What's In Blue

Security Council Programme of Work for December 2022

India is the president of the Security Council in December. Council members adopted the provisional programme of work for the month earlier today (1 December).

India has chosen to convene two signature events during its presidency. The first will be an open debate on “New orientation for reformed multilateralism”, under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item. Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is expected to chair the meeting. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi are expected to brief.

The second signature event will be a briefing on “Global counter-terrorism approach – principles and the way forward”, under the “Threats to international peace and security” agenda item. Jaishankar is expected to chair this meeting as well. Under-Secretary-General and head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov and Acting Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) Weixiong Chen are expected to brief.

The Security Council is scheduled to hold its semi-annual debate on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT). The IRMCT’s president, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, and its prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, are expected to brief during the debate and to meet with the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals prior to that.

As is customary in December, the outgoing chairs of subsidiary bodies are expected to provide a briefing on their experiences. The representatives of the five members completing their two-year terms on the Council at the end of 2022 and their respective chairmanships are:

Several African issues are on the agenda this month, in addition to the briefings by the outgoing chairs of subsidiary bodies related to Africa.

The Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in December. Prior to that, several meetings will be held on the DRC. The Council is expected to hold a meeting with MONUSCO troop-contributing countries. It will also convene a briefing, followed by consultations, on MONUSCO and on the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee. Special Representative and head of MONUSCO Bintou Keita is expected to brief on the mission, while Ambassador Michel Xavier Biang (Gabon), who chairs the 1533 Sanctions Committee, will brief on the committee’s work.

The Council will hold a briefing, followed by consultations, on the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) in December. Special Representative for Sudan and head of UNITAMS Volker Perthes is expected to brief on the mission’s work. The chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Harold Adlai Agyeman (Ghana), may provide the quarterly briefing to the Security Council on the committee’s work.

The Council will convene a briefing, followed by consultations, on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and on the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee. Special Representative and head of UNMISS Nicholas Haysom will brief on the mission’s activities. Ambassador Michel Xavier Biang (Gabon), chair of the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee, is expected to brief on the committee’s work.

A briefing, followed by consultations, is planned on the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) and the implementation of the UN’s regional strategy to combat the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Special Representative and head of UNOCA Abdou Abarry is the scheduled briefer.

A briefing is anticipated on the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Consultations are scheduled to follow. Special Representative and head of UNSMIL Abdoulaye Bathily is expected to brief via videoconference.

Several Middle East issues are also on the December programme.

Special Adviser and head of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) Christian Ritscher is scheduled to provide a briefing on UNITAD.

The Council will hold its monthly meetings on political and humanitarian issues in Syria and on the use of chemical weapons in the country. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu will brief on the chemical weapons file, while Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths are expected to brief via videoconference in a joint meeting on political and humanitarian issues, respectively.

The renewal of the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan is anticipated. Ahead of the mandate renewal, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari is expected to brief Council members on UNDOF in consultations via videoconference. A meeting of Council members and UNDOF troop-contributing countries is also expected to take place in December.

The Council will hold its monthly briefing, followed by consultations, on Yemen. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg (via videoconference) and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths are expected to brief. Major General Michael Beary, the head of the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), is expected to brief via videoconference during the consultations.

The Council will hold its monthly meeting on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland is expected to brief in public via videoconference. Consultations are scheduled to follow his briefing.

During December, the Council is also planning to hold a briefing on non-proliferation (Iran). The expected briefers will be: Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo; Ambassador Fergal Mythen (Ireland), the Council’s facilitator for the implementation of resolution 2231 of 20 July 2015, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear programme; and a representative of the EU in its capacity as coordinator of the Joint Commission, which comprises the current parties to the JCPOA (China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, and Iran).

The only Asian issue currently planned in December is Afghanistan. The Council will hold its quarterly briefing and consultations on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The anticipated briefers are Special Representative and head of UNAMA Roza Otunbayeva and Griffith, who is likely to participate via videoconference. The Council will renew the mandate of the Monitoring Team assisting the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee. It is also likely to review the implementation of resolution 2615 of 22 December 2021, which established a humanitarian exception to the 1988 sanctions regime.

While not on the programme of work adopted earlier today, one or more meetings on Ukraine are anticipated during the month.

Council members will also be closely following developments related to Haiti and Myanmar. They may choose to convene meetings on these and other issues.

Tags: ,
Sign up for What's In Blue emails

Subscribe to receive SCR publications