Update Report No.1: Security Council to Welcome New Secretary-General
Update Report in Word Format • PDF Format
Expected Council Action
Russia, as Security Council’s president for January, has proposed for Monday, 8 January, a public debate on Threats to International Peace and Security. The main purpose is to provide the new UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with an occasion to formally address the Council for the first time.
The president of the Council, Russia’s Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin, is expected to open the debate by welcoming the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General will then address the Council and is likely to focus on what he sees as today’s main challenges for international peace and security and on his plans regarding his interaction with the Council. Council members will then speak, highlighting what they consider as priority issues in the work of the Council.
It seems that the Council has decided not to invite any others to participate in the debate.
Draft Presidential Statement
Russia circulated a draft presidential statement with a view to adoption at the end of the Monday morning debate. The initial draft was lengthy and has undergone several revisions. Some of the language has proven difficult to negotiate. At the time of writing the Council had agreed on some aspects. But several issues were still outstanding and will continue to be discussed by members. The Council seems likely to reaffirm its commitment to addressing the most serious threats to international peace and security such as armed conflict, terrorism, and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In this context, it is likely to invoke the language from the 2005 World Summit Outcome, stressing that development, peace and security, and human rights are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. It will also likely stress:
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the importance of conflict prevention (and refer to resolution 1625);
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post-conflict reconstruction and the role of the Peacebuilding Commission; and
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the need to improve peacekeeping.
Members are also likely to commit themselves to working closely and in an action-oriented manner with the new Secretary-General.
Issues Under Discussion
The issues that are still under discussion include references to protection of civilians and responsibility to protect, the reaffirmation of the Council’s resolve to take “appropriate and effective actions” against non-proliferation, as well as the problem of “foreign occupation”. There are also proposals to expand the document to include wider references to peacekeeping principles.
It seems that there are also proposals to call on states to join the nuclear Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The US has indicated support for language on the need to combat sexual abuse and exploitation in UN peacekeeping operations.
