The United Nations Security Council has adopted its provisional program of work for January, coinciding with Somalia’s assumption of the Council’s presidency, which officially began last Thursday.
Somalia is scheduled to preside over the quarterly open debate on the ‘Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question,’ which will be held at a high level. Ramez Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator for the United Nations Peace Process in the Middle East, will brief the Council on the matter, with a possible briefing from a civil society representative as well.
Furthermore, Somalia intends to convene an open debate on ‘Reaffirming the International Rule of Law: Pathways to Reviving Peace, Justice, and Multilateralism,’ under the agenda item ‘Strengthening the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security.’ The President of Somalia is expected to oversee the session, with briefings from the UN Secretary-General, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and the Founding President of the African Institute of International Law.
Throughout January, the Security Council will also address other Middle Eastern issues, including the monthly session on the political and humanitarian situation in Syria. Officials from the United Nations Secretariat and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are expected to brief Council members.
The Council will also hold its monthly briefing and closed consultations on Yemen, with briefings anticipated from the UN Special Envoy to Yemen and an OCHA official. A vote on a draft resolution to renew the mandate of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) is also expected.
Regarding African affairs, the Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will provide a semi-annual briefing on the Court’s activities related to the Darfur region of western Sudan. The Council is also expected to renew the mandate of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), which expires on January 31.
On the European front, the Security Council is slated to vote on a draft resolution to renew the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) before its expiration on January 31. Council members will also receive a briefing during closed consultations on the situation in Cyprus from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, and hold a special meeting with troop-contributing countries.
Concerning the Americas, the Council will hold its quarterly briefing.
