Ruhakana Rugunda, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations, called today for a greater focus by the Security Council on preventive diplomacy and peacebuilding as he surveyed a range of situations in Africa.
In progress at UNHQ
Security Council: Press Conference
During its two years on the Security Council, Austria had chaired three key subsidiary bodies, established an unprecedented ombudsman office for those wishing to be taken off the Consolidated List of individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaida and the Taliban, and perhaps most importantly, overseen the Council’s adoption of resolution 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
The Security Council’s programme of work for December would include a high-level event on Iraq chaired by United States Vice-President Joe Biden, an open debate on resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) — both on “women, peace and security” — as well as a briefing by the Chair of the 1737 Committee on Iran sanctions, Ambassador Susan Rice of the United States, Council President for the month, said today at a Headquarters press briefing.
Prosecutors from some 20 countries affected by terrorism were meeting at Headquarters from 1 to 3 December to exchange information and best practices on how to bring terrorists to justice, the head of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) told correspondents today at Headquarters.
The centrepiece in the Security Council’s programme of work this month would be a ministerial meeting on the situation in the Sudan on 16 November, the current Council President, Mark Lyall Grant, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom, told correspondents today at Headquarters. “It is critical that the Council retains a very close focus on Sudan in these critical months,” he said.
The Security Council’s programme of work for October would include a mission to Uganda and Sudan, as well as two public debates — the first, at the ministerial level, on women and peace and security to mark the tenth anniversary of the first Council resolution on that subject, and the second on the Middle East — Ruhakana Rugunda (Uganda), Council President for the month, said today at Headquarters.
Highlights of Turkey’s September presidency of the Security Council included a summit on the maintenance of peace and security, which expected to hear from Heads of State and Government, and a high-level review of cooperation in counter-terrorism, the country’s Ambassador told journalists this afternoon.
The status of Kosovo, turbulence in the Middle East, piracy off the coast of Somalia and peacekeeping were among the major areas to be considered by the Security Council during the Russian Federation’s presidency in August, Vitaly Churkin, that country’s Permanent Representative, said at a Headquarters press conference today.
Presenting the results of a review of all cases on the Consolidated List established and maintained by the Security Council Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee, Thomas Mayr-Harting, Committee Chair, said that of a total 488 entries, 45 had been removed and another 66 were pending a final decision at the request of Member States.
Kimberly Prost, the newly appointed Ombudsperson of the Security Council’s 1267 Committee — also known as the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee — pledged at Headquarters today that she would make her office independent and accessible to sanctioned individuals seeking redress.