Week 53, 10-14 January 2022

Recent developments at the UNSC

• The Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2612 on 20 December 2021, which extends the MONUSCO (DRC) mandate until December 2022.
• The Security Council renewed UNDOF’s mandate for 6 months on 21 December 2021. Ireland is a strong supporter of UNDOF and provides 135 Irish personnel to the Mission.
• Special co-ordinator for the Middle East peace process, Tor Wennesland, presented his report on Resolution 2334 to Security Council members on 21 December. Ireland took the opportunity to condemn terrorism and the disproportionate use of force by Israeli Security Forces.
• The Security Council adopted Resolution 2615 to facilitate the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need in Afghanistan on 22 December 2021. Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason insisted on holding the Taliban to account.
• Retired Major General Michael Beary of Ireland was appointed as Head of the United Nations Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement and Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) by the UN Secretary General on 23 December 2021.
• The Security Council adopted a Press Statement on the situation in Myanmar on 29 December 2021, which called for accountability following the reported killing of at least 35 people on 24 December 2021.
• Five Member States finished their terms as elected members of the Security Council on 31 December 2021: Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, and Vietnam.
• Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason wrote about Ireland’s first year on the Security Council for Passblue on 30 December 2021.
• Five new elected members joined the Security Council on 1 January 2022: Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the UAE.
• Norway took up the Presidency of the Security Council for the month on 1 January 2022.

Monday – 10^th January  

• The Security Council will convene for an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on the activities of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). The expected briefers are Special Representative and head of UNOWAS Mahamat Saleh Annadif, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Ghada Fathi Waly, and a civil society representative.
• Security Council members will hold closed consultations on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), at the request of Albania, France, Ireland, the UK and the US. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Khaled Khiari is the anticipated briefer.

Tuesday – 11^th January

• Briefing and consultations on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Special Representative and head of MINUSMA El-Ghassim Wane will brief. A civil society representative is also expected to brief.

Wednesday – 12^th January

• The Security Council will hold an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on Yemen. The anticipated briefers are Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg, Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ramesh Rajasingham and a civil society representative.
• Discussion on the situation in Sudan under “any other business”. Special Representative and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes is expected to brief.
• The Security Council will hold a meeting with troop-contributing countries of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Special Representative and head of UNFICYP Colin Stewart and UNFICYP Force Commander Major General Ingrid Gjerde are the anticipated briefers.

Thursday – 13^th January

• Norway will organise a Security Council President’s retreat at which Security Council members will hold an informal closed discussion on the theme “Preventive diplomacy and mediation”.

Friday – 14^th January

• No official meetings.