Week 48, 6-10 December 2021

Recent developments at the UNSC

• At a Security Council briefing on UN Peacekeeping and Lebanon with Jean Pierre Lacroix on 29 November 2021, Ireland condemned all violations of Lebanese sovereignty and called on all non-state actors to disarm.
• In a Security Council meeting on the Palestinian Question on 30 November 2021, Ireland expressed its opposition to Israel’s illegal policy of settlement expansion and expressed concern at the designation of 6 Palestinian NGOs as terrorist entities.
• Mexico completed its Security Council Presidency on 30 November and handed the reins over to Niger for the month of December 2021.
• The Security Council received briefings from three committees on their joint efforts to counter terrorism on 2 December 2021. Ireland underscored the importance of cooperation between the three committees.
• The Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to renew counter-piracy measures in Somalia on 3 December 2021.

Monday – 6^th December

• Security Council briefing and consultations on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the DRC sanctions regime. Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) Bintou Keita and the chair of the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Abdou Abarry (Niger), are expected to brief.

Tuesday – 7^th December

• UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi is expected to brief the Security Council on the situation of refugees in several country-specific situations on the Security Council’s agenda.
• The Security Council is also expected to meet with troop contributing countries of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights.

Wednesday – 8^th December

• Briefing and consultations on the chemical weapons track in Syria. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu is expected to brief.

Thursday – 9^th December

• High-level open debate on “Security in the context of terrorism and climate change”. Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum is scheduled to chair the meeting. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat are expected to brief.

Friday – 10^th December

• Security Council will receive a briefing on the Secretary-General’s 90-day report on the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). Special Representative for Sudan and head of UNITAMS Volker Perthes is expected to brief.