Programme of Work for October 2023
Brazil is the president of the Security Council in October. Council members adopted the provisional programme of work for the month earlier today (2 October).
In the two preceding months, the Council had been unable to agree on its provisional programme of work, due to Russia’s apparent objection to the inclusion of Ukraine on the programme. As a result, the respective Council presidents of August and September (the US and Albania) published a “plan of work” on the presidency’s website and social media. (For more information, see our 1 August and 1 September What’s in Blue stories.) This month’s provisional programme of work does not include any scheduled meetings on Ukraine. Members may request one or more meetings on the issue, however, depending on developments.
The month has gotten off to a busy start with the Council adopting resolution 2699 this afternoon, authorising the deployment of a Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti. (For background, please see our What’s in Blue story earlier today.)
As a signature event of its October presidency, Brazil will convene an open debate on “Peace through Dialogue: The Contribution of Regional, Sub-regional and Bilateral Arrangements to the Prevention and Peaceful Resolution of Disputes”. UN Secretary-General António Guterres may brief. Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira is expected to chair the meeting.
The Council will also hold its annual open debate on women, peace, and security this month. Secretary-General Guterres, UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous, and President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Spoljaric Egger are the anticipated briefers. A civil society representative is also expected to brief. Minister of Foreign Affairs Vieira will chair the session.
The 17th annual joint consultative meeting between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) will be held on 6 October. The annual meeting rotates between New York and Addis Ababa, the home of the AU headquarters. This year, the meeting will be held in Addis Ababa, and will be preceded by the eighth informal joint seminar of the Security Council and the AUPSC, which is set to take place on 5 October.
The Security Council is scheduled to hold its annual private meeting with the President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Joan E. Donoghue.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi is also expected to brief the Council in October.
Several African issues are on the programme this month.
The Security Council is scheduled to hold its annual debate on cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations, focusing on the AU. Senior UN and AU officials are expected to brief.
The Council expects to reauthorise measures related to the illicit export of petroleum from Libya. It will hold a briefing on the situation in Libya and the work of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), which will feature a briefing by Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNSMIL Abdoulaye Bathily via videoconference (VTC). Consultations are expected to follow. The Council is also scheduled to renew UNSMIL’s mandate in October.
The Security Council will hold a briefing, followed by consultations, to discuss the situation in Somalia. Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Support Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Catriona Laing and a senior AU official are expected to brief. The chair of the 751 Al-Shabaab Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Ishikane Kimihiro (Japan), plans to brief the Council on the committee’s work. The Council also expects to renew the mandate of UNSOM this month.
The Council will hold a meeting with troop-contributing countries of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). Council members will hold consultations on Western Sahara, with briefings anticipated by Special Representative and head of MINURSO Alexander Ivanko and Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara Staffan de Mistura. The Council is also scheduled to renew the mandate of MINURSO.
A briefing, followed by consultations, is planned on the Great Lakes region. Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia is the anticipated briefer.
There will be a briefing, followed by consultations, on the work of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), which will feature a briefing by a senior official from the Department of Peace Operations.
A meeting with troop-contributing countries of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is also planned for October.
A number of Middle East issues are scheduled for October.The quarterly open debate on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question” will be held this month. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland plans to brief via VTC.
A briefing, followed by consultations, is expected on the work of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq and head of UNAMI Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert is expected to brief via VTC.
The Security Council will hold its monthly briefing on Yemen, followed by closed consultations. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and a representative of OCHA will brief. The head of the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), Major General Michael Beary, is expected to brief via VTC during the consultations.
There will be a meeting on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria. Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen and a senior OCHA official may brief.
Council members are expected to receive their semi-annual briefing in closed consultations on the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of resolution 1559. Adopted in 2004, the resolution called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon, the disarmament of all militias, and the extension of government control over the whole Lebanese territory. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo is the anticipated briefer.
Consultations on the UN Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan (UNDOF) are expected this month. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari is the expected briefer.
Two issues in the Americas, Haiti and Colombia, are on the programme this month. In addition to the adoption of resolution 2699 this afternoon, the Council plans to hold a briefing, followed by consultations, on Haiti later this month. The anticipated briefers are Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) María Isabel Salvador and Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Catherine Russell.
The Council expects to receive a briefing from Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Colombia and head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia Carlos Ruiz Massieu on recent developments in the country and the Secretary-General’s latest report on the mission. The Council is also scheduled to renew the verification mission’s mandate this month.
Regarding European issues, the Security Council plans to hold its second briefing of the year on the situation in Kosovo. Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Caroline Ziadeh will brief on recent developments and the Secretary-General’s latest report on the mission.
Other issues may be convened during the month depending on developments.
