Security Council Programme of Work for April 2025
France is the president of the Security Council in April. Council members adopted the provisional programme of work for the month earlier today (1 April).
The quarterly open debate on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question” will be held at ministerial level this month. French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot is expected to chair the meeting. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is the anticipated briefer. Other meetings on this file may be convened depending on developments in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi will brief the Security Council in April, focusing on challenges related to forced displacement across the globe. Barrot will chair the meeting, which is expected to be interactive, with the High Commissioner responding to observations and questions from members during the session.
There will also be an open briefing on the implementation of resolution 2730 of 24 May 2024 on the protection of humanitarian personnel and UN and associated personnel and their premises and assets. Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya, Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud, and a civil society representative are expected to brief.
Additionally, the Security Council will hold its annual briefing with the heads of military components of UN peacekeeping operations. The anticipated briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and the heads of military components of two UN peacekeeping operations: Force Commander of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) Lieutenant General Ulisses de Mesquita Gomes and Head of Mission and Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz.
Several other Middle Eastern issues will be discussed in April.
The monthly meeting on Yemen will be held in closed consultations. Briefings are expected from UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Edem Wosornu.
The monthly meeting on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria will feature briefings by Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen and Msuya.
Several African issues are on the programme this month.
The Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) ahead of its 30 April expiry. Prior to that, Council members will hold a meeting with UNMISS troop-contributing countries, at which Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of UNMISS Nicholas Haysom is expected to participate. There will also be a briefing and consultations on developments in South Sudan, including the work of UNMISS. Haysom is expected to brief. A civil society representative may also brief.
An open briefing is planned on the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). Special Representative and Head of UNOWAS Leonardo Santos Simão and a civil society representative are expected to brief. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.
The Council is also expected to hold a private meeting on Somalia. Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) James Swan is expected to brief. An African Union (AU) representative is also expected to update the Council on the implementation of the mandate of the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) in accordance with resolution 2767 of 27 December 2024. The resolution expressed the Council’s intention to invite the AU, the UN Secretariat, and relevant international stakeholders to participate in a joint meeting on AUSSOM and UNTMIS.
Consultations on the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the situation in Western Sahara are planned for April. The anticipated briefers are Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara Staffan de Mistura and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara and Head of MINURSO Alexander Ivanko.
Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia is expected to provide the biannual briefing to the Council on the implementation of the 2013 Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework (PSC-F) for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region.
The Security Council will hold its bimonthly briefing and consultations on the situation in Libya. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of UNSMIL Hanna Serwaa Tetteh is expected to brief on recent political, security, and humanitarian developments in the country. Additionally, the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee might brief on the committee’s activities. (At the time of writing, the chair had not yet been appointed, as Council members continue to negotiate this year’s allocation of subsidiary bodies.)
Two issues in the Americas are featured on this month’s programme.
The Council will hold its 90-day briefing on the situation in Haiti. Special Representative and Head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) María Isabel Salvador will brief on recent political, security, and humanitarian developments in the country and on the Secretary-General’s latest report on BINUH. A civil society representative may also brief. Council members might request an additional meeting to discuss the Secretary-General’s 24 February letter containing strategic recommendations on the UN’s role in support of Haiti.
There will also be an open briefing on Colombia and the work of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia. Special Representative and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia Carlos Ruiz Massieu and a civil society representative are expected to brief. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.
Regarding European issues, the Council is expected to hold a briefing on Kosovo. Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Caroline Ziadeh is the anticipated briefer.
As in past months, there are likely to be one or more meetings on Ukraine in April.
There may be a ministerial-level meeting on a country-specific issue towards the end of the month, but the topic had yet to be confirmed at the time of writing.
Other issues could be raised during the month, depending on developments in situations such as the DRC, Lebanon, Myanmar, and Sudan.
