Overview
In August, Denmark will hold the presidency of the Security Council.
Denmark plans to organise one signature event, a high-level open debate titled “Food Under Fire: The Security Council’s Role in Mitigating Global and Local Food Crises” under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item. Denmark’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen is expected to chair the meeting. The anticipated briefers are UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Acting Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) Carl Skau, and a civil society representative.
Rasmussen is also expected to chair two separate briefings on regional files. At the time of writing, the topics of these meetings have yet to be decided.
In August, the Security Council will hold its annual open debate on working methods under the agenda item “Implementation of the note by the President of the Security Council (S/2024/507)”, referring to the most recent version of the comprehensive compendium of Council working methods adopted in December 2024, which is also known as Note 507. Executive Director of Security Council Report (SCR) Shamala Kandiah Thompson is expected to brief.
Additionally, the Council will receive a briefing on the Secretary-General’s biannual 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, meeting on the political and humanitarian tracks;
- Yemen, bimonthly meeting on developments; and
- “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”, the monthly meeting, with the possibility of additional meetings depending on developments in Gaza and Israel.
African issues on the programme of work this month are:
- Libya, briefing and consultations on the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the work of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee; and
- South Sudan, briefing and consultations on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The only Asian issue scheduled for this month is consultations on the work of the 1718 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee.
Regarding European issues, the Council may hold one or more meetings on Ukraine in August. Council members are also likely to hold a meeting under “any other business” to mark the 18th anniversary of the 2008 Russia-Georgia war.
Members will also continue following closely the crisis in the Middle East and any spillover effects, such as the disruption to the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the situation in Sudan. They may choose to convene meetings on these or other issues, depending on developments.
In August, Council members are expected to continue conducting “straw polls” that began in July to gauge support for the candidates for the position of UN Secretary-General.
