Press Conference by Security Council President on Programme of Work for July
The Security Council’s programme for July features two open debates, including on multilateral cooperation in establishing a more just, democratic and sustainable world order, its President told a Headquarters press conference today.
Vassily A. Nebenzia (Russian Federation), who holds the 15-member organ’s rotating presidency for the month, said “there is a high demand in the international community for a strategic discussion on the future security architecture beyond the horizon of the current crises”.
The debate, to be held on 16 July, will be chaired by Sergey V. Lavrov, his country’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, and is envisaged as a continuation of the discussions held under the Russian Federation’s Presidency in April 2023. It will focus on the parameters of a just world order, as well as the possible role of the United Nations in its establishment and maintenance, he said.
The third week will also see two other major events, including the open debate on the Middle East on 17 July, which will feature Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, as a briefer, he noted. Mr. Lavrov will also chair that event, he said, encouraging ministerial-level participation.
Also highlighting a debate on 19 July, on cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organizations, he said it will focus on the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. “These three organizations are doing a lot of useful work in Eurasia; however, it is not always well covered at the UN,” he said.
“Obviously, the situation in Palestine will remain in the spotlight,” he said, noting that the Council will start off the month with a briefing and consultations on the humanitarian situation in Gaza on 2 July.
Other briefings will focus on Haiti, Yemen, Syria, United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and Cyprus, among others. In mid-July, the Council is expected to adopt resolutions on the mandates of United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), as well as the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA).
Responding to a correspondent who asked how the Russian Federation justifies holding a meeting on international peace and security when it is attacking Ukraine, he said Moscow is not responsible for that crisis. Regarding the lack of meetings on Ukraine on the work programme, he said that, while there are no meetings scheduled now, any country in the Council has the right to request a briefing on that issue, and “we have indications” that such a meeting will be requested.
As for United States presidential candidate Donald J. Trump’s statement that he would “solve the Ukraine crisis in one day” if elected, he said it cannot be solved in one day. Citing Russian Federation’s President Vladimir V. Putin, he said “it could have been solved in April 2022 in Istanbul”, but Ukraine’s Western sponsors told that country to keep fighting. “[Ukraine’s President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy’s peace plan is a joke,” he said, adding that the Kremlin is ready to move towards ending the conflict, but Kyiv must be realistic.
On Israel’s “unabated attacks” in Gaza, he called for “a verifiable ceasefire” and expressed regret that the recently adopted resolution’s “so-called three-point plan” is vague. Despite reassurances by the United States, Israel’s representative announced after the adoption that they will not deal with Hamas. Yet, now they are blaming Hamas as if Israel has agreed to cooperate, he said, adding: “This ping pong continues, but nothing happens in reality.”
He also took several questions regarding the sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Moscow’s adherence to them and whether Pyongyang should be allowed to have a nuclear-weapons programme. Dismissing allegations that the Russian Federation is violating the sanctions regime, he said they are not supported by material evidence. The Panel of Experts report consisted of allegations made by three experts from the United Kingdom, Japan and the Republic of Korea, not a single ballistic specialist among them, he said.
Further, when the media talk of sanctions resolutions, “you only talk one part of it”, he said, adding that the focus is always on what is forbidden. But, other parts of the text call for political and diplomatic solutions, as well as humanitarian relief, he pointed out. As to whether his country supports nuclear programmes in that country, he said: “We have not heard of any nuclear tests in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”
On Moscow’s relationship with the Taliban, he said they are de facto authorities and must be recognized. “We are talking to [the] Taliban,” about women’s rights, he said, adding that they have their own ideas about it unfortunately. Regarding India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow, he said the two countries are long-time friends and “I expect Russia-India relations to blossom even better.”
On the growing divide between the United States and its allies on one side and his country and China on the other, he said he would describe the “allies” of the United States as its “minions”, and pointed out that other centres of power are emerging, China among them, but Europe is trying to retain the dominance they enjoyed for the last 500 years.
Asked about Mr. Lavrov’s visa, he said that, so far, there are no issues, he said, adding that the Foreign Minister will be open to meeting correspondents.