PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

The President of the United Nations Security Council for May, Lebanon’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Nawaf Salam, today outlined a programme of work for the month, which will include debates, consultations and briefings on a broad spectrum of issues, and will also include at least one Council mission.

Briefing correspondents on the Council’s programme at UN Headquarters, he said the 15-member body had earlier approved a programme that will take up matters ranging from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Somalia; from the Middle East and the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), and to the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), among others.

Lebanon’s tenure as the Council President began today with a briefing on the cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union.  The Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, briefed the Council on the European Union’s commitment to an active partnership with the United Nations in promoting peace and security, and also talked about ways and means to strengthen that partnership after the Lisbon Treaty.

A Security Council mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is scheduled to depart New York on 13 May on a four-day mission, during which members expect to hold meetings with Democratic Republic of the Congo authorities, including President Joseph Kabila.  The mission will be led by France.  The Council is then scheduled to be briefed on that mission on 19 May.

Mr. Salam said the Council also expected to be briefed on the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), to be presented by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Youssef Mahmoud.  That mission’s mandate expires on 15 May.  It will also be briefed on the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), as resolution 1909 of 21 January 2010 requested the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council by 1 May 2010 on implementation of that resolution.  UNMIN’s mandate also expires on 15 May.  Representative of the Secretary-General Karin Landgren would brief, and the Council was expected to adopt a resolution about the mission on 12 May.

On 10 May, the Security Council will hear a briefing on the United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB) and later hold consultations.  Resolution 1902 of 17 December 2009 requested the Secretary-General to provide a briefing on the electoral process in May 2010 and requested BINUB to provide logistical support at crucial phases of the electoral process.  Members will be briefed by Charles Petrie, the Executive Representative for Burundi and Head of BINUB. 

The following day, 11 May, the Council is expected to hold open debates on the 1267, 1373 and 1540 Committees, known as the Counterterrorism Committees.  Mexico will brief the Council on behalf of the three Committees, and then each chairman of those committees, viz, Mexico, Austria and Turkey, will brief the Council on their work.

A debate on Somalia is scheduled to be held on 12 May in the presence of that country’s Prime Minister, most probably, or Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Salam said.

Expanding on the Security Council mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he said that the mission had been postponed from last month, due to poor weather.  The mission’s discussions with President Kabila and his government would focus on the future of MONUC, in view of the Congolese request to withdraw the force by August 2011.  The Council would be briefed about the mission on 19 May, and expected to adopt a resolution by 27 May.

A debate on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is scheduled to be held on 17 May in keeping with Security Council resolution 1244 of 1999, which requested the Secretary-General to report to it at regular intervals on its implementation.  That debate will be held most likely in the presence of the Serbian President, Boris Tadić, and Skënder Hyseni, the Foreign Minister of Kosovo.

The next day, 18 May, the Council will be briefed and later hold consultations on the Middle East, in compliance with resolution 1322 of 2000, which invited the Secretary-General to continue to follow the situation in the Middle East and to keep the Council informed.  United Nations Middle East Special Envoy Robert Serry is to provide that briefing.  On 20 May, a briefing is scheduled on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, and consultations will follow that briefing.

The Council will also hold a debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina on 24 May and have a briefing on the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq on 25 May, followed by consultations.

In response to questions, Mr. Salam said there was no special reason why there was no meeting on Iran scheduled during the presidency of Lebanon.  The matter was simply not requested, or raised by any member to have it in May.  And, in any case, were it to be requested and come before the Council under his presidency, Lebanon would, “like on any other matter”, follow its national interests.  “Whether it comes under our presidency or not, is a matter for other members of the Council to decide.  How Lebanon will vote is a matter that will be decided upon our national interests and these are two different things,” he said.

He also denied reports from last year, before Lebanon joined the Council, that his country had told Western Governments that if the question of Iran sanctions came up, Lebanon would abstain.  His country’s position would be decided in Beirut, and he would reflect those instructions on the matter when, and if, that matter came up.

As for Security Council reform, he said the matter would take considerable time to discuss in the limited time of a press briefing.  Also, reform of the Council was a matter before the General Assembly and the Arab view within that body was well represented. 

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For information media • not an official record