October 2008 Monthly Forecast

• Notable Dates

  Notable dates for October 2008. Read more

• Aide Memoire

  Important matters pending for the Council include: The Council is yet to take up on the Secretary-General’s recommendations regarding protection of civilians, presented in his October 2007 report (S/2007/643). The 2005 World Summit requested that the Security Council consider reforms... Read more

• Status Update

  Status Update of Security Council Activity in September 2010. Read more

• Nepal

  In October the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Nepal, Ian Martin, will brief the Council. A report on the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) is expected. UNMIN’s mandate ends on 23 January 2009. Read more

• Lebanon

  The next report of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for implementation of resolution 1559 is due mid-October. The Council is expected to hold consultations. It was unclear at press time whether the Council could agree that the recent positive developments should be welcomed. Read more

• Somalia

  The Council is expecting several reports on Somalia: a regular report is due in mid-October; a plan for a “feasible international stabilisation force” and a “concept of operations” for a follow on UN peacekeeping operation have been requested by the Council; and a report on implementation of resolution 1816 of 2 June (which permits states to enter Somalia’s territorial waters to counter piracy). Read more

• Côte d’Ivoire

  The Council expects to receive a report from the Secretary-General on Côte d’Ivoire’s electoral process by 15 October. Keeping the 30 November presidential election on track is expected to be a priority for the Council. The mandate of the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), which ends on 31 January, is not expected to be discussed. Read more

• DPRK (North Korea)

  The Chairman of the Sanctions Committee on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Ambassador Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata of Italy, will brief the Council in informal consultations in October. The Committee must report to the Council every ninety days. Read more

• Afghanistan

  The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Kai Eide, is expected to brief the Council in mid-October on Afghanistan. The mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan expires on 23 March 2009. The mandate of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan was renewed on 22 September 2008 and now expires in October 2009. Read more

• Iraq

  The Council is facing a difficult decision over residual issues from the Iraq oil-for-food programme. The issue seems minor in that the amount involved ($273 million) is small relative to the $44 billion the programme managed throughout its 13 year life. However the spectre of the scandals raised in 2004-05 still looms.  Read more

• Haiti

  The Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which expires on 15 October. Recent developments in Haiti, in particular the political crisis provoked by food shortages and the humanitarian situation worsened by a series of hurricanes, are likely to impact discussions. Read more

• Kosovo

  The Council is expected to discuss a report on the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in October. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of UNMIK, Lamberto Zannier, is likely to provide details of the reconfiguration of UNMIK in light of Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence. Read more

• Security Council Elections

  On 17 October the General Assembly will hold elections for five non-permanent seats on the Security Council. The new members will take their seats on 1 January and will serve for the period 2009-2010. Read more

• Sudan

  The Secretary-General’s report on the hybrid UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) is due on 30 September. Its mandate expires 31 July 2009, while the mandate for the UN Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) expires 30 April 2009. It is unclear whether there will be any substantive discussion of Darfur issues. Read more

• Georgia

  The Council is expected to consider in October a report on the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) and the mission’s future. (The mission’s mandate expires on 15 October.) Read more

• Overview

  China will have Security Council presidency in October. The election of five new members of the Council for the 2009-10 terms will be held on 17 October in the General Assembly. Two new members from WEOG need to be elected... Read more