Security Council Plan of Work for June 2026
Colombia is the president of the Security Council in June.
Council members were unable to reach agreement on the provisional programme of work for the month, apparently due to China and Russia’s objection to the inclusion of a briefing on the work of the 1737 Sanctions Committee concerning Iran on the proposed programme. Additionally, Somalia opposed having an official from the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) as a briefer during the private meeting on the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
Instead of an official programme of work, Colombia has circulated a “plan of work”, which will be published on the presidency’s website.
Two meetings on emerging developments have already been scheduled for this afternoon (1 June). The first is an urgent briefing under the “Threats to international peace and security” agenda item to discuss an alleged Russian drone incursion into Romanian airspace overnight between 28 and 29 May. The second is an emergency briefing under “The Situation in the Middle East” agenda item to discuss Israel’s expanded incursion into Lebanese territory.
Colombia is expected to convene a high-level open debate titled “Advancing Peace in the Middle East: Mediation and Dialogue for a Lasting Peace” under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item. Colombian President Gustavo Petro Urrego is expected to chair the meeting, which is a signature event of Colombia’s June presidency. Secretary-General António Guterres is the anticipated briefer.
Another signature event organised by Colombia is an open debate on women, peace and security (WPS) titled “Peace is Decided with Women: Emerging from conflict by enhancing their participation”. Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio is expected to chair the meeting, which is expected to emphasise the importance of women’s active participation in peace processes. UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous and one or more civil society representatives are the anticipated briefers.
The annual open debate on children and armed conflict will also take place in June. The expected briefers are Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Vanessa Frazier, Executive Director of UNICEF Catherine Russell, and one or more civil society representatives.
The Security Council is also scheduled to hold its semi-annual debate on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT). The President of the IRMCT, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, and the Chief Prosecutor of the IRMCT, Serge Brammertz, are expected to brief during the debate and meet with the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals prior to that. Council members are also expected to negotiate a draft resolution extending Brammertz’s term as the IRMCT’s Chief Prosecutor, which expires on 30 June.
Several Middle Eastern issues will be discussed in June.
There will be meetings on the political, humanitarian, and chemical weapons tracks in Syria. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu will brief on the chemical weapons file. The meeting on political and humanitarian developments will feature briefings by Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone and an official from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) ahead of its 30 June expiry. In mid-June, an official from the UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO) will brief Council members in consultations on UNDOF’s activities. The Council will also hold a private meeting with UNDOF’s troop-contributing countries, during which a DPO official will brief.
The Security Council also plans to hold its bi-monthly briefing on Yemen. Briefings are expected from UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and an OCHA official. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow.
The Council will convene for its monthly briefing and consultations on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question”. Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator at the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) Ramiz Alakbarov and one or more civil society representatives are expected to brief.
A number of African issues will be addressed this month.
The Security Council will receive a briefing on the Secretary-General’s semi-annual report 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). Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee is the anticipated briefer. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.
The Council plans to hold a private meeting on AUSSOM. The scheduled briefers are Deputy Special Representative and UNTMIS Officer in Charge (OiC) Raisedon Zenenga and Special Representative of the AU Commission Chairperson (SRCC) for Somalia and Head of AUSSOM El Hadji Ibrahima Diene. It seems that Somalia opposed having Zenenga as a briefer, arguing that the meeting should only focus on AUSSOM. This apparently reflects Somalia’s reluctance to have the Council engage on the country’s internal political developments.
There will also be an open briefing on the situation in Libya and the work of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of UNSMIL Hanna Serwaa Tetteh is the anticipated briefer. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow.
A briefing is planned on the Central African Republic (CAR), including the work of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the CAR and Head of MINUSCA Valentine Rugwabiza is expected to brief. The Chair of the CAR configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Ambassador Omar Hilale (Morocco), may also brief.
This month, Council members will hold the regular 120-day briefing and consultations on the situation in Sudan pursuant to resolution 2715 of 1 December 2023. A UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) official is expected to brief in the open chamber. Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan Pekka Haavisto is scheduled to brief during the closed consultations. The meeting may also feature a briefing on the work of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee. (At the time of writing, committee chairs had not been appointed as Council members continue to negotiate this year’s allocation of subsidiary bodies chairs. Colombia may therefore brief at the meeting in its capacity as Council president.)
On the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), there will be a briefing and consultations on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the DRC and Head of MONUSCO James Swan is the anticipated briefer. Security Council members are also scheduled to vote on a draft resolution renewing the mandates of the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee and its Group of Experts, which are due to expire on 1 July and on 1 August, respectively.
Regarding Asian issues, there will be a briefing on the work of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Briefings are expected from Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Political) and OiC of UNAMA Georgette Gagnon, an OCHA official, and a civil society representative. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow.
On non-proliferation matters, a briefing is scheduled on the work of the 1737 Sanctions Committee concerning Iran. If the allocation of subsidiary body chairs is not decided by the time of the meeting, Colombia is likely to brief in its capacity as Council president. The Council will also receive the Secretary-General’s biannual report on the implementation of resolution 2231 of 20 July 2015, which endorsed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear programme. China and Russia’s opposition to the holding of a briefing on the work of the 1737 Sanctions Committee stems from a dispute among Council members over the triggering of the “snapback” mechanism to reimpose the UN sanctions on Iran that the JCPOA and resolution 2231 had suspended.
As in previous months, there may be one or more meetings on Ukraine in June. Other issues—including the crisis in the Middle East and any spillover effects, such as the disruption to the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz—could also be raised during the month, depending on developments.
The General Assembly is scheduled to vote on Wednesday (3 June) to elect five new members to the Security Council. Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe are running unopposed for the available seats for the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) and the African Group, respectively. Austria, Germany, and Portugal are contesting the two seats of the Western European and Others Group (WEOG), while Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines are vying for the available seat reserved for the Asia-Pacific Group.
Council members are also expected to start meeting candidates for the position of UN Secretary-General in June, after having agreed to the modalities for the meetings on 29 May.
