Status Update since our July Forecast
International Court of Justice
On 2 July, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2784 setting 12 November as the date of the election to fill a vacancy on the International Court of Justice (ICJ), to be held at a meeting of the Security Council and at a meeting of the General Assembly (S/PV.9952).
Haiti
On 2 July, the Security Council held its regular 90-day briefing on the situation in Haiti (S/PV.9953). Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Miroslav Jenča and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Ghada Fathi Waly briefed.
On 8 July, the 2653 Haiti Sanctions Committee approved the addition of the Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif gangs to its list of sanctioned entities. While the committee had previously designated the leaders of Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, this was the first time that gangs in their entirety were listed under the Haiti sanctions regime. The listing was proposed by the US and co-sponsored by several Council members, including Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the UK.
On 14 July, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2785, renewing the mandate of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) for another six and a half months, until 31 January 2026.
Arria-formula Meeting on Critical Minerals and Resource-Driven Insecurity in Africa
On 9 July, Sierra Leone convened an Arria-formula meeting titled “The Global Race for Critical Minerals: Addressing Resource-Driven Insecurity in Africa”. Guyana and incoming Council members, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Liberia, co-sponsored the meeting. The briefers were Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko, Co-Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals; Ambassador João Samuel Caholo, Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR); Tunde Arisekola, Acting Head of the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) at the African Union (AU); Bojun Tang, Executive Secretary of the Kimberley Process Secretariat; and Mickaël Daudin, Programme Manager at the International Tin Supply Chain Initiative (ITSCI).
Sudan
On 10 July, the Council held its semi-annual briefing on the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s Darfur-related activities (S/PV.9955). ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan briefed. Sudan participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.
UNRCCA (Central Asia)
On 10 July, Kaha Imnadze, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), briefed Council members in closed consultations on the work of the UNRCCA.
Cyprus
On 14 July, Council members held closed consultations on the situation in Cyprus. Special Representative and Head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Colin Stewart briefed Council members, presenting the Secretary-General’s report on UNFICYP (S/2025/447) and on his good offices in Cyprus (S/2025/448).
The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question
On 16 July, the Security Council held a briefing on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”, focused on the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza (S/PV.9959). Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell briefed. The meeting was requested by Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia, and the UK.
On 23 July, the Council held its quarterly open debate on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question” (S/PV.9963). Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, chaired the meeting. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Mohamed Khaled Khiari briefed.
Colombia
On 18 July, the Security Council held an open briefing on Colombia (S/PV.9961). Special Representative and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia Carlos Ruiz Massieu briefed on recent developments and the Secretary-General’s latest 90-day report on the mission (S/2025/419). Colombia participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, represented by Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs Mauricio Jaramillo Jassir.
Conflict Prevention and Peaceful Resolution of Disputes
On 22 July, the Security Council held a high-level open debate on “Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes”, chaired by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar (S/PV.9962 and Resumption I and II). UN Secretary-General António Guterres briefed the Council. During the meeting, the Council adopted resolution 2788, urging member states to effectively utilise the UN Charter’s mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and judicial settlement.
UN-OIC Cooperation
On 24 July, the Security Council convened for a briefing (S/PV.9964) under the agenda item “Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations”, focusing on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, chaired the meeting, which was one of the signature events of Pakistan’s July Council presidency. Briefings were provided by Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Mohamed Khaled Khiari and OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Yousef bin Mohammed Al-Dubaie.
At the meeting, the Council adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2025/5), initiated by Pakistan, on UN-OIC cooperation.
Ukraine
On 25 July, the Council held a briefing on Ukraine at the request of Denmark, France, Greece, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Slovenia, and the UK (S/PV.9965). Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Miroslav Jenča and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya briefed. Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, while Stavros Lambrinidis, Head of the EU Delegation to the UN, participated under rule 39.
On 31 July, at Russia’s request, the Council held a briefing under the agenda item “Threats to international peace and security” to address claims that certain Western countries are undermining the peace process related to the war in Ukraine, including by supplying weapons (S/PV.9970).
Cambodia-Thailand
On 25 July, the Security Council held an urgent private meeting under the “Threats to international peace and security” agenda item to discuss the clashes that erupted on 24 July along the Cambodia-Thailand border (S/PV.9966). Pakistan, July’s Council president, scheduled the meeting following a request from Cambodia in a 24 July letter. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Mohamed Khaled Khiari briefed. Cambodia and Thailand participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. Several member states belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) also participated in the meeting without making a statement: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Viet Nam.
Central African Republic
On 29 July, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2789, extending the sanctions measures imposed on armed groups operating in the Central African Republic (CAR) until 31 July 2026, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts monitoring the implementation of these measures until 31 August 2026.
UN Peace Operations
On 29 July, the Security Council held a briefing on “Adapting peace operations for the pursuit of political solutions – priorities and challenges” under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item (S/PV.9969). The briefers were Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs – Department of Peace Operations Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Peace Institute (IPI) Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.
