Press Conference by Security Council President on Work Programme for August
Ebola, security sector reform, and the role of regional organizations in addressing global challenges would be top priorities of the Security Council in August, said the Permanent Representative of Nigeria, President of the body for the month, at a Headquarters press conference today.
Outlining the Council’s work programme, U. Joy Ogwu recalled that Nigeria, during its 2014 presidency, had spearheaded the adoption of resolution 2151 (2014), the first stand-alone text on security sector reform. “We are not putting it away in the archives,” she said, noting that the Council would review its implementation on 20 August.
Next, the Council would highlight the role of regional and subregional organizations in fighting pandemics, she said, explaining that Ebola had negatively impacted countries in human, as well as socioeconomic, terms. The disease was re-emerging and on 13 August the Council would examine how to plan strategically for such transnational problems.
Along similar lines, on 18 August the Council would hold a thematic debate on the role of regional and subregional organizations in meeting contemporary security challenges. “They should be the first responders to crises,” she said, as they understood the complexities of their environments and systematically cooperated both with the United Nations and with one another.
In that context, she recalled that while African regional organizations had been created to accelerate economic integration, they were increasingly being called upon to deal with crises, which some had described as a “derailment” from their initial calling. Participants would be encouraged to highlight the unique aspects of their regions.
The Council would hold a wrap-up session on 31 August, she added.
Asked by journalists about chemical weapons in Syria, she said that bilateral discussions were ongoing and that the Council would await their outcome. There had been no requests for a briefing, following recent attacks in that country.
To a question on when the Council might consider the issue of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Sham (ISIL/ISIS) or Boko Haram, she said there was room on the schedule to address “the unforeseen”. As to whether there would be a resolution on Boko Haram, she recalled that a presidential statement had recently been issued. The Council’s focus now was on maintaining momentum. “We have not ignored it but we can only do so much during the month,” she explained.
As for who would brief the Council during the month, she said that the Chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Special Envoy on Ebola would provide updates on the disease, while the Secretary-General would brief the Council on regional organizations.
Asked about the situation in Burundi, she said it was natural for people to speculate about the country’s future. While it was not on the Council’s agenda, it would likely be addressed.
Turning to questions on Palestine, she said the Council would hear a briefing on the issue on 19 August, and hold consultations on the Middle East. To a query about the success of any negotiations between an “occupier” and the “occupied”, she expressed hope for a final solution to that issue. To another, she expressed confidence and “optimism” in the prospects for a resumed Middle East peace process this fall. In the meantime, the Council had no plans to visit Gaza.
She said that neither the President of Nigeria nor the Foreign Minister had plans to preside over any Council meetings, in response to a question.
Asked about the importance of regional integration, she said it was a means to an end; not an end in itself. Regional organizations were vehicles for achieving the objectives of regions and States. Some had failed, some had been “relatively successful” and others could serve as models. She acknowledged that regions and subregions had started to play a role in shaping development processes.
On whether the Council should take a position on the President of Sudan’s request to address the General Assembly, she noted that the United States was responsible for issuing visas.
Aside from the adoption on 21 August of a resolution renewing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the work programme envisioned briefings on the situations in Central Africa (5 August), Kosovo (21 August), Sudan and South Sudan (25 August), Libya (26 August), and on both the Middle East and Guinea-Bissau (27 August).