Ireland and the UN Security Council - This Week: Week 7

Week 7: 15-19 February 2021

British lawyer Karim Khan was elected as the new prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Friday for a nine year term, which will begin on June 16 this year, as Fatou Bensouda steps down after an 8 year tenure.
Myanmar’s military leaders have extended their detention of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi until 17 February, when she will likely appear in Court via videoconference. Protesters continued to gather across Myanmar on Monday following a night in which authorities cut the country’s internet access and increased the security presence in major cities. Following on from the special meeting on Myanmar held by the Security Council on 2 February, UN Chief, Antonio Guterres, issued a statement on Sunday calling on the military and police to ensure that the right of peaceful assembly is “fully respected” and demonstrators are “not subjected to reprisals”.
The Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation, Alex de Waal, called on Ireland to use its Security Council seat to speak out for the voiceless starving in Ethiopia in an Irish Times piece published this morning.

Monday – 15^th February

Tuesday – 16^th February

Briefing from Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), on the most recent developments in Iraq and on the two latest Secretary-General’s reports on UNAMI and on the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property, including the national archives.

Wednesday – 17^th February

Open debate focusing on equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in contexts affected by conflict and insecurity. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will chair the meeting. Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF; Seth Berkley, CEO of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance; and Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are expected to brief.

Thursday – 18^th February

Briefing on Yemen from Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock. Ambassador I. Rhonda King (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) is also expected to brief in her capacity as the chair of the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee.

Friday – 19^th February