Week 66, 11 – 15 April 2022

Ireland and the UN Security Council – This Week

This bulletin will provide a brief analysis of last week’s meetings at the UN Security Council (UNSC), and an overview of the upcoming meetings this week.

Last week, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressed the Security Council for the first time, giving an impassioned address detailing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia’s Arria-formula meeting, on threats to international peace and security emanating from military biological activities in regions across the globe, was criticised by Ireland, and fellow Council members, as an attempt to propagate baseless and unfounded claims against Ukraine and the United States. Another important development elsewhere in the UN, was the adoption of  a resolution in the UN General Assembly suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, which was co-sponsored by Ireland.

• The Security Council issued two Press Statements on 4 April 2022, welcoming the two-month truce announcement in Yemen, and condemning the cross-border terrorist attacks by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia on 20 March and 25 March.
• On 4 April 2022, Ambassador Barbara Woodward, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the UN, briefed on the programme of work for the Council during the UK’s presidency, in the month of April. She also outlined the priority areas for the UK’s presidency, which are the threat to global peace and security posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, accountability for victims of conflict-related sexual violence, and delivering vaccines to people in conflict zones.
• Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, gave an impassioned address to the Security Council on 5 April 2022, detailing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Ireland called for accountability and justice for the victims and survivors of this war.
• The Security Council adopted a Press Statement on 5 April 2022 strongly condemning the recent attack on the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
• Russia held an Arria-formula meeting on 6 April 2022 on threats to international peace and security emanating from military biological activities in regions across the globe. Ireland joined several fellow members in denouncing the meeting as an attempt by Russia to mask the awful cost of its unprovoked war on Ukraine with baseless and unfounded claims against Ukraine and the United States.
• Ireland co-sponsored a resolution which was successfully adopted in the United Nations General Assembly on 7 April 2022, suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council. Ireland welcomed the decision, and stated that Russia's brutal and unlawful actions in Ukraine have made a mockery of their responsibility to uphold the highest standards of human rights.
• In a Security Council meeting on Mali, on 7 April 2022, Ireland expressed deep concern over increasing reports of killings of civilians, human rights violations and abuses, and continued violations of international humanitarian law in Mali.

The Week Ahead (11-15 April 2022)

This week, as part of the UK’s Presidency of the Security Council for the month of April 2022, the first of the UK Presidency’s signature events will be a briefing on the implementation of Resolutions 2532 (2020) and 2565 (2021) on the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council will hold its last scheduled meeting on Colombia before the Presidential elections in May. The UK’s second signature event will also take place, the Council’s annual open debate on preventing Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), which will focus on strengthening accountability and addressing impunity.

Monday – 11 April 2022

• The Council will hold a briefing on the implementation of Resolutions 2532 (2020) and 2565 (2021), on the COVID 19 pandemic  which called on all parties to armed conflicts to engage immediately in an extensive, and sustained humanitarian pause to facilitate the equitable, safe and unhindered delivery and distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations in areas of armed conflict. This is the first of the UK Presidency’s signature events and Ted Chaiban, UN Global Lead Coordinator for COVID-19 Vaccine Country-Readiness and Delivery, will deliver the briefing, along with a civil society representative.

Tuesday – 12 April 2022

• The Council will hold a briefing and consultations on Colombia, SRSG Ruiz Massieu is expected to brief on the UN-backed peace process, and upholding the gains of that peace process, which was achieved by both national endeavour and international cooperation.

Wednesday – 13 April 2022

• The Council will hold its annual open debate on preventing Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), with a focus on strengthening accountability and addressing impunity. This is the second of the UK Presidency’s signature events, and will be chaired by Lord Ahmad, the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and human rights activist, Nadia Murad, will address the UNSC on this occasion.

Thursday – 14 April 2022

• The Council will hold closed consultations on Yemen. The SG’s Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, will brief on his ongoing consultations. Assistant Secretary-General (ASG), Joyce Msuya, of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is also expected to speak.

Friday – 15 April 2022

• No official meetings.