What's In Blue
Latest post: Tue 15 Sep 2026Insights on the work of the UN Security Council
Syria: Briefing and Consultations
On Thursday morning (17 September), the Security Council will hold an open briefing on Syria. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher, and a civil society representative are expected to brief. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.
The meeting will take place against the backdrop of ongoing efforts to consolidate Syria’s political transition. The Syrian interim government—led by interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa—has made significant strides in state-building and international reintegration this year, developments that are expected to feature prominently in Thursday’s discussions. Council members are also likely to address recent security incidents and external pressures, with a focus on sustaining momentum, supporting stability, and encouraging an inclusive transition.
Continue reading-
Tomorrow afternoon (16 September), Pakistan will convene an Arria-formula meeting on upholding international law in situations of armed conflict. Briefings are expected from the Head of the Humanitarian Policy and Planning Section at the UN Office for the Coordination of...
-
Tomorrow morning (16 September), the Security Council will hold an open briefing on Afghanistan. Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (Political) for Afghanistan Georgette Gagnon and a woman civil society representative are expected to brief. Several regional member states are...
-
Tomorrow morning (14 September), Security Council members will hold an informal interactive dialogue (IID) on the situation in Sudan, titled “From Principles to Practice: translating international mediation commitments into a coherent, civilian-led path to peace”. The meeting is being organised by...
-
This afternoon (11 September), the Security Council will hold an open briefing under the “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts” agenda item. France, the Council’s president in September, is convening the meeting to mark 25 years...
-
Tomorrow morning (11 September), the Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution renewing the 1591 Sudan sanctions regime, which includes targeted sanctions (asset freezes and travel bans) and an arms embargo, for one month, until 9 October 2026. The draft...
-
This afternoon (10 September), the Security Council will hold an emergency briefing on Yemen. Bahrain and the UK (the penholder on Yemen) requested the meeting in response to attacks by the Houthi rebel group on Saudi Arabia. UN Special Envoy...
-
Tomorrow morning (September 10), the Security Council is scheduled to hold an open briefing on the work of the 1737 Sanctions Committee concerning Iran. France—the Council’s president in September—intends to convene the meeting under the “Non-Proliferation” agenda item. No briefer...
-
France is the president of the Security Council in September. Council members were unable to reach agreement on the provisional programme of work for the month, apparently due to objections from China and Russia to the inclusion in the proposed...
-
On Wednesday afternoon (2 September), Security Council members will hold an informal interactive dialogue (IID) on artificial intelligence (AI), titled “From Early Warning to Durable Peace: Leveraging AI in Conflict Resolution”. The meeting is being organised by Bahrain, France, Greece,...
-
This afternoon (28 August), the Security Council will hold a briefing on Haiti. The urgent meeting was requested by Panama and the US (the penholders on Haiti), together with Colombia, after an overnight gang attack between 23 and 24 August...
-
This afternoon (27 August), Security Council members will hold closed consultations on UN peace operations. Denmark and Pakistan, who are working as a “peacekeeping duo” to promote the issue as a key priority, requested the meeting. Latvia supported the meeting...
-
On Friday morning (28 August), Security Council members are expected to hold closed consultations on the situation in Lebanon. It seems that France, the penholder on Lebanon, requested the meeting in light of the deteriorating situation in southern Lebanon and...
-
On Wednesday morning (26 August), the Security Council will hold an open briefing on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question” (MEPQ). The anticipated briefers are Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator at the Office of the...
-
Tomorrow (25 August), the Security Council will convene for a high-level open debate on conflict-related food insecurity under the agenda item “Maintenance of international peace and security”. The meeting, titled “Food under fire: the Security Council’s role in mitigating global...
-
On Monday afternoon (24 August), the Security Council will convene for a briefing on the situation in Ukraine. The meeting will coincide with the anniversary of Ukraine’s declaration of independence in 1991 and will also mark four and a half...
