Saying she expected a “good ride” for the Security Council this month, U. Joy Ogwu (Nigeria), its President for October, today outlined a programme of work comprising a varied mix of both new and routine agenda items. Briefing at a Headquarters press conference, she said that since the world was not static but dynamic, the work programme allowed for the addition of new items, to be dealt with as and when they arose.
Security Council: Press Conference
While remaining seized of ongoing situations of concern in Libya, Syria, Sudan, South Sudan and elsewhere, the Security Council planned to focus on preventive diplomacy when world leaders arrived for the opening of the upcoming General Assembly session, Nawaf Salam (Lebanon), Council President for September, said at Headquarters today.
With the situations in Syria, Libya and Somalia becoming increasingly more worrisome, and attention needed on peacekeeping and other issues, the usually light August agenda of the Security Council was quickly filling up, the permanent representative of India, which holds presidency of the body for the month, said this afternoon.
In a wide-ranging press conference at Headquarters today, Michael Williams, United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, assessed the progress and setbacks in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), saying that major issues — including the existence of arms outside State control, their use as a political instrument and Israel’s presence in the border village of Ghajar — must be tackled in order for Lebanon to exercise full sovereignty over its territory.
The Security Council’s adoption in June of resolutions 1988 (2011) and 1989 (2011), which split the Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions regimes, had been a significant step forward in the capacity of the Office of the Ombudsperson for the Security Council’s “Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee” to deliver fairness, transparency and due process, correspondents heard today at a Headquarters press conference.
With the independence of South Sudan due in a matter of days, the Security Council would be paying particular attention to the world’s newest country, as well as larger regional issues and dynamics, Peter Wittig (Germany), Council President for July, said at a Headquarters press conference today.
HIV/AIDS and transnational organized crime would be among the major topics for discussion by the Security Council later this month, as the body also remained seized of situations including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Libya and others, according to the Permanent Representative of Gabon, which holds the Council presidency for June.
The Security Council would take advantage of a slightly lighter workload during May to take a week-long mission to the African continent, Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France, and Council President for the month, told reporters today at Headquarters.
Néstor Osorio, Permanent Representative of Colombia, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, said today that the 15-nation body would tackle a “loaded” agenda this month, while also keeping a wary eye on the ripple effects of the popular protests sweeping North African and the Middle East.
A comprehensive strategy for Somalia and newly emergent crises in Africa would be among the priority issues to be considered during China’s March presidency of the Security Council, that country’s Permanent Representative told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference. “We cannot have a piecemeal solution,” Li Baodong said of Somalia, which would be the subject of an open debate on 10 March. He said that the situation remained very disturbing and deserved constant attention.