Overview
In June, Guyana holds the presidency of the Security Council.
Guyana will convene one signature event during its presidency, a high-level open debate titled “Poverty, underdevelopment and conflict: Implications for the maintenance of international peace and security”. President Mohamed Irfaan Ali of Guyana is expected to chair the meeting. Invited briefers include UN Secretary-General António Guterres, an official from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and an African Union (AU) Commission official. A presidential statement is a possible outcome.
The annual open debate on children and armed conflict will take place in June. Vindhya Persaud, Guyana’s Minister of Human Services and Social Security, is expected to chair the meeting. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba, Executive Director of UNICEF Catherine Russell, and a civil society representative are the anticipated briefers.
The Security Council is also expected to hold its semi-annual debate on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT). The President of the IRMCT, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, and the Chief Prosecutor of the IRMCT, Serge Brammertz, are expected to brief during the debate and meet with the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals prior to that.
Several African issues are on the programme in June:
- UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA)/Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), briefing and consultations on developments in the Central Africa region;
- Libya, briefing and consultations on the work of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL);
- Central African Republic (CAR), briefing and consultations on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA);
- Sudan, briefing and consultations on the situation in the country pursuant to resolution 2715 of 1 December 2023 and on the work of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee; and
- Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), briefing and consultations on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and vote on a resolution to renew the mandate of the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee and its Panel of Experts.
Middle Eastern issues on the programme this month are:
- Syria, the monthly briefing and consultations on political and humanitarian developments, as well as a briefing and consultations on the chemical weapons track;
- Iraq, biannual briefing and consultations on the situation in Iraq and on progress in implementing resolution 2732 of 31 May 2024, through which the Council streamlined the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and decided to close the mission by 31 December 2025;
- Yemen, the monthly briefing and consultations on developments in the country;
- Golan, consultations on the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), and a vote to renew the mission’s mandate;
- Iran, briefing on the implementation of resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear programme; and
- “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”, the monthly briefing and consultations, with the possibility of additional meetings depending on developments in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel.
Afghanistan is the one Asian issue on the programme this month, with a briefing and consultations planned on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
As in previous months, there may be one or more meetings on Ukraine in June. Council members will also hold an informal meeting with members of the European Union Political and Security Committee (PSC) during their visit to New York in June. Other issues could also be raised during the month, depending on developments.
The General Assembly is scheduled to vote on 3 June to elect five new members to the Security Council. Bahrain, Colombia, the DRC, Latvia, and Liberia are running unopposed for the five available seats.
