Security Council: Press Conference

The protection of civilians in armed conflict would be the central theme of the Security Council’s work in the coming month, Elbio Rosselli (Uruguay), its President for May, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

The Security Council would hold two thematic debates, including — for the first time — one on the role of human rights in the maintenance of international peace and security, said Nikki Haley (United States), its President for April, at a Headquarters press conference today.

The Security Council would organize its work in March around the theme “Preventing conflict in Africa”, Matthew Rycroft (United Kingdom), its President for that month, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

With the situation in eastern Ukraine escalating and the humanitarian situation there deteriorating further, the Security Council would focus on peace and security issues pertaining to Europe, including his own country, in the coming month, Volodymyr Yelchenko (Ukraine), its President for February, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

Building on a “trajectory of unity” that had begun with the Security Council’s recent adoption of two important Middle East resolutions, Olof Skoog (Sweden), Council President for January, said the 15-member body would focus on issues ranging from Colombia to the Lake Chad Basin, hold a ministerial-level open debate on the maintenance of international peace and security and work to make its overall methods more results-oriented.

Debates on international judicial cooperation, the sanctions regime surrounding nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and human trafficking would be the major topics to be addressed this month by the Security Council, Román Oyarzun Marchesi (Spain), Council President for December, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

Open debates on “water, peace and security” and asymmetrical threats to peacekeeping would be highlighted by the Security Council this month, along with a range of items of ongoing concern, Fodé Seck (Senegal), Council President for November, told correspondents at Headquarters this afternoon.

The Security Council would focus on Africa, the Middle East and the selection of the next Secretary-General, Vitaly Churkin (Russian Federation), Council President for October, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

The Security Council would hold a high-level briefing on the situation in Syria on 21 September, coinciding with the general debate of the seventy-first session of the General Assembly, Gerard van Bohemen (New Zealand), Council President for September, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

The Security Council would focus on Africa, the Middle East and a number of thematic issues, said Ramlan Bin Ibrahim (Malaysia), its President for the month of August, at a Headquarters press conference today.