Security Council: Press Conference

The value of early and sustained action by the Security Council was dramatically affirmed during Germany’s tenure, which was dominated by momentous change in the Arab world, the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations said at a press conference today.

The Security Council in December planned to intensify its focus on the Sahel, particularly the crisis in Mali, along with continued consideration of a range of situations around the world, the Permanent Representative of Morocco said as he briefed correspondents at Headquarters on the programme of work for his country’s presidency of the body.

The Security Council’s work programme for November will be packed not only with discussions of difficult situations around the world, but also with business not completed at the end of last month, the Permanent Representative of India, which holds the body’s presidency for the month, told correspondents at Headquarters this afternoon.

Women, peace and security, the rule of law, and the Middle East would be discussed in open debates this month at the Security Council, the Permanent Representative of Guatemala said this afternoon as he introduced the agenda for his October presidency of that body.

Forging greater ties between the United Nations and the League of Arab States to address Middle East turmoil and working closely with their new Joint Special Representative on the crisis in Syria would be among the top priorities of the Security Council in September, the Permanent Representative of Germany, whose delegation holds the Council’s rotating presidency for this month, said today.

With “military logic winning the day” in Syria’s 16-month-old conflict and the Security Council deadlocked over how to address it, the 15-member body would likely cancel the United Nations observer mission to that country and seek consensus on a new resolution focused on humanitarian aid for the 3 million Syrians in need of emergency relief, the representative of France, which hold’s the Council’s rotating presidency for this month, said this afternoon.

With the crises in Syria and Mali, a broad reassessment of peacebuilding schedules and many peacekeeping mandates coming to term, July looks very busy for the Security Council, the Permanent Representative of Colombia, which will hold the 15‑member body’s rotating presidency for that month, said today.

As the Security Council navigated “a very packed schedule” in June, it was critical for the body to maintain “unswerving support” to international mediation efforts in Syria in the face of terrible recent events, the representative of China, which hold’s the Council presidency for the month, said this afternoon.

Laying out the programme of work of the Security Council in May, under the first presidency of Azerbaijan, the country’s Permanent Representative this afternoon vowed to work to maintain unity among members for addressing the conflict in Syria and the many other complex situations the body was seized with.

Introducing the Security Council programme of work for the April presidency of the United States today, the country’s Permanent Representative said control of nuclear weapons and illicit cross-border traffic would be highlighted alongside the conflicts in Syria, Mali and elsewhere. “The greatest danger that we and all States around the world face is a nuclear weapon or nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists,” said Susan Rice.