During Wrap-Up, Security Council President Says Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Protecting Women in Strife-Torn Areas Focus of Month with Multiple Crises

During the month of October, the Security Council had done significant work to find consensus views on thematic issues at the same time that it addressed multiple crisis situations worldwide, the Permanent Representative of Argentina, President of the body, said in a monthly wrap-up meeting.

Thanking members for their work, María Cristina Perceval described what she called a busy month that included open debates on working methods, the Middle East and women, peace and security, as well as dialogue with peacekeeping Force Commanders, all of which had generated great interest among the wider United Nations membership.

Those meetings had respectively resulted in consensus on the need for accelerated efforts towards a two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for responsible follow-up to referrals to the International Criminal Court and that due process in sanctions listing and delisting made those regimes more effective. 

There was also agreement that the threat to women and girls in conflict situations had risen dramatically with the spike in displacement and the armed campaigns of violent extremist groups, and that women affected by such scourges must be involved in policymaking to relieve the situation as 2015, a significant year in women’s rights came into view.

Ms. Perceval reviewed Council discussions on a range of situations of deep concern, including those in Syria, Ukraine, Mali, Somalia, Yemen, Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and many other areas.  She recalled that a resolution on Somalia was adopted with two abstentions, which was not a very good precedent, especially in the context of regional efforts. 

On Ebola, it became evident that more effective cooperation with other bodies was still lacking, she said, noting that a joint meeting was not held.  Finally, she conveyed wishes for success of the November presidency, to be held by Australia.

Following the President’s statement, Council members took the floor, with most praising the leadership of the Argentine presidency, saying it had increased transparency through the holding of many open meetings.  They also expressed appreciation for the thematic focus on working methods in October, as well as on women, peace and security, the Middle East and peacekeeping. 

Some speakers concurred with the need for greater cooperation with the General Assembly on Ebola, although some also stressed it was a threat to international peace and security and hence in the area of competence of the Council.  Speakers called for peace progress on many fronts, with some addressing implementation of the Minsk agreement on ending the conflict in Ukraine.

Reviewing the range of crises discussed during the month, some speakers regretted the lack of progress on breaking the deadlock in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, ending the devastation in Syria and other issues.  Saying that the Council had been made a scapegoat for international inaction in such areas, the representative of Rwanda stressed that the body was a product of the international community and could only exercise as much political will as Member States accorded it.  “This organ is not a separate UN entity.  The Security Council is us,” he said.

Looking ahead to the next month, some underlined the importance of continued attention to the changing face of terrorism as represented by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Sham (ISIL/ISIS), as well as situations such as the Central African Republic.  Gary Quinlan, the representative the incoming President, Australia, described a network of partnerships on which the success of the Council’s efforts depended.

Also speaking were representatives of China, Chile, Nigeria, Chad, Russian Federation, Jordan, Luxembourg, United States, Lithuania, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom and France.

The representative of the Russian Federation spoke a second time clarifying his country’s position on the Minsk agreement.

The meeting started at 3:05 p.m. and ended at 4:50 p.m.