Week 22: 31 May - 4 June 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• Estonia assumes the Presidency of the Security Council on Tuesday 1 June 2021. Members also expect to adopt the provisional programme of work for June on Tuesday.
• In a Security Council meeting on Israel-Palestine on Thursday 27 May 2021, Ireland called on the UNSC to shoulder its responsibility and support Israelis and Palestinians to end the terrible cycle of violence.
• The Security Council unanimously renewed the mandate of the UN Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Thursday 27 May 2021.
• Ireland, Estonia, France, Belgium, Germany, Norway, the UK and the US held a stakeout on the situation in Belarus on Wednesday 26 May 2021 and called for the immediate release of Roman Protasevich and Ms Sapega.
• Ireland and Norway delivered a joint statement as co-penholders on the Syrian humanitarian access file in a meeting on Syria on Wednesday 26 May 2021.
• Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason expressed Ireland’s concern at the continued use of explosive weapons in populated areas at the Security Council open debate on Protection of Civilians on Tuesday 25 May 2021.
• Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason took Ireland’s seat at the UNSC for the first time in a Security Council briefing on Somalia on Tuesday 25 May 2021 and welcomed the resumption of talks in Mogadishu which aim to end the political impasse.
• The Security Council agreed a Presidential Statement on the Safety and Security of Peacekeepers on Monday 24 June 2021.

Monday – 31^st May

• UN official holiday

Tuesday – 1^st June

• Estonia assumes the Presidency of the Security Council for June 2021 and the UNSC adopts the provisional programme of work for the month.

Wednesday – 2^nd June

• The Informal Working Group on International Tribunals will hold a closed meeting at subsidiary body level.
• Arria formula meeting organised by Niger on “strengthening an integrated approach to peace and security in the Sahel through a gendered lens”.

Thursday – 3^rd June

• Vote on two draft resolutions: one renewing the mandate of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) and another renewing the authorisation for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya, bound to or from the country, that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo.
• Briefing on the Syria chemical weapons track. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu will brief. The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Fernando Arias, may also be invited to brief.
• Briefing on Yemen which will focus on the FSO SAFER oil tanker. The expected briefers are the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, Inger Andersen, and OCHA’s Director of Operations and Advocacy, Reena Ghelani. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the briefing.

Friday – 4^th June

• The 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee, which is chaired by Ireland, will hold a closed meeting to discuss its Panel of Expert’s interim report.