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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What's in Blue on:

Somalia Anti-Piracy Resolution

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Open VTC meeting on "The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question" 

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Security Council Resolution on COVID-19

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Colombia Briefing via Videoconference

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A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Counter-Terrorism: Open Debate on the Linkages between Terrorism and Organised Crime

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Climate and Security: Ministerial-level Open Debate

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Ethiopia (Tigray): Discussion of the humanitarian situation under "any other business"

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26 - 30 October 2020

Dear Jonathan,

On Monday (26 October), Security Council members will hold the quarterly open debate on "The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question" via videoconference (VTC). Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov is expected to brief.

On Tuesday (27 October), the Council will receive briefings on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria from Special Envoy Geir O. Pedersen and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock, respectively. Consultations are scheduled to follow the briefings.

The President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, will provide the annual briefing on the ICJ to the Council in a private meeting on Wednesday (28 October). 

The Council is scheduled to vote on a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) on Wednesday. 

Also on Wednesday, Ambassador Philippe Kridelka of Belgium, the Chair of the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee, is expected to provide the 120-day briefing on the Committee's work in consultations.

Consultations on the implementation of resolution 1559-which called for the disarmament of all militias and the extension of government control over Lebanese territory-are planned for Wednesday as well. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo may brief.

On Thursday (29 October), the Council will hold its annual open debate on women, peace and security via VTC. Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres is expected to give the opening statement. The following speakers are scheduled to brief: the Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka; UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Danai Gurira; Nataliia Emelianova, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Adviser in the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA); and Zarqa Yaftali, head of the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation in Afghanistan.

Council members will continue negotiating a resolution this week, initiated by Russia, on women, peace and security.

Several meetings are planned at the subsidiary level this week. There will be a closed VTC of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee on Monday (26 October). It is expected to focus on the recommendations outlined by the Committee's Panel of Experts in its mid-term report. 

On Tuesday (27 October), the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee will have a closed VTC to receive the quarterly oral briefing by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.

On Friday (30 October), the Military Staff Committee will hold a closed VTC on the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) in Yemen.

Also on Friday, the Informal Working Group on Documentation and other Procedural Questions will hold a closed VTC focused on its standing agenda item "reflections from previous presidencies". It is also likely to review its working methods during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Background information on many of these issues is provided in our October 2020 Monthly Forecast.  

Further Council developments will be posted to What's In Blue.

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2 - 6 November 2020

Dear Jonathan,

On Monday (2 November), Security Council members will adopt the provisional programme of work for November. The Council president this month is Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. 

On Tuesday (3 November), there will be a high-level open debate on: "Peacebuilding and sustaining peace: Contemporary drivers of conflict and insecurity" via videoconference (VTC). Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will chair the meeting. The expected briefers are Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed; Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa's Development Ibrahim Mayaki; the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, Hilary Beckles; and the President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Ambassador Munir Akram (Pakistan).

On Wednesday (4 November), the annual briefing of police commissioners from UN peace operations is scheduled to take place via VTC. Police commissioners from several missions are expected to brief: Pascal Champion of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA); Unaisi Vuniwaqa of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS); Issoufou Yacouba of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA); and Serge Therriault of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix will also participate in the meeting.

Also on Wednesday, a meeting with MINUSCA troop contributing countries is anticipated via VTC. Under-Secretary-General Lacroix is expected to take part in the meeting.

On Thursday (5 November), the semi-annual debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina will take place via VTC. High Representative Valentin Inzko is expected to brief on the latest report of the Office of the High Representative (OHR). The Council is also expected to renew the authorisation of the EU-led multinational stabilisation force (EUFOR ALTHEA), which is set to expire on Thursday.

Council members will hold a meeting via VTC on the use of chemical weapons in Syria on Thursday. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu is an expected briefer.

Background information on these and other issues is provided in our November 2020 Monthly Forecast.  

Further Council developments will be posted to What's In Blue.

Follow us on Twitter @SCRTweets.

Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

MINUSCA Mandate Renewal

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21 - 25 September 2020

Dear Jonathan,

On Thursday (24 September), Security Council members are expected to hold a summit level debate in open videoconference (VTC) format on global governance post-COVID-19. Expected briefers are Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres and Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat.

On Friday (25 September), the Council is scheduled to renew the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia.

Also on Friday, there will be an open VTC, followed by a closed VTC, on the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo are expected to brief.

Council members are expected to start negotiations on a resolution renewing the authorisation for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya that they have reasonable grounds to suspect are being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking.  The current authorisation is set to expire on 3 October.

Background information on these issues is provided in our September 2020 Monthly Forecast.  

Further Council developments will be posted to What's In Blue.

Follow us on Twitter @SCRTweets.

6 July - 10 July 2020

Dear Jonathan,

On Monday (6 July), the Special Representative and head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), Natalia Gherman, is expected to brief Security Council members in a closed videoconference (VTC) on the UNRCCA's activities.

On Tuesday (7 July), there will be an open debate in VTC format on "United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: Peace Operations and Human Rights". Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, German Federal Minister of Defence, will chair the meeting. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Special Representative for South Sudan and head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) David Shearer, and a civil society representative are expected to brief.

On Wednesday (8 July) the Security Council is scheduled to hold an open VTC, followed by a closed VTC, on the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and on the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee. The Acting Special Representative and head of UNSMIL, Stephanie Williams, and the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, Deputy Permanent Representative J?rgen Schulz (Germany), are the anticipated briefers.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative and head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), is expected to brief Council members on 9 July (Thursday) in an open VTC to present the Secretary-General's semi-annual report on West Africa and the Sahel. A civil society representative is also expected to participate. A closed VTC is expected to follow.

The Council is also expected to vote on a draft resolution reauthorising the cross-border/cross-line humanitarian aid delivery mechanism in Syria, prior to its expiration on Friday (10 July).

At the subsidiary body level, the Military Staff Committee is scheduled to meet via closed VTC on Friday (10 July) to discuss the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the comprehensive performance assessment system for UN peacekeeping.

Also on Friday, a closed VTC of the 1533 Democratic Republic of the Congo Sanctions Committee is planned.

Background information on many of these issues is provided in our July 2020 Monthly Forecast.

Further Council developments will be posted to What's In Blue.

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9 - 13 November 2020

Dear Jonathan,

On Tuesday (10 November), ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda is expected to deliver her semi-annual briefing on recent developments concerning cases in Libya in an open videoconference (VTC).

There will be a VTC briefing, followed by VTC consultations, on Yemen on Wednesday (11 November). Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock, and General Abhijit Guha, who heads the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), are expected to participate.

Also on Wednesday, the Security Council and the General Assembly will elect five judges to the International Court of Justice to commence their terms on 6 February 2021.

On Thursday (12 November), the Council is scheduled to adopt three resolutions: one renewing the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), a second renewing several elements of the Somalia sanctions regime, and a third renewing the mandate of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

A number of meetings are planned on the subsidiary level. On Monday (9 November), there will be a closed VTC meeting on the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee. The Committee's Panel of Experts is expected to provide an update on the implementation of the arms embargo, among other matters, during the meeting. 

Also on Monday, the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee will hold its biannual open briefing via VTC to inform the wider UN membership of the mandate and activities of the Committee and discuss how the Committee can assist the member states in fulfilling their obligations under the relevant Council resolutions. 

On Thursday (12 November), the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee is expected to hold an open VTC briefing. 

A closed VTC meeting of the 2127 Central African Republic Sanctions Committee is also scheduled for Thursday. During the meeting, the Committee's Panel of Experts is expected to provide an update on its work. 

On Friday (13 November) a closed VTC of the Military Staff Committee is planned that is expected to focus on the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

On Thursday and Friday (12 and 13 November), the 15 current Council members and the incoming five (India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Norway) will participate in the annual "Hitting the Ground Running" workshop organised by Finland.

Background information on these and other issues is provided in our November 2020 Monthly Forecast.  

Further Council developments will be posted to What's In Blue.

Follow us on Twitter @SCRTweets.

Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Youth, Peace and Security: Council to Vote on Draft Resolution

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14 - 18 December 2020

Dear Jonathan,

On Monday (14 December), Council members are expected to hold videoconference (VTC) consultations on Yemen. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock, and the head of the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), General Abhijit Guha, are the anticipated briefers.

Following the meeting on Yemen, a briefing by OCHA on the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia is expected under "any other business".

Also on Monday, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals'' president, Judge Carmel Agius, and its prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, are expected to brief in a VTC debate.

On Tuesday (15 December), the Council is expected to receive a VTC briefing by the Acting Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL), Stephanie Williams, on the Secretary-General's report. The report, due at the end of December, is expected to address several aspects of the situation in Libya, including "proposals for effective ceasefire monitoring under the auspices of the UN".

An in-person briefing, followed by consultations, on South Sudan is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is expected to brief on the Secretary-General's 90-day report on South Sudan while Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy (Viet Nam), chair of the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee, will brief on South Sudan sanctions.

There will be a VTC briefing, followed by VTC consultations, on Wednesday (16 December) on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria. Special Envoy Geir O. Pedersen and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock are the likely briefers.

Also on Wednesday the Council will hear from the outgoing chairs of the 751 Somalia sanctions committee, Working Group on children and armed conflict, 2374 Mali sanctions committee, 1718 DPRK sanctions committee, 1970 Libya sanctions committee, the 1267/1989/2253 sanctions committee, 1988 Afghanistan sanctions committee and the the Ad Hoc Working Group on conflict prevention and resolution in Africa.

On Thursday (17 December), the Council will convene for its quarterly meeting on Afghanistan. The expected briefers are Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani (Indonesia) in his capacity as chair of the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee and Shkula Zadran, Afghanistan's Youth Representative to the UN. 

Additionally, the Security Council will need to renew the mandate of the Monitoring Team assisting the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee before its 17 December expiry.

There will be an in-person open debate on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday (18 December). The president of the ICJ, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, is expected to brief.

In addition, the Council will meet in the chamber to adopt resolutions renewing the mandates of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on Friday.

Regarding subsidiary bodies, the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee will meet on Monday (14 December) for a briefing on the threat of terrorism in Latin America and the Caribbean.

On Tuesday (15 December), the 1540 committee will meet to discuss its 2020 activities and progress made in the Comprehensive Review of the status of the implementation of resolution 1540 on the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. On the same day, the 1970 Libya sanctions committee is also expected to meet.

On Friday (18 December), the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict will hold a formal meeting for the introduction of the Secretary-General's report on children and armed conflict in South Sudan by the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict and  a briefing from UNICEF on its Global Horizontal Note.  

Also on Friday, the Informal Working Group on Documentation and other Procedural Matters will meet to discuss proposals for future action and the Annual Report from the Security Council to the General Assembly.

Additionally, a meeting is scheduled on Friday for the 1267/1989/2253 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee to discuss two reports from the Ombudsperson.

Background information on many of these issues is provided in our December 2020 Monthly Forecast.

Further Council developments will be posted to What's In Blue.

Follow us on Twitter @SCRTweets.

Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Briefing and Consultations on the Situation in Somalia

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14-18 September 2020

Dear Jonathan,

On Monday (14 September), Security Council members will hold their annual open debate on peacekeeping in open videoconference (VTC) format. The debate is in accordance with resolution 2378, which requests the Secretary-General to provide a comprehensive annual briefing on "reform of United Nations peacekeeping" every twelve months and to update the Council on the "continuous efforts made in filling the existing gaps in terms of force generation and capabilities". Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is expected to brief.

On Tuesday (15 September), the Council is scheduled to adopt two resolutions in person: one renewing the mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and another renewing the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Early in the week, Council members may also issue a press statement on intra-Afghan negotiations.

An open VTC, followed by a closed VTC, is planned for Tuesday on Yemen. Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock are expected to brief.

Also on Tuesday, Ambassador Sven J?rgenson of Estonia, the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, is expected to provide the quarterly briefing on the committee's work in an open VTC format.

On Wednesday (16 September), there will be an open VTC, followed by a closed VTC, on South Sudan. Special Representative and head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) David Shearer, Under-Secretary-General Lowcock, and a civil society representative are the anticipated briefers.

There will also be an open VTC, followed by a closed VTC, on Wednesday on the humanitarian situation in Syria. Lowcock is again expected to brief.

On Thursday (17 September), Council members are expected to hold an open debate in open VTC format on the "Humanitarian effects of environmental degradation and its impact on international peace and security". The expected briefers are Peter Maurer, the President of the ICRC; Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD); and UNCCD Land Ambassador Inna Modja.

The Council is scheduled to adopt a resolution on Friday (18 September) renewing the mandate of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD).

Also on Friday, Special Envoy Geir O. Pedersen is expected to brief in an open VTC on the Syria political situation. A closed VTC is scheduled to follow.

Several meetings are planned at the subsidiary body level this week.

On Monday (14 September), the annual joint open briefing of the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida and 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committees is scheduled to take place.

Also on Monday, there will be a closed VTC on the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee that will focus on the final report of the committee's Panel of Experts.

On Wednesday (16 September), an open briefing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee will take place to discuss "Emerging trends in violent extremism conducive to terrorism and addressing violent extremism through a human rights-based approach".

Also on Wednesday, the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee is scheduled to hold a closed VTC for the presentation of a report by the Ombudsperson on a delisting request.

On Thursday (17 September), a closed VTC of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict is scheduled. During the meeting, UNICEF is expected to present its Global Horizontal Note and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba is expected to brief on the impact of COVID-19 on her mandate.

The Counter-Terrorism Committee is holding a closed VTC to be updated on the work of its Executive Directorate (CTED) on Thursday as well.  

Background information on many of these issues is provided in our September 2020 Monthly Forecast.  

Further Council developments will be posted to What's In Blue.

Follow us on Twitter @SCRTweets.

Dear Jon,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Syria: Humanitarian Briefing via VTC

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Mandate Renewal

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30 September 2020

Dear Jonathan,

Security Council Report has published its Monthly Forecast previewing issues likely to be considered in the UN Security Council in October 2020.

This month''s In Hindsight looks at the Security Council''s annual report to the General Assembly and examines whether there are areas, which could stand to be improved. 

Russia holds the presidency in October. Much of the Council's work is likely to remain remote due to COVID-19 restrictions, although an effort is underway to hold several meetings on UN premises.

Russia will hold a debate focusing on a comprehensive review of the peace and security situation in the Persian Gulf region under the agenda item "Maintenance of international peace and security". This signature event appears to have grown out of a concept for the region that Russia proposed in 2019. Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres is a possible briefer.

Two open debates are also anticipated late in the month. The quarterly open debate on "The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question" is expected to feature a briefing by Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov.  There will also be an open debate on Women, Peace and Security; possible briefers include the Secretary-General, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngucka, a female peacekeeper, and a civil society representative. The event will mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325, the Council's first on the topic of women, peace and security. A resolution is a possible outcome.

Three adoptions are currently scheduled for October. The Council expects to adopt a resolution renewing the authorisation for member states to inspect vessels suspected of being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking off the coast of Libya.

The Council intends to adopt a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti in October. Earlier in the month, a briefing is scheduled on Haiti. Also on the Americas, the Council plans to meet on developments in Colombia, including the work of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia.

The mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara will be renewed. Prior to that, Council members will meet on the mission's work and developments in Western Sahara.

Several other African issues are on the programme.  Meetings are anticipated on:

• the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
• the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali;
• the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic; and
• the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei.

Briefings are planned on the work of the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee and the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee.

Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia is also scheduled to provide his biannual briefing to the Council in October on the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region.

In addition to the open debate on the Persian Gulf region and the quarterly open debate on the Middle East, there will be several other meetings on Middle East topics.

The usual monthly meetings on Yemen and on the political, humanitarian, and chemical weapons tracks in Syria are anticipated. The political and humanitarian briefings on Syria are likely to be combined.  Meetings on the UN Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights and the implementation of resolution 1559 (Lebanon) are also scheduled.

The one European issue currently on the programme this month is Kosovo.

Also this month, President of the International Court of Justice Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf will provide the annual briefing to the Council, most likely in a private meeting.

The Council is likely to continue to follow closely developments in Nagorno-Karabakh, among other cases, in October.

Follow us on Twitter @SCRtweets.

The Forecast is available in PDF.

Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Council Meeting on West Africa and the Sahel

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) Mandate Renewal

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Central African Republic: Sanctions Regime Mandate Renewal

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Arria-Formula Meeting on the Peace Process in Afghanistan

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Women in Peacekeeping Operations: Adoption of a Resolution

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7 - 11 December 2020

Dear Jonathan,

On Monday (7 December), the Security Council will hold a briefing, followed by consultations, on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Special Representative and head of MONUSCO Leila Zerrougui is expected to brief.

On Tuesday (8 December), there will be a briefing, followed by consultations, on the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare are the anticipated briefers.

There will also be a videoconference (VTC) meeting with troop-contributing countries from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on Tuesday that will include the participation of Under-Secretary-General Lacroix.

The Council will hold a briefing on Wednesday (9 December) on the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Special Representative and head of UNOCA Fran?ois Lounc?ny Fall is the likely briefer. Consultations are scheduled to follow.

On Thursday (10 December), Council members will also receive the semi-annual briefing of the ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, related to the Court's work on Darfur, in VTC format.

Also on Thursday, there will be a VTC briefing on the work of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD). Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, the Special Adviser and head of UNITAD, is the planned briefer.

On Friday (11 December), there will be a VTC briefing, followed by VTC consultations, on the use of chemical weapons in Syria. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu is expected to brief. Fernando Arias, the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), is a potential briefer as well.

Also on Friday, the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Sven J?rgenson (Estonia), is expected to provide the quarterly briefing on the committee's work, in VTC format.

VTC consultations are anticipated on UNDOF on Friday as well.

At the subsidiary body level, the Military Staff Committee (MSC) is scheduled to meet on Friday (11 December). The meeting is expected to focus on the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and the 2021 programme of work of the MSC.

On Wednesday (9 December), Council members will convene an Arria-formula meeting on "Youth, Peace and Security: Capitalising on Intergenerational Dialogue to build and sustain peace and enhance social cohesion at community levels". It will be organised by South Africa in cooperation with the Dominican Republic, France, Ireland, Kenya, Niger, Norway, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tunisia. The expected briefers are Jayathma Wickramanayake, the Secretary-General''s youth envoy; Aya Chebbi, the AU youth envoy; Ahmed Yasin, peace activist and youth mobiliser at "Palestinian Vision"; and Karabo Mokgonyana, Southern Africa Youth Ambassador for Peace.  

Background information on many of these issues is provided in our December 2020 Monthly Forecast.

Further Council developments will be posted to What's In Blue.

Follow us on Twitter @SCRTweets.

Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Security Council Videoconference on Mali Socio-Political Crisis

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Open Debate: Strengthening Cooperation between the Security Council and the International Court of Justice

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Democratic Republic of the Congo: MONUSCO Mandate Renewal

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Open VTC Debate on Cooperation between the UN and the International Organization of La Francophonie

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30 June 2020

Dear Jonathan,

Security Council Report has published its Monthly Forecast previewing issues likely to be considered in the UN Security Council in July 2020.

This month''s In Hindsight looks at the Council''s first six months of 2020.

Germany has the presidency of the Security Council in July. While the Security Council is expected to continue to work largely remotely, Germany appears keen to have some meetings in the Council chamber if circumstances allow.

There are five open debates planned for July. During this period of remote meetings, open debates have been held as open videoconferences (VTCs), and statements by non-Council members have been submitted in writing.

Early in the month a high-level open debate on pandemics and security is anticipated. German Foreign Minisiter Heiko Maas will chair the meeting. The anticipated briefers are UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer, and Amira Elfadil Mohammed Elfadil, Commissioner for Social Affairs of the AU.

A high-level open debate is also planned to discuss peacekeeping and human rights. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, German Federal Minister of Defence, will chair the meeting. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Special Representative for South Sudan and head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) David Shearer, and a civil society representative are expected to brief.

Germany also plans to hold a ministerial-level open debate on climate and security in late July. The annual open debate on conflict-related sexual violence will also be held in July at ministerial level, focusing on accountability and the implementation of a survivor-centred approach. The Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, is expected to brief together with a civil society representative. Finally, there will be the regular quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, with Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov expected to brief.

At least four adoptions are scheduled in July. The Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), which expires on 15 July. An adoption is also expected to renew the 2127 Central African Republic sanctions regime and the mandate of its Panel of Experts. The mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is expected to be renewed before the end of the month. Also expected is the adoption of a resolution on small arms, whose draft was introduced by Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Germany and Niger and circulated to Council members in June. Meetings may furthermore need to be scheduled to vote on draft resolutions re-authorising the cross-border/cross-line aid delivery in Syria and climate and security.

Regarding Middle East issues, on Syria open and closed VTCs on the political and humanitarian situation and a closed VTC on the use of chemical weapons are anticipated. Open and closed VTCs on developments in Yemen are also planned.

On African issues, there will be open and closed VTCs on Libya as well as on Libya sanctions. Open and closed VTCs will also be held on the Secretary-General's semi-annual report on West Africa and the Sahel.

Members will receive the quarterly briefing on developments in Colombia in an open VTC, followed by a closed VTC discussion.

Ahead of the renewal of UNFICYP's mandate, members will be briefed in a closed VTC on recent developments in Cyprus.

The semi-annual briefing on the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia's activities will take place in a closed VTC.

Members will be watching developments in Myanmar, Iran and Afghanistan as well as on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and additional meetings may be added if necessary.

Follow us on Twitter @SCRTweets.

The Forecast is available in PDF.

Dear Jonathan Harvey,

A new story has been published in What''s in Blue on:

Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: Open Debate

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30 November 2020

Dear Jonathan,

Security Council Report has published its Monthly Forecast previewing issues likely to be considered in the UN Security Council in December 2020.

This month''s In Hindsight looks back at the signature events for 2020.  

South Africa has the presidency in December. Members are monitoring the pandemic situation in New York, and if conditions allow, some meetings may be held in UN headquarters. 

There will be a ministerial-level debate on "Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace: Security Sector Governance and Reform". South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, will preside over the meeting, which will be held via VTC. AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Sma?l Chergui is expected to brief, and several member states that are on the Council agenda and that have undertaken SSR processes, including Colombia, the CAR, the DRC and Iraq, are expected to participate. A resolution is the proposed outcome. 

South Africa is also organising a high-level VTC debate on cooperation between the UN and the AU peace and security architectures. President Cyril Ramaphosa (who also heads the AU in 2020) is expected to chair the debate, and UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres and AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat will brief. A presidential or press statement is a possible outcome.

As its third signature event, South Africa has chosen to have a briefing on "the promotion and strengthening of the rule of law, focusing on strengthening the cooperation between the Security Council and the International Court of Justice". The president of the ICJ, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, is expected to brief. 

Regarding other African issues, an adoption is anticipated to renew the mandate of MONUSCO in the DRC, with a briefing and consultations ahead of the renewal. An adoption is also scheduled to renew counter-piracy measures in Somalia. 

There are several meetings related to Sudan and South Sudan this month. On South Sudan, there will be a briefing and consultations on the activities of UNMISS, as well as a briefing by the chair of the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee. 

On Sudan, members will have the quarterly briefing by the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee and semi-annual briefing on the ICC's work by the Prosecutor. The Council is also expected to receive a briefing on UNITAMS and UNAMID. 

The Council is expected to focus on Central Africa in December, with a briefing and consultations scheduled on the semi-annual report on UNOCA and the implementation of the UN regional strategy to combat the Lord's Resistance Army.

Regarding Middle East issues there will be consultations on UNDOF in the Golan Heights, which expires on 31 December. 

On Iran, the Council is scheduled to receive the Secretary-General's report on the implementation of resolution 2231, which in 2015 endorsed the JCPOA on Iran's nuclear programme. Briefings are expected from the Joint Commission, established by the parties to the JCPOA to oversee its implementation, and from the Council's 2231 facilitator, Ambassador Philippe Kridelka (Belgium), Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, and a representative of the EU in its capacity as coordinator of the Joint Commission. 

The regular?meetings?on?Syria,?Yemen?and the situation in the?Middle East, including the Palestinian Question,?are also on the?December?programme?of work.?On Syria, there will be an open and closed meeting covering the political and humanitarian situations and possibly both an open and?closed meeting?on the use of chemical weapons. The meetings on developments in?Yemen?and on the situation in the Middle East?are also planned in both open and closed format.??

A briefing by Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, the Special Adviser and head of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD), is also anticipated. 

Regarding Asian issues, the quarterly meeting on Afghanistan is expected. 

The semi-annual debate on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals will take place in December.

There will also be the annual briefing by outgoing subsidiary body chairs, reviewing their experience and developments during their term as chairs of committees or working groups.

Meetings may be scheduled for adoptions on possible presidential statements to lift the obligation of regular briefings on Burundi and to mark the 31 December end of UNIOGBIS in Guinea-Bissau.   

The Council will also be watching developments in Ethiopia, Western Sahara and Nagorno-Karabakh.

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The Forecast is available in PDF.

19 -23 October 2020

Dear Jonathan,

On Monday (19 October), there will be a briefing, followed by consultations, on the Central African Republic. Special Representative for the Central African Republic and head of MINUSCA Mankeur Ndiaye; Matias Bertino Matondo, AU Special Representative and head of the AU Office in the Central African Republic; and Koen Vervaeke, Managing Director for Africa at the European External Action Service, are to brief.

Council members will also discuss Nagorno-Karabakh in consultations on Monday. A representative from the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs is expected to brief. A presidential statement is a potential outcome.

On Tuesday (20 October), the Council will hold a debate via videoconference on: "Comprehensive review of the situation in the Persian Gulf region". Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to preside. Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres; Robert Malley, the President and CEO of International Crisis Group; and Vitaly Naumkin, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, are the anticipated briefers.

There will be a briefing on the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) on Wednesday (21 October). Special Representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Zahir Tanin is the anticipated briefer.

On Thursday (22 October), the Council will convene a briefing, followed by consultations, on the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and Sudan/South Sudan. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Parfait Onanga-Anyanga are the anticipated briefers.

During the week, Council members will continue negotiating a resolution on women, peace and security initiated by Russia.

At the subsidiary body level, a meeting of the 1540 Sanctions Committee, which deals with the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, is planned for Wednesday (21 October).  

Background information on many of these issues is provided in our October 2020 Monthly Forecast.  

Further Council developments will be posted to What's In Blue.

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Dear Jonathan Harvey,

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17 - 21 August 2020

Dear Jonathan,

On Tuesday (18 August), the Security Council is scheduled to hold a videoconference (VTC) meeting on Yemen. Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock, and General Abhijit Guha, the head of the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement, are the expected briefers.

On Wednesday (19 August), there is an open VTC, followed by a closed VTC, on the Syria political situation. Special Envoy Geir O. Pedersen is expected to brief.

The Council is expected to hold an in-person briefing, followed by consultations, on Somalia on Thursday (20 August) in the ECOSOC chamber. Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) James Swan and AU Special Representative Francisco Madeira are the anticipated briefers.

Council members are expected to continue negotiating two resolutions initiated by Indonesia: one on the prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of foreign terrorist fighters, and another on women in peacekeeping operations.

Several meetings are planned at the subsidiary body level.

On Monday (17 August), an open VTC meeting of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) will take place. The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) will present its updated "Technical guide to the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions" to the CTC and the wider UN membership.

The Central African Republic 2127 Sanctions Committee will hold a VTC meeting on Monday to discuss the final report of the Panel of Experts.

On Tuesday (18 August), there will be a VTC meeting of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee during which the Panel of Experts is expected to present its mid-term report.

Another VTC meeting of the CTC might take place on Thursday (20 August).

On Friday (21 August), a meeting of the Military Staff Committee is planned. It is expected to focus on the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

A meeting of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions (IWG) is also scheduled for Friday. The IWG is expected to discuss the issue of replacing chairs of subsidiary bodies, among other matters.  

Background information on these and other issues is provided in our August 2020 Monthly Forecast. 

Further Council developments will be posted to What's In Blue.

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24 - 28 August 2020

Dear Jonathan,

On Monday, (24 August), Security Council members will hold an open videoconference (VTC) on the Secretary-General's 11th strategic-level report on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or Da'esh) under the agenda item "Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts". Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, the head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), and Assistant Secretary-General Mich?le Coninsx, the Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), are expected to brief. A resolution on the prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of foreign terrorist fighters, initiated by Indonesia, might be adopted during the week.

There will be an open VTC, followed by a closed VTC, on Tuesday (25 August) on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov is the anticipated briefer.

On Wednesday (26 August), Council members will hold an open VTC and closed VTC on the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Special Representative and head of UNAMI Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert is expected to brief.

An open VTC, followed by a closed VTC, is scheduled for Thursday (27 August) on the humanitarian situation in Syria. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock is the anticipated briefer.

A closed VTC of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee is also planned for Thursday. Ambassador Christoph Heusgen (Germany) is expected to brief Council members on the 90-day report on the committee's work.

Three adoptions are scheduled for Friday (28 August). The Council is expected to renew the mandates of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), as well as the mandate of the Mali sanctions regime and Panel of Experts.

At some point during the week, Council members might also adopt a resolution initiated by Indonesia on women in peacekeeping operations.

There may be a meeting on Iran this week as well.

A number of meetings are planned at the subsidiary level. On Monday (24 August), the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict is expected to hold a closed VTC with the Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR) in Afghanistan.

On Tuesday (25 August), there will be a closed VTC of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee.

On Wednesday (26 August), the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict will again hold a closed VTC to discuss the report on the Philippines.  

Background information on many of these issues is provided in our August 2020 Monthly Forecast. 

Further Council developments will be posted to What's In Blue.

Follow us on Twitter @SCRTweets.

Dear Jonathan Harvey,

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