What's In Blue: the Middle East
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Tomorrow the Council is expected to adopt a resolution renewing UNDOF’s mandate, which expires on 30 June. The Council was scheduled to adopt it today (28 June) but differences over whether and how to address recent events seem to be...
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The mandates for the Iran and DRPK sanctions committees experts expire on 9 and 12 June respectively. Council members at expert level have been negotiating resolutions renewing the mandate of these two panel of experts and expected to adopt them...
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Tomorrow (Thursday, 19 May), the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, will brief the Security Council at its regular monthly meeting on the Middle East which will be followed by consultations. This comes against the...
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The escalation of the Syrian government’s suppression of public protests over the past weeks has led to increased pressure against Syria, including from a number of Council members. The UK and France seem interested in initiating a possible Council response...
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Yesterday, (Wednesday, 27 April) having failed to reach consensus on a press statement on the situation in Syria, the Council held a public debate on the Middle East which enabled many members to put on record their concern about ongoing...
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Council members are expecting a briefing on Syria in informal consultations today (Wednesday, 27 April) from B. Lynn Pascoe. Council members agreed yesterday that a more detailed briefing on Syria was needed following the Secretary-General’s briefing yesterday which covered Syria...
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Council members are currently considering a draft press statement on Syria circulated this morning and are expected to give their comments on the draft by tomorrow morning (Tuesday, 26 April). It seems the key elements of the press statement include...
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On Wednesday, 20 April Council members were briefed by Gamal bin Omer, the UN envoy to Yemen. Bin Omar visited Yemen last week where he met President Ali Abdullah Saleh . Germany and Lebanon proposed a presidential statement where Council...
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The Council will have an open debate on the Middle East tomorrow (Thursday, 21 April). B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs, will brief. (The Council has a monthly briefing on the Middle East and quarterly there is a...
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This afternoon (Tuesday,19 April) the Council will be briefed on Yemen by a senior official from the Department of Political Affairs’ Middle East and North Africa section. It appears that Germany requested the briefing yesterday following the monthly briefing to...
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On Friday, 8 April the Council will be briefed by the Special Representative Ad Melkert and will hold informal consultations on Iraq. Melkert is expected to highlight key points from his report on the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI),...
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On 22 March the Council had its regular briefing on the Middle East and Palestinian Question. Oscar Fenandez-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, briefed the Council on developments related to the Quartet as well as incidents on the ground. (The...
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The Panel met last week to examine the national reports of Turkey and Israel on the Gaza flotilla incident which took place on 31 May 2010. (The Secretary-General set up a Panel of Inquiry headed by former New Zealand Prime...
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Tomorrow (Tuesday, 8 March), Council members will receive a briefing from the Department of Political Affairs in informal consultations. It seems the focus will be related to North Africa and the Middle East. This briefing is part of what is...
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Council members are waiting to hear if the resolution on Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory will be put in blue this evening. There has been intense activity over this resolution in the last few days. The Arab Group held meetings...