Press Conference by Security Council President on Programme of Work for August

 

The status of Kosovo, turbulence in the Middle East, piracy off the coast of Somalia and peacekeeping were among the major areas to be considered by the Security Council during the Russian Federation’s presidency in August, Vitaly Churkin, that country’s Permanent Representative, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

Mr. Churkin said the Council, at Lebanon’s request, held a private meeting today to discuss the exchange of fire between Israel and Lebanon earlier in the day along the so-called Blue Line separating the two countries.  He said the Council expressed deep concern over the incident, and called on all parties to observe the cessation of hostilities, exercise utmost restraint and strictly abide by their obligations under Council resolution 1701 (2006), which ended the conflict that had erupted in 2006 between Israel and the Lebanese group Hizbullah.  

The Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had participated in the briefing this morning, which had been conducted by Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Vitaly said.  Later this month, the Council would discuss in consultations the Secretary-General’s most recent report on UNIFIL and its troop contributing countries, as well as extend the Mission’s mandate, which expires on 31 August.  

He hoped that by the end of the day, following the afternoon debate on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the Council would issue a statement supporting the Secretary-General’s announcement yesterday that he would launch a panel of inquiry into the 31 May Gaza flotilla incident.

Today’s debate on Kosovo would highlight aspects of the Secretary-General’s 29 July report (document S/2010/401) on UNMIK, he said.

On the debate on Somali piracy, he said the Secretary-General would participate and Council members would discuss his report on ensuring protection and incarceration of pirates, which was prepared at the request of Council resolution 1918 (2010), introduced in April by the Russian Federation.

On Iraq, he said the Council would hold a briefing on 4 August on the United Nations Mission in that country, known as UNAMI, based on the Secretary-General’s most recent quarterly report (document S/2010/240) on key political and security developments there, and extend UNAMI’s mandate the following day.  But Mr. Churkin would not say, in response to a correspondent’s question, whether during the briefing Council members would call on Iraqi leaders to form a new Government.

During the debate on peacekeeping operations, Mr. Le Roy and peacekeeping force commanders, due in New York this month for their annual conference, would speak. 

The briefing and informal consultations on the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) would focus particular attention on that Mission’s expiration at the end of 2010.

Also on the Council’s agenda this month were consultations of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006), which addresses issues concerning sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and designated persons and entities, and of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), which helps Governments peacefully manage and prevent such challenges as terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime and environmental degradation. 

Asked why Sudan was not on the Council’s meeting schedule considering that the most recent two reports of the Secretary-General on the situation stated that the death toll there was escalating, he said the Council would continue to study Sudan-related developments, particularly the referendum on southern Sudan — an important milestone — to ensure that Sudan’s security was not jeopardized.  Moreover, the UNAMID Force Commander would speak during the peacekeeping debate.  

Regarding new Council proposals on Somali piracy, he said the Secretary-General’s latest report gave seven good options to strengthen the prosecution of pirates.  The Council would attempt to move the process forward in preparation for its 25 August meeting on the subject.  The work of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia and the renewal in January of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) were good efforts, but there was room for improvement.

On whether the Secretary-General should be granted a second term, he said running the United Nations and the Secretariat was among the world’s most difficult jobs and that his overall performance would be judged by Member States.

Answering questions in his national capacity, Mr. Churkin said efforts to reach a political settlement in Darfur should be intensified and that he was upset that the international community had not been able to more closely involve opposition forces in the process. 

He said the Russian Federation had insisted on a UNAMID investigation into last week’s abduction in Sudan, and subsequent release, of a Russian helicopter pilot working for UNAMID.  But he was quick to add that the incident was relatively minor and that there was a “certain danger” of turning the United Nations into an international investigative body if it continuously opened inquiries into such incidents.

On the proposal by Brazil and Turkey to allow Iran to send low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for fuel for a research reactor, he said the Russian Federation’s Foreign Minister had publicly supported the swap.  He hoped for a resumption of negotiations between the Iranian Government and Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and progress in that regard in the weeks and months ahead. 

Concerning United States or Israeli military action against Iran’s nuclear programme, he said the Russian Federation was clearly against any such action and that there was room to settle the matter diplomatically.

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For information media • not an official record