Ireland and the UN Security Council – The Week Ahead

Ireland and the UN Security Council – The Week Ahead brings you the key developments from the UN Security Council on a weekly basis. Each update provides an overview of developments at the Security Council, with a particular focus on Ireland’s term, and looks ahead to the key meetings taking place over the coming week at the UN’s top table.

Week 22: 31 – 4 June 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• Estonia assumes the Presidency of the Security Council on Tuesday 1 June 2021. Members also expect to adopt the provisional programme of work for June on Tuesday.
• In a Security Council meeting on Israel-Palestine on Thursday 27 May 2021, Ireland called on the UNSC to shoulder its responsibility and support Israelis and Palestinians to end the terrible cycle of violence.
• The Security Council unanimously renewed the mandate of the UN Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Thursday 27 May 2021.
• Ireland, Estonia, France, Belgium, Germany, Norway, the UK and the US held a stakeout on the situation in Belarus on Wednesday 26 May 2021 and called for the immediate release of Roman Protasevich and Ms Sapega.
• Ireland and Norway delivered a joint statement as co-penholders on the Syrian humanitarian access file in a meeting on Syria on Wednesday 26 May 2021.
• Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason expressed Ireland’s concern at the continued use of explosive weapons in populated areas at the Security Council open debate on Protection of Civilians on Tuesday 25 May 2021.
• Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason took Ireland’s seat at the UNSC for the first time in a Security Council briefing on Somalia on Tuesday 25 May 2021 and welcomed the resumption of talks in Mogadishu which aim to end the political impasse.
• The Security Council agreed a Presidential Statement on the Safety and Security of Peacekeepers on Monday 24 June 2021.

Monday – 31^st May   

• UN official holiday

Tuesday – 1^st June

• Estonia assumes the Presidency of the Security Council for June 2021 and the UNSC adopts the provisional programme of work for the month.

Wednesday – 2^nd June

• The Informal Working Group on International Tribunals will hold a closed meeting at subsidiary body level.
• Arria formula meeting organised by Niger on “strengthening an integrated approach to peace and security in the Sahel through a gendered lens”.

Thursday – 3^rd June

• Vote on two draft resolutions: one renewing the mandate of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) and another renewing the authorisation for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya, bound to or from the country, that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo.
• Briefing on the Syria chemical weapons track. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu will brief. The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Fernando Arias, may also be invited to brief.
• Briefing on Yemen which will focus on the FSO SAFER oil tanker. The expected briefers are the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, Inger Andersen, and OCHA’s Director of Operations and Advocacy, Reena Ghelani. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the briefing.

Friday – 4^th June

• The 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee, which is chaired by Ireland, will hold a closed meeting to discuss its Panel of Expert’s interim report.

Week 21: 24 – 28 May 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• The UN Security Council finally agreed to issue a press statement on the situation in the Middle East on Saturday 22 May 2021. The UNSC welcomed the ceasefire, mourned for the loss of civilian lives and underlined the need for immediate humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people but fell short of condemning the violence.
• Ireland highlighted the importance of a Libyan owned and led peace process which is fully inclusive of women at a Security Council meeting on Libya on Friday 21 May 2021.
• Ireland expressed concern about the security situation and violence against civilians in many parts of Sudan in a Security Council meeting on Thursday 20 May 2021.
• Ireland’s first female army general, Maureen O’Brien, was appointed as the new deputy military advisor to the UN Secretary General on Wednesday 19 May 2021.
• Minister Coveney addressed the Security Council in a high level debate on addressing the root causes of conflict while promoting post-pandemic recovery in Africa on Wednesday 19 May 2021.
• Ireland reiterated its commitment to international criminal justice in a briefing with ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, on Monday May 17 2021.

Monday – 24^th May   

• High level open debate on “United Nations peacekeeping operations: Improving safety and security of peacekeepers”. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare, and Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud are the expected briefers. A presidential statement is expected to be adopted at the meeting.

Tuesday – 25^th May

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). James Swan, Special Representative for Somalia and head of UNSOM, and Francisco Madeira, head of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) are the expected briefers.
• Annual open debate on the protection of civilians (POC) in armed conflict. The expected briefers are Secretary-General António Guterres, ICRC President Peter Maurer, and Orzala Nemat, Director of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU).

Wednesday – 26^th May

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria. The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock are the expected briefers.

Thursday – 27^th May

• Two resolutions are scheduled to be adopted: one renewing the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and another renewing the South Sudan sanctions regime.
• Briefing on the “Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question”. The Secretary-General’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland is expected to brief.

Friday – 28^th May

• The 2127 Central African Republic Sanctions Committee will hold a closed meeting to hear a briefing on arms trafficking from the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and from its Panel of Experts.

Week 20: 17 – 21 May 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• Minister Coveney addressed the UN Security Council on Sunday 16 May 2021 at an emergency meeting on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. He called for an immediate ceasefire and said that “the cycle of violence and bloodshed must end now”.
• The UN Security Council failed to produce a statement on the situation in Israel-Palestine after Sunday’s meeting as the US blocked a statement for the third team in a week.
• In a Security Council meeting on the situation in Yemen on Wednesday 12 May 2021, the Members of the Council agreed press elements which confirmed support for Special Envoy Griffiths and recalled that a ceasefire and political solution can end the conflict and humanitarian crisis.
• Minister Coveney announced a contribution of €300,000 to the International Criminal Court’s Trust Fund for Victims – Ireland’s largest ever contribution to the TFV.
• The Security Council unanimously renewed the mandate of UNISFA on Tuesday 11 May 2021; the UN Mission in Abyei located between South Sudan and Sudan.

Monday – 17^th May   

• Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, will deliver her final semi-annual briefing to the Security Council on recent developments concerning cases in Libya.

Tuesday – 18^th May

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel) Joint Force. The expected briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix; Chad’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chérif Mahamat Zene, on behalf of the G5 Sahel; Force Commander of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, General Oumarou Namata Gazama; and Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) Chair, Ambassador Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edrees (Egypt). Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare is expected to brief during the consultations.

Wednesday – 19^th May

• China will convene a high-level open debate on “Addressing the root causes of conflict while promoting post-pandemic recovery in Africa”. Wang Yi, China’s State Councillor and Minister for Foreign Affairs, will chair the meeting. Secretary-General António Guterres, Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Achim Steiner and Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat are the expected briefers. A presidential statement is a possible outcome of the meeting.

Thursday – 20^th May

• Briefing from the Special Envoy to Libya and head of the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL), Ján Kubiš, and from the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, Ambassador of India to the UN, T. S. Tirumurti.

Friday – 21^st May

• The 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee will hold a closed meeting to hear a presentation by the Yemen Panel of Experts on its work programme.

Week 19: 10 – 14 May 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• At the first Security Council bi-annual debate on Bosnia & Herzegovina on Tuesday 4 May 2021, Ireland affirmed its support for Bosnia & Herzegovina as a single united, multi-ethnic country.
• Following an Arria-formula meeting on Ukraine organised by Russia on Wednesday 5 May 2021, Ireland released a joint statement along with France, Estonia, Norway, the UK, the US, Belgium and Germany condemning the false narrative promoted by Russia about the situation in Ukraine.
• Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason reiterated Ireland’s strong support for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in a meeting on the use of chemical weapons in Syria on Thursday 6 May 2021.
• Minister Simon Coveney delivered a statement in a high level Security Council debate on multilateralism on Friday 7 May 2021 in which he emphasised that the COVID 19 pandemic has demonstrated the vital need for multilateral cooperation.
• UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, expressed his deep concern over confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in East Jerusalem, which began on Friday and continued into Sunday night.

Monday – 10^th May   

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD). The Special Adviser and head of UNITAD, Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, is expected to brief. A civil society representative may also brief.

Tuesday – 11^th May

• Briefing from the Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, on recent developments in Iraq and on the two latest Secretary-General’s reports. The Special Representative will also brief Council members on UNAMI and on the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property, including the national archives.
• Semi-annual meeting on the implementation of resolution 1559 (2004), which called for the disarming of all militias and the extension of government control over all Lebanese territory. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo is the anticipated briefer.

Wednesday – 12^th May

• Adoption of a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and extending the mission’s support for the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM).
• Briefing on Yemen. Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock are expected to brief Council members.

Thursday – 13^th May

• UN official holiday.

Friday – 14^th May

• Closed meeting of the Military Staff Committee.

Week 18: 3 – 7 May 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• Minister Simon Coveney addressed the Security Council in a high level open debate on ‘Indispensable Civilian Objects’ on Tuesday 27 April 2021, following which UNSC members adopted a resolution on the protection of civilian objects.
• Minister Simon Coveney expressed his condolences on the death of Irish national, Rory Young, in Burkina Faso on Wednesday 28 April 2021.
• As co-penholders on the Syria Humanitarian file, Ireland and Norway highlighted the importance of humanitarian operations and assistance in the Syrian context at a meeting of the Security Council on Wednesday 28 April 2021.
• Minister Simon Coveney called on the Palestinian Authority to renew its commitment to strong and inclusive democratic institutions after elections were postponed on Thursday 29 April 2021.
• Ireland co-chaired a meeting of the Informal Expert Group on Climate & Security with Niger on Friday 30 April 2021.

Monday – 3^rd May   

• Adoption of the Security Council programme of work for May. China takes over from Vietnam as the President for this month.

Tuesday – 4^th May

• Semi-annual debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina. High Representative Valentin Inzko is expected to brief on the latest report of the Office of the High Representative (OHR).

Wednesday – 5^th May

• The 2374 Mali sanctions committee will hold a closed meeting with regional states to discuss the implementation of the sanctions regime.

Thursday – 6^th May

• Briefing on the Syria chemical weapons track. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu will brief. The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Fernando Arias, may also be invited to brief. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the briefing.

Friday – 7^th May

• • High level open debate on the “Maintenance of international peace and security: Upholding multilateralism and the United Nations-centred international system”. Wang Yi, China’s State Councillor and Minister for Foreign Affairs will chair the meeting. Volkan Bozkir, the president of the General Assembly, is the anticipated briefer.

Week 17: 26 – 30 April 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• Minister Simon Coveney addressed the Security Council at a high level open debate on enhancing cooperation between the UN and regional organisations on Monday 19 April 2021. The Minister emphasised the role that regional organisations can play in ensuring the participation of women.
• Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason joined civil society leaders and humanitarian workers at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security Studies for an event on the crisis in Tigray on Wednesday 21 April 2021. Ambassador Geraldine Byrne-Nason said that “Ireland firmly believes that the Council should speak publicly and with one voice on the situation in Ethiopia.”
• In a Security Council meeting on Colombia on Wednesday 21 April 2021, Ireland reiterated its support for the Truth Commission and called for greater accountability.
• Ireland called for free, fair and inclusive elections in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in a meeting on Israel-Palestine on Thursday 22 April 2021 and welcomed the announcement of the resumption of US funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
• The Security Council released a Press Statement on the Situation in Ethiopia on Thursday 22 April 2021, calling for unfettered humanitarian access and increased support for regional and subregional organisations.
• Minister Simon Coveney announced €200,000 in emergency funding for response to the volcanic eruption in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Thursday 22 April 2021.

Monday – 26^th April

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). The expected briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Parfait Onanga-Anyanga.

Tuesday – 27^th April

• High-level open debate on the protection of indispensable civilian objects. Vietnam’s Foreign Minister, Bùi Thanh Sơn, will chair the meeting. The expected briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock; ICRC President Peter Maurer; and Chair of the International Peace Institute (IPI) Board of Directors, Kevin Rudd. A resolution spearheaded by Vietnam is a possible outcome of the meeting.

Wednesday – 28^th April

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on political developments and the humanitarian situation in Syria. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock are the anticipated briefers.

Thursday – 29^th April

• The Informal Experts Group on Women, Peace and Security, co-chaired by Ireland and Mexico, will meet virtually to discuss Mali.
• Wrap-up session.

Friday – 30^th April

• No official meetings scheduled.

Week 16: 19 – 23 April 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason addressed the Security Council on Monday 12 April 2021 in a meeting on the Great Lakes Region and emphasised the importance of Security Council engagement in the region for peace and prosperity.
• The Special Representative and Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo, Zahir Tanin, briefed the Security Council on Tuesday 13 April 2021. Ambassador Byrne Nason called for action in Kosovo on rule of law and anti-corruption reforms.
• The Security Council held a high level open debate on conflict-related sexual violence on Wednesday 14 April 2021. Ambassador Byrne Nason called on the UNSC to meet its responsibilities through sanctions, tackling impunity, ensuring monitoring of conflict related sexual violence and implementation of the WPS agenda.
• The Security Council held a meeting on Yemen on Thursday 15 April 2021. Ambassador Byrne Nason called on parties to urgently implement further actions to ease suffering.
• The Security Council adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Libya on Friday 16 April 2021.

Monday – 19^th April

• High-level open debate on cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organisations. President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc of Vietnam will chair the meeting. Secretary-General António Guterres and former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are expected to brief. Representatives of various regional organisations are also scheduled to brief.

Tuesday – 20^th April

• Informal interactive dialogue on Somalia. The expected briefers include the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), James Swan; officials from the Somali government, and representatives from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the AU and the EU.

Wednesday – 21^st April

• Briefing on the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The expected briefers are the Special Representative for Western Sahara and head of MINURSO, Collin Stewart, and Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Michael Kingsley-Nyinah.
• Quarterly meeting on Colombia. Special Representative and head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia Carlos Ruiz Massieu is expected to brief on recent developments and the Secretary-General’s latest 90-day report on the mission.

Thursday – 22^nd April

• The Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution renewing the mandate of the 1540 Committee (non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction).
• Quarterly open debate on “the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland is the anticipated briefer.

Friday – 23^rd April

• Informal interactive dialogue on mercenaries in Libya. Possible briefers include the Special Envoy for Libya and head of UNSMIL, Ján Kubiš, and Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo.

Week 15: 12 – 16 April 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• In an interview on Al Jazeera on Sunday 4 April 2021, Minister Coveney outlined the Irish perspective on global issues including: the Iran nuclear deal; Myanmar; the Tigray region of Ethiopia and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Ambassador Byrne Nason reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to supporting Mali at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday 6 April 2021.
• Minister Coveney delivered Ireland’s national statement at a UNSC debate on Mine Action on Thursday 8 April 2021, chaired by UNSC President for April, Vietnam.
• Ireland co-sponsored an Arria formula meeting on Myanmar, along with Estonia, France, Norway, the UK and the United States on Friday 9 April 2021. Ambassador Brian Flynn reiterated Ireland’s call for an immediate end to the brutal military repression.

Monday – 12^th April

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the Great Lakes region. Special Envoy Huang Xia is expected to brief on the implementation of the 2013 Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSC Framework) for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and on other recent developments in the region.

Tuesday – 13th April

• Briefing on Kosovo from the Special Representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Zahir Tanin.

Wednesday – 14^th April

• Annual high level open debate on sexual violence in conflict (WPS). The expected briefers are Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Denis Mukwege; and Director of the South Sudan Women with Disabilities Network, Caroline Atim. A Women’s Protection Adviser from the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) may also brief.

Thursday – 15^th April

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on Yemen. Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ramesh Rajasingham are expected to brief.
• Adoption of a resolution renewing measures related to the illicit export of petroleum from Libya and the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee.

Friday – 16^th April

• Meeting of the Military Staff Committee.

Week 14: 5 – 9 April 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• At a meeting on the situation in Myanmar on Wednesday 31 March, Ireland called for an immediate end to the abhorrent violence inflicted at the hands of the military.
• Ambassador Byrne Nason joined 48 women Ambassadors to the UN who co-authored an Op-Ed in USA today on Thursday 1 April calling for gender equality to be a central part of COVID-19 recovery.
• Vietnam took up its Presidency of the UNSC for the month of April on Thursday 1 April. It plans to chair four signature events on: efforts to eliminate landmines, sexual violence in conflict, UN & regional organisations and indispensable civilian objects.
• Minister Coveney welcomed the agreement to begin intensified discussions in Vienna on Iran’s nuclear deal (JCPOA) in a statement on Friday 2 April.
• Minister Coveney welcomed the repeal of measures by the US against the International Criminal Court as part of a reset of US relations with the Court in a statement on Friday 2 April.
• Following the killing of four UN Peacekeepers at a UN base in Mali, Ireland condemned in the strongest terms the attack and extended condolences to the families of the victims in a statement on Saturday 3 April.

Monday – 5^th April

• No official meetings scheduled.

Tuesday – 6^th April

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is expected to brief.
• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the Syria chemical weapons track from High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu.

Wednesday – 7^th April

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the Great Lakes region. Special Envoy Huang Xia is expected to brief on the implementation of the 2013 Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSC Framework) for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and on other recent developments in the region.

Thursday – 8^th April

• Vietnam is expected to convene a ministerial-level open debate on mine action. Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister, Pham Binh Minh, will chair the meeting. Secretary-General António Guterres will brief. The Council will also be briefed by Ambassador Stefano Toscano, the director of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, and Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh, manager of “Project Renew” (an all-women demining team) at the Norwegian People’s Aid in Vietnam.

Friday – 9^th April

• Arria formula meeting on Myanmar.

Week 13: 29 – 2 March/April 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• At a briefing on Libya on Wednesday 24 March, Ambassador Byrne Nason emphasised the importance of women’s participation in the political process, expressed support for the UN Fact Finding Mission and called on the UNSC to condemn attacks on women leaders and human rights defenders.
• A humanitarian aid worker for GOAL was killed in the Benishangui-Gumuz region of Ethiopia on Wednesday 24 March. Minister Colm Brophy offered his condolences to the victim’s family and all Irish humanitarian aid workers at GOAL.
• At a briefing on the Middle East including the Palestinian question on Thursday 25 March, Ireland expressed concern at the increased rate of demolitions and seizures in the West Bank and called on Israel to ensure equitable access of vaccines for the Palestinian population.
• Ambassador Byrne Nason spoke at an Arria formula meeting on protecting peacekeepers on Friday 26 March and underlined that more must be done to ensure peacekeeper safety.
• Minister Coveney delivered a statement on the situation in Myanmar on Saturday 27 March and called on the Myanmar military to step back from actions designed to consolidate power through fear and brutal violence following the killing of over 100 people in the bloodiest day of violence since the military coup.

Monday – 29^th March

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the humanitarian situation in Syria with Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock and UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.

Tuesday – 30^th March

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the work of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
• Briefing on the work of the 1540 Committee, which deals with the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, chaired by Ambassador Juan Ramón de la Fuente Ramírez (Mexico).

Wednesday – 31^st March

• Wrap up session for the month.
• Closed meeting of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. Ireland is an informal focal point on this file.

Thursday – 1^st April

• Vietnam assumes the monthly Presidency of the Security Council for April 2021.
• Ireland co-chairs a meeting of the Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security on the topic of Libya.

Friday – 2^nd April

• No official meetings scheduled.

Week 12: 22 – 26 March 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• Ambassador Jim Kelly delivered Ireland’s statement to the Security Council on 10^th anniversary of the Syrian conflict on Monday 15 March and underscored the responsibility of the UNSC to act to end the conflict.
• Minister Simon Coveney announced a three-year package of support for the United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine refugees on Tuesday 16 March. Ireland will contribute €6 million per year to UNRWA between 2021 and 2023
• At closed meeting on the implementation of UNSC resolution 1701 on Lebanon on Thursday March 18, Ireland called for an impartial and transparent investigation into the Beirut explosion.
• Minister Roderic O’Gorman delivered Ireland’s national statement at the Commission on the Status of Women on Thursday 18 March.

Monday – 22^nd March  

• No official meetings scheduled.

Tuesday – 23^rd March

• Quarterly briefing on Afghanistan. Deborah Lyons, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), is expected to brief on the Secretary-General’s 12 March report on UNAMA. Shaharzad Akbar, chairperson of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), is also expected to brief.

Wednesday – 24^th March

• Briefing from the Special Envoy to Libya and head of the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL), Ján Kubiš, and the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, Ambassador T. S. Tirumurti (India).

Thursday – 25^th March  

• Briefing, followed by VTC consultations, on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland is the anticipated briefer.
• Briefing from the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Sven Jürgenson (Estonia), on the Committee’s work.
• Consultations on the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights.

Friday – 26^th March  

• Two subsidiary body meetings: the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee and 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee.
• Arria-formula meeting sponsored by Kenya on the threat of improvised explosive devices to peace operations.

WEEK 11: 15-19 MARCH 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• Today marks the 10^th anniversary of the Syrian conflict in which hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives and 12 million have fled their homes as refugees. To mark the occasion, Minister Coveney penned a joint op-ed with the Norwegian foreign minister Ine Eriksen Soreide and highlighted the important work Norway and Ireland are playing as co-penholders of the Syrian humanitarian access file.
• Ireland held a meeting of the Informal Expert Group on Climate and Security jointly with Niger on Friday 12 March and examined opportunities for UN peace operations in the Sahel.
• Ireland co-sponsored an Arria formula meeting on Crimea on Friday 12 March and noted its concern at the human rights situation on the peninsula and the need for unimpeded access for human rights monitoring mechanisms in the region.
• The US held a high-level open debate on conflict and food security on Thursday 11 March. In his address to the Council, Minister Coveney highlighted that conflict is the main driver of hunger and urged member states to implement UNSC resolution 2417,

Monday – 15^th March

• Briefing, followed by VTC consultations, on the political situation in Syria on the 10^th anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict. Special Envoy Geir Pedersen is scheduled to brief.

Tuesday – 16^th March

• Briefing, followed by VTC consultations, on Yemen. Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock will brief. General Abhijit Guha, who heads the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement, will participate in the consultations.

Wednesday – 17^th March

• No official meetings scheduled.

Thursday – 18^th March

• Briefing in VTC consultations on the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 and called for a cessation of hostilities between the Shi’a militant group Hezbollah and Israel. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon Najat Rochdi are expected to brief.

Friday – 19^th March

• No official meetings scheduled.

WEEK 10: 8-12 MARCH 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• In a message on International Women’s Day, marked annually on 8 March, Secretary-General António Guterres outlined “clear evidence”, such as better social protection programmes, stronger climate policies and enduring peace agreements, when women are in governments, parliaments or peace negotiations.
• To mark International Women’s Day, Ireland is organising an Arria formula meetings on women’s participation in UN-led peace processes and will set a record with 12 UNSC members as co-sponsors. Bronagh Hinds, an advocate for women’s rights from Northern Ireland, is among a number of briefers including USG for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo.
• Ireland addressed the situations in Ethiopia and Myanmar last week and called for the international community to address the worsening humanitarian situations in both countries.
• Ireland also reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in its vital role on the global prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Syria last week. UN High Representative for Disarmament, Izumi Nakamitsu, told UNSC members that “at this stage, the declaration submitted by [Syria] cannot be considered accurate and complete”.

Monday – 8^th March

• Security Council members will convene virtually for an Arria-formula meeting entitled: “Call to Lead by Example: Ensuring the Full, Equal and Meaningful Participation of Women in UN-led Peace Processes”. Ireland will chair the meeting and publish the interventions made in the meeting, as well as statements submitted in writing by NGOs. Expected briefers are: Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo; Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen; Bronagh Hinds, an advocate for women’s rights from Northern Ireland; and a female peacebuilder from Yemen.

Tuesday – 9^th March

• Briefing, followed by VTC consultations, on the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS).

Wednesday – 10^th March

• Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ann Linde, the Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) for the Organization for Security and Co–operation in Europe (OSCE), is expected to brief the Security Council on the organisation’s activities.

Thursday – 11^th March

• High-level open debate via VTC on conflict and food security, the signature event of the US presidency. Secretary-General António Guterres, Executive Director of the World Food Programme David Beasley, and Executive Director of Oxfam International Gabriela Bucher are the anticipated briefers.

Friday – 12^th March

• The Security Council is scheduled to adopt two resolutions:
  • Renewal of the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
  • Reauthorising the mandate of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
• High-level VTC Arria-formula meeting entitled: “Crimea: 7 years of violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. Security Council members Estonia, France, Ireland, Norway, the UK, and the US are co-sponsoring the meeting, along with several non-Council members. Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and Head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in New York, is expected to deliver the keynote speech. Briefings are also expected from Phillip Karber, the President of the Potomac Foundation, and Maria Tomak, the Coordinator of Media Initiative for Human Rights.

WEEK 9: 1-5 MARCH 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• The US will have the Presidency of the Security Council this month for the first time under the Biden administration and will hold a high-level open debate on conflict and food security as its signature event with the Secretary-General as a possible briefer.
• Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the UN, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun ended his General Assembly address on Friday 26 February by denouncing the 1 February coup with a three-fingered salute used by protesters, after the latest violence against protestors in Myanmar. The military regime swiftly responded by dismissing the Ambassador, accusing him of committing “high treason”.
• In a UNSC briefing on Somalia on Monday 22 February, Special Representative and Head of the UN Assistance Mission (UNSOM), James Swan, noted that political tensions were threatening Somalia’s State-building progress and called on all political leaders to pull back from confrontation.
• In a high level open debate on climate and security on Tuesday 23 February, Council members were briefed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and natural historian David Attenborough, who both highlighted the need for more collective action to address the risks posed by climate change to global peace and security.
• Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock briefed the Security Council on Friday 26 February on the increasingly fragile humanitarian situation in Syria. According to data published by the WFP, 60% of the Syrian population do not have access to safe and nutritious food.

Monday – 1^st March

• Adoption of the provisional programme of work for March. All Council meetings are likely to be held virtually.

Tuesday – 2^nd March

• Meeting with troop-contributing countries of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
• The Informal Experts Group on Women, Peace and Security, which is co-chaired by Ireland and Mexico, is scheduled to hold a meeting on Yemen.

Wednesday – 3^rd March

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Thursday – 4^th March

• Briefing, followed by consultations, on the Syria chemical weapons file. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu is likely to brief.

Friday – 5^th March

• The 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee will discuss the final report of its Panel of Experts.

WEEK 8: 22-26 FEBRUARY 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• Malnutrition rates in Yemen are at “record highs” as the country is “speeding towards the worst famine the world has seen in decades”, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator told the Security Council on Thursday 18 February. Special Envoy Griffiths said that the military situation is “extremely tense” and underscored that civilians are bearing the brunt of “shocking violations of international humanitarian law”.
• UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres briefed the Munich Security Conference on Friday 19 February and called for vaccine equity and support for the COVAX initiative. He also highlighted the looming “climate catastrophe” and the urgency of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. US President Joe Biden also addressed the conference for the first time as President and reasserted US support for the transatlantic alliance.
• The US formally re-entered the Paris Agreement on Friday 19 February. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres commemorated the event with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry.
• UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed grave concern on Friday 19 February over an outbreak of violence in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.
• At least two people were killed on Saturday 20 February in protests in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, according to media reports. Antonio Guterres condemned the use of deadly violence and called on all parties to respect election results and return to civilian rule.

Monday – 22^nd February

• Briefing, followed by VTC consultations, on Somalia. Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) James Swan, AU Special Representative Francisco Madeira and EU Managing Director for Africa Rita Laranjinha are expected to brief UNSC members.
• Briefing, followed by a closed VTC, on the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of  BINUH Helen La Lime is scheduled to brief.

Tuesday – 23^rd February

• High level open debate on Climate and Security. Prior to the meeting, David Attenborough will deliver a brief pre-recorded message. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to chair the meeting. Secretary-General António Guterres and a youth climate activist are expected to brief.

Wednesday – 24^th February

• Briefing, followed by VTC consultations, on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, EU Managing Director for Africa Rita Laranjinha, and a youth civil society representative will brief. AU Peace and Security Commissioner Smaїl Chergui may brief as well.

Thursday – 25^th February

• Adoption of two resolutions: one renewing Yemen financial and travel ban sanctions and the mandate of the Yemen Panel of Experts, and another renewing the Council’s authorisation of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
• Briefing, followed by VTC consultations, on the humanitarian situation in Syria. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock is likely to brief.
• Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, chair of the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee, is expected to brief via VTC on this Committee’s work.

Friday – 26^th February

• Monthly meeting on the “Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question”. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland is the anticipated briefer.

WEEK 7: 15-19 FEBRUARY 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• British lawyer Karim Khan was elected as the new prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Friday for a nine year term, which will begin on June 16 this year, as Fatou Bensouda steps down after an 8 year tenure.
• Myanmar’s military leaders have extended their detention of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi until 17 February, when she will likely appear in Court via videoconference. Protesters continued to gather across Myanmar on Monday following a night in which authorities cut the country’s internet access and increased the security presence in major cities. Following on from the special meeting on Myanmar held by the Security Council on 2 February, UN Chief, Antonio Guterres, issued a statement on Sunday calling on the military and police to ensure that the right of peaceful assembly is “fully respected” and demonstrators are “not subjected to reprisals”.
• The Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation, Alex de Waal, called on Ireland to use its Security Council seat to speak out for the voiceless starving in Ethiopia in an Irish Times piece published this morning.

Monday – 15^th February

• No official meetings scheduled.

Tuesday – 16^th February

• Briefing from Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), on the most recent developments in Iraq and on the two latest Secretary-General’s reports on UNAMI and on the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property, including the national archives.

Wednesday – 17^th February

• Open debate focusing on equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in contexts affected by conflict and insecurity. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will chair the meeting. Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF; Seth Berkley, CEO of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance; and Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are expected to brief.

Thursday – 18^th February

• Briefing on Yemen from Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock. Ambassador I. Rhonda King (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) is also expected to brief in her capacity as the chair of the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee.

Friday – 19^th February

• No official meetings scheduled.

WEEK 6: 8-12 FEBRUARY 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• The Security Council adopted a Presidential Statement on UNOWAS (West Africa and the Sahel) on 3 February, the first under Ireland’s co-penholdership of this file with Niger. The statement underscored the importance of addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa and the Sahel, as well as the need for a holistic approach to address the causes of intercommunal violence in the region.
• Ireland raised the situation of Ethiopia at the Security Council on 3 February under A.O.B, drawing attention to the dire and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Tigray.
• The Security Council convened a special meeting on Myanmar on 2 February in the aftermath of the military coup, which took place on 1 February. UN Special Envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, addressed ambassadors during a closed meeting held the day after Myanmar’s military seized power and urged Council members to collectively send a clear signal in support of democracy in Myanmar.

Monday – 8^th February

• No official meetings scheduled.

Tuesday – 9^th February

• Briefing on the political situation in Syria with Special Envoy Geir Pedersen.

Wednesday – 10^th February

• Vote on a resolution extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee.
• Briefing from Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, the head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, and Assistant Secretary-General Michèle Coninsx, the Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, on the Secretary-General’s 12th strategic-level report on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or Da’esh).

Thursday – 11^th February

• Briefing on Ukraine with Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo; Heidi Grau, the Special Representative of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office; and Halit Çevik, the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.

Friday – 12^th February

• No official meetings scheduled.

WEEK 5: 1-5 FEBRUARY 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• The fifth session of the Syrian Constitutional Committee concluded last week.  The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, voiced deep frustration on Friday that the Syrian Constitutional Committee had failed to start drafting a new charter after the government delegation rejected proposals.
• Mr. Tor Wennesland, the new Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council on Tuesday 26 January. Reflecting on the announcement of new parliamentary and presidential elections last month, he noted that this would be a crucial step towards Palestinian unity.
• Stephanie Williams, the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), told the Security Council that intra-Libyan dialogues – facilitated by the Mission – have produced “tangible results” on Thursday 28 January, amid hopeful signs that a decade of armed conflict might finally be coming to an end.

• The UK will have the Presidency of the Security Council in February. Its signature events will focus on climate change and COVID-19. The high-level meeting on security risks in climate–vulnerable contexts is expected to be chaired by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The COVID-19 meeting will focus on equitable access to vaccines, especially in conflict-affected areas; UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is expected to chair.
• Several meetings are planned on Somalia. The Council will receive a briefing on developments in Somalia and the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).
• A meeting is also planned on the 751 Somalia sanctions committee, to be chaired by Ireland. At the end of the month the Council is expected to renew the authorisation of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

Monday – 1st February

• The UK assumes the monthly presidency of the Security Council. Pending the adoption of the provisional programme of work for February on that day, videoconference (VTC) meetings are anticipated this week on the chemical weapons track in Syria (with High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu briefing) and Myanmar (with a briefing by Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener).
• UNSC members will also continue to negotiate a presidential statement on the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) that may be adopted during the week.

Tuesday – 2^nd February

• The Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security (co-chaired by Ireland and Mexico) is expected to hold a VTC meeting on South Sudan.

WEEK 4: 25-29 JANUARY 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, called for urgent scaling up of funds for climate change adaptation and resilience building programmes, at the Climate Adaptation Summit, hosted by the Netherlands, which is taking place online today and tomorrow.
• In a briefing to the Security Council on 20 January, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, painted a bleak picture of what lies ahead for Syrians in 2021. He informed the Security Council that “a slow tsunami” is now “crashing across Syria”, referring to recent data from the UN humanitarian office which shows that more than 8 in 10 people are living in poverty in Syria. The fifth round of the Syrian-led, Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated Constitutional Committee will convene in Geneva this week.
• In a briefing to the Security Council on 21 January, Special Representative and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, highlighted how illegally armed groups were threatening to undermine the historic 2016 peace agreement and called on both sides to “spare no efforts” in working together and with the UN mission, noting the importance of continuing to lay the groundwork for “reconciliation across the country”.

Monday – 25^th January

• Briefing on the implementation of Resolution 2532, which demanded a cessation of hostilities in all situations on the Council’s agenda to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Briefings are expected from: Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock, and Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, Atul Khare.

Tuesday – 26^th January

• The quarterly open debate on “The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question” will be held via video conference. Tor Wennesland, the new Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, is the anticipated briefer.

Wednesday – 27^th January

• Briefing on the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA). Special Representative and head of the UNRCCA, Natalia Gherman, is expected to brief.

Thursday – 28^th January

• The Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
• Briefing by the Acting Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Stephanie Williams, which will be followed by closed consultations.  Ambassador T. S. Tirumurti of India, the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, is also expected to provide the chair’s report on the Committee’s work.

Friday – 29^th January

• Closed meeting of the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee, chaired by Ireland. The Committee’s Panel of Experts is expected to brief.

• Wrap up session.

WEEK 3: 18-22 JANUARY 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• Antonio Guterres confirmed on 11 January that he will seek a second five year term as UN Secretary General, which would begin in January 2022. So far, no challengers have emerged, however, there is likely to be a push from certain members states to nominate a woman as the first female UN Secretary General.
• Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney, addressed the UN Security Council on 12 January in a debate marking 20 years of UN Counter Terrorism efforts. He highlighted Ireland’s commitment to ensuring measures which combat terrorism are compliant with international human rights and humanitarian law.
• In an attack on a UN Peacekeeping convoy in Mali on 15 January, one peacekeeper from Egypt was killed and another seriously injured. UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, condemned the attack and emphasised that the attack “may constitute a war crime”.

Monday – 18^th January

• Briefing on: “Cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organizations (Arab League)”. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo and LAS Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit are expected to brief.

Tuesday – 19^th January

• Consultations on the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) are planned. Special Representative and head of UNFICYP, Elizabeth Spehar, is the anticipated briefer.

Wednesday – 20^th January

• Joint briefing, followed by consultations, on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria. Special Envoy Geir Pedersen will most likely brief on political developments, while Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock is expected to brief on humanitarian issues.

Thursday – 21^st January

• Briefing on Colombia, followed by consultations. Special Representative and head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia Carlos Ruiz Massieu is expected to provide the briefing.

Friday – 22^nd January

• Arria-formula meeting on media freedom in Belarus.

WEEK 2: 11-15 JANUARY 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• On 7 January 2021, the Subsidiary body appointments were made by the P5. Ireland’s roles are as follows:
  • Chair of the Somalia Sanctions Committee
  • Facilitator for implementation of resolution 2231 (Iran nuclear deal)
  • Co-chair with Mexico of Informal Expert Group (IEG) on Women, Peace and Security
  • Co-chair with Niger of Informal Expert Group of UNSC members on Climate and Security
• Ireland will also act as co-penholder with Niger on the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel file and with Norway on the Syrian humanitarian file.
• Minister of State Thomas Byrne addressed the Council in the first signature event of Tunisia’s presidency on the topic of maintaining peace and security in fragile contexts on 6 January.
• Finally, in a meeting on the use of Chemical Weapons in Syria on 5 January 2021, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said that the declaration that Syria had submitted on its chemical weapons status “cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)”.  Ambassador Byrne Nason called on the Syrian government to cooperate with the work of the OPCW and fully eliminate its chemical weapons programme.

Monday – 11^th January

• Briefing by Special Representative and head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) Mohamed Ibn Chambas, who will present the Secretary-General’s recent report on West Africa and the Sahel. A presidential statement is being prepared that is likely to be proposed for adoption later this month by co-penholders Ireland and Niger.

Tuesday – 12^th January

• Open debate at ministerial level on “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts: International cooperation in combating terrorism 20 years after the adoption of resolution 1373”. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia is expected to chair the meeting. The anticipated briefers are: Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism; Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate; and Fatima Akilu, Executive Director of the Neem Foundation. A presidential statement is under negotiation and is an anticipated outcome.

Wednesday – 13^th January

• Briefing, followed by VTC consultations, on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Special Representative and head of MINUSMA Mahamat Saleh Annadif is the anticipated briefer.
• Council members may also discuss the Central African Republic under “any other business”.

Thursday – 14^th January

• Monthly briefing on Yemen in VTC format, followed by VTC consultations. Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock are the expected briefers. General Abhijit Guha, who heads the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement, plans to participate in consultations.
• The Council is also scheduled to meet with troop contributing countries of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

Friday – 15^th January

• No official meetings scheduled.

WEEK 1: 4-8 JANUARY 2021

Monday – 4th January

• The Security Council is expected to adopt its provisional programme of work for January 2021. Subject to the adoption of the programme, the following meetings are anticipated:

Tuesday – 5th January

• Monthly meeting on the use of chemical weapons in Syria via videoconference (VTC). High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu is the likely briefer

Wednesday – 6th January

• High-level open debate via VTC on the challenges of maintaining international peace and security in fragile contexts. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chair of the AU Commission, are expected to brief. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former President of Liberia, is a possible briefer as well.