Press Conference by Security Council President

 

The Security Council will have an open debate on the impact of illicit arms trafficking on peace and security in the Central African region on 19 March, Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet of Gabon, this month’s Council President, said today at Headquarters.

Briefing correspondents on the March programme of work adopted today, Gabon’s Permanent Representative said his delegation was preparing a draft presidential statement on the “scourge” of small arms and light weapons, which, given the number of casualties they caused, were truly “weapons of mass destruction”, especially in Africa.  A number of African regional organizations had been invited to participate in the debate.

He also announced that, during the regular monthly briefing on the Middle East on 24 March, the Secretary-General would probably brief on his participation in the 19 March meeting of the Quartet in Moscow and his subsequent trip to the region.  If he was not available, Robert Serry, the United Nations’ Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, would speak in his place.  The briefing would be followed by consultations.

Highlighting other dates, Mr. Issoze-Ngondet said the Council would hear a briefing on the 1737 Committee regarding Iran on 4 March.  It would also hear a briefing on Afghanistan on that same date.  On 5 March, the Council would consider the situation in Guinea-Bissau, with briefings by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in that country (UNIOGBIS) and the Chair of the Guinea-Bissau specific configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission.

Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, would brief the Council on 9 March on his recent trip to Chad, where he had discussed the future of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) in that country.  On 11 March, the Council would consider the situation in the Sudan in light of the upcoming elections, while on 12 March the Council would take up a draft resolution on mandate expansion for MINURCAT.

Other dates include a briefing on United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), in light of the electoral process on 18 March, and consideration of mandate expansion for the Somalia Sanctions Monitoring Team on 18 March.  (The status of implementation of sanctions against Somalia would be discussed in consultations on 16 March.)  That same day, the Council would consider the situation in Afghanistan.  It would take up a draft resolution on mandate extension for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on 22 March, and hear a briefing on the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL).

He said some issues not on the programme could be considered during March, including mandate renewal for the Judges of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the situation in Haiti, peace consolidation in West Africa and non-proliferation regarding the situation in Iran.

Answering correspondents’ questions, Mr. Issoze-Ngondet said that, if there was any movement towards new sanctions against Iran in the framework of non-proliferation, the Council might consider the matter.  Council members were following the process and were waiting for the right time.

Asked about Somalia, he said that on 16 March, the Council would discuss only implementation of existing sanctions, not new sanctions.  As the mandate for the Somalia Monitoring Team was coming to an end, the matter of mandate extension would also have to be considered, which would happen on 18 March.

In response to several questions on the Middle East, he said that the Secretary-General, if available, would brief the Council on 24 March on the 19 March Quartet meeting in Moscow and his subsequent trip to the region.  On 12 March the Council would meet in consultations on the Secretary-General’s report on implementation of resolution 1701 (2006) regarding Lebanon.

He said that, during the consultations following the briefing, the Council might take up such matters as implementation of resolution 1860 (2009) regarding the closing of the border-crossings in Gaza, the Goldstone Report, or recent developments regarding the holy places in Jerusalem, Hebron and Bethlehem.

In response to a question regarding events in West Africa, including the coup in the Niger, he said the issue of peace consolidation and peacebuilding in West Africa had been included in the “footnotes” of the programme, which meant that, if there were developments, including in the Niger, the matter would be taken up.  The footnote would also raise awareness of the issue among Council members. The Council remained “vigilant” on the issue, he said.  That was also the case regarding Myanmar.

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For information media • not an official record