What's In Blue: the Middle East
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Next Tuesday (9 August) Council members will be briefed by Jamal Benomar, Special Advisor on Yemen. Benomar, who has been in Yemen for the last two weeks, is expected to focus his briefing on the GCC mediation efforts and on...
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It seems possible that the Council may be able to agree on the substance of a text condemning the violence in Syria today. What is still uncertain is the form of the decision. It appears that it could be either...
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Consultations on a possible resolution on the situation in Syria continue this morning at permanent representative level. At yesterday’s briefing by Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez Taranco, Council members were told that on top of 140 people reported killed in...
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Council members will have consultations on Syria at 5 pm at permanent representative level where they will be briefed by Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez Taranco on the events in Syria over the weekend. The briefing was requested by Germany....
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On Tuesday, 26 July, the Council will hold its quarterly open debate on the Middle East. It will be briefed by Robert Serry, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. It seems the stalemated peace process will be...
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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...

