statement voiced alarm about the reported human rights violations and abuses following the elections and expressed support for a Venezuelan-led process to re-establish democratic norms in the country.
Afghanistan
On 5 September, Council members issued a press statement condemning a 2 September terrorist attack in Kabul. The attack was claimed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-K).
On 18 September, the Council convened for an open briefing on Afghanistan (S/PV.9726). Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva, UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous, and a civil society representative briefed. Slovenia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, chaired the meeting. On 20 September, Council members discussed the modalities used to deliver the civil society briefing under “any other business” following the briefing on Lebanon. It appears that the meeting was requested by Russia, who took issue with the modalities used for the delivery of the civil society briefing on 18 September. (The voice of the briefer, who was not in the Council chamber, could be heard, but she could not be seen by members.)
UN Peacekeeping
On 9 September, the Security Council held its annual meeting on UN peacekeeping pursuant to resolution 2378 of 20 September 2017 (S/PV.9719). Slovenia convened the meeting in an open debate format under the theme “Strengthening Peacekeeping: Reflections for the Future”. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix; Comfort Ero, the President and CEO of the International Crisis Group (ICG); and Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the President and CEO of the International Peace Institute (IPI), briefed.
Ukraine
On 10 September, the Security Council held a briefing on the situation in Ukraine (S/PV.9720). Ecuador and France requested the meeting following a barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks that targeted multiple cities across Ukraine in early September. In a letter dated 4 September, Ukraine said that these attacks had caused a significant number of civilian casualties and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure in cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, and Dnipro, among others. Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya briefed the Council.
On 13 September, at Russia’s request, the Council held a briefing under the “Threats to international peace and security” agenda item to discuss Western arms transfers to Ukraine (S/PV.9724). High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu briefed the Council.
On 24 September, the Council convened for a high-level briefing on Ukraine (S/PV.9731). France, Japan, Malta, the Republic of Korea, the UK, and the US requested the meeting. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob chaired the meeting, at which Secretary-General António Guterres briefed. Ukraine, represented by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, participated under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.
Myanmar
On 19 September, Council members convened for closed consultations on Myanmar. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari briefed. The UK, the penholder on the file, requested the meeting.
Leadership for Peace
On 25 September, Slovenia convened a high-level open debate on “Leadership for Peace” under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item (S/PV.9732). Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob chaired the meeting, which was the signature event of his country’s September Council presidency. The briefers were UN Secretary-General António Guterres; President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Spoljaric Egger; and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a member of The Elders and former President of Liberia. The open debate focused on strengthening multilateral efforts to promote international peace and security. A presidential statement was adopted at the start of the meeting that reaffirms the Council’s commitment to international law, including the UN Charter, and the need for universal adherence to international law, (S/PRST/2024/5).
League of Arab States
On 26 September, the Security Council held an informal interactive dialogue (IID) on cooperation between the UN and the League of Arab States (LAS). Tanja Fajon, Slovenia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, chaired the meeting. Khaled Khiari, the Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, and LAS Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit briefed Council members. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iraq, the members of the Arab Summit Troika—a group of three rotating countries that monitor the implementation of resolutions and commitments adopted by the LAS—also participated at ministerial level.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
On 30 September, the Security Council held a briefing and consultations on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including the work of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the DRC and Head of MONUSCO Bintou Keita, the Chair of the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee Ambassador Michael Imran Kanu (Sierra Leone) and a Congolese civil society representative briefed. Angola, the DRC, and Rwanda participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.
Counter-Terrorism
On 20 September, Council members issued a press statement condemning a 17 September terrorist attack in Bamako, Mali. The attack was claimed by an Al Qaida-linked militant group known as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).
