What's In Blue
Latest post: Wed 13 Jan 2021Insights on the work of the UN Security Council
Yemen: Briefing and Consultations via Videoconference
Tomorrow (14 January), Security Council members will hold a videoconference (VTC) briefing, followed by closed VTC consultations, on Yemen. Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths will brief, providing his regular monthly update on mediation efforts to broker a nationwide ceasefire and to resume peace talks. Other anticipated briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock and Executive Director of the World Food Programme David Beasley. General Abhijit Guha, the head of the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement, is expected to brief members during the closed consultations. The UK, the penholder on Yemen, is expected to propose a press statement.
Negotiations remain stalled on Griffiths’ proposed joint declaration for a ceasefire, confidence-building measures and restarting peace talks between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebel group. Griffiths is likely to recall the appointment of the new Yemeni government on 18 December 2020 that included representatives of the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), fulfilling a key element of the Riyadh Agreement, the power-sharing accord brokered by Saudi Arabia in November 2019 between the STC and the Yemeni government. The formation of the government had brought some hope of momentum towards organising in-person talks between the government and the Houthi rebel group to overcome differences on the joint declaration.
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Tomorrow (13 January), Security Council members will hold a videoconference (VTC) briefing on Mali, with Special Representative and head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) Mahamat Saleh Annadif. This is expected to be Annadif’s final Council...
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Tomorrow (13 January) Security Council members will discuss the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) under “any other business” at the request of France, the penholder on CAR. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is expected to brief. The...
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Tomorrow morning (12 January) at 8:30 am, the Security Council is holding a ministerial-level open videoconference (VTC) debate on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, focusing on international cooperation in combating terrorism 20 years after the...
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On Monday (11 January), the Security Council will receive a videoconference (VTC) briefing, followed by VTC consultations, by Special Representative and head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) Mohamed Ibn Chambas, who will present the...
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Tomorrow (6 January), Tunisia is holding a high-level open videoconference (VTC) debate on the challenges faced by countries in fragile contexts, in particular on the African continent. Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed will chair the meeting. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Chair...
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Tunisia has the presidency of the Security Council in January. Council members adopted the provisional programme of work earlier today. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, much of the Council’s work is expected to continue to take place virtually this month. Five...
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Yesterday (29 December) the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2560, which focuses on the work of the 1267/1989/2253 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee and its Monitoring Team. A key theme of the...
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Tomorrow (22 December), the Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution on the UN/AU Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). In accordance with voting procedures established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council commenced its 24-hour written voting procedure...
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Tomorrow (22 December), the Security Council will hold an open VTC session on the implementation of resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear programme. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo will...
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Security Council members are expected to hold videoconference consultations on Monday (21 December) on Western Sahara. Germany requested the meeting, which is expected to focus on recent developments in the region. Bintou Keita, the Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, and Colin...
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On Monday (21 December), the Security Council and the General Assembly will adopt substantively identical resolutions on the 2020 peacebuilding architecture review. The written voting procedure for Council members to submit their votes expires at 10 am Monday and the...
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Tomorrow (18 December), the Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) before its current mandate expires on 20 December. In accordance with...
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Tomorrow (18 December), Security Council members will hold a virtual open debate on the promotion and strengthening of the rule of law, focusing on strengthening the cooperation between the Security Council and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The president...
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Tomorrow (18 December) the Security Council president (South Africa) is expected to announce the result of the voting on a draft resolution renewing the mandate of the Monitoring Team supporting the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee. The written voting procedure on...
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Tomorrow morning (17 December), the Security Council will convene its quarterly meeting on Afghanistan via videoconference. Deborah Lyons, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), is expected to brief...