Week 76, 20 – 24 June 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, the second signature event of the Albanian Presidency, an Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, took place. The President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals delivered his final briefing to the Council, and meetings took place on Mali, Yemen and Haiti. The Council also held its annual meeting on EU-UN co-operation.

• On 13 June 2022, El-Ghassim Wane, Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), briefed the Security Council regarding the deteriorating security, humanitarian, and human rights situation in Mali. He called on the Security Council to extend MINUSMA’s mandate for one year, stressing the importance of the mission. Ireland underlined that 1 in 4 Malian people are facing food insecurity in the country and called for a return to constitutional order. Ireland reiterated the importance of regional co-operation and expressed regret about the exit of Mali from the G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger), a move made in protest over the refusal that was made to Mali to assume the presidency of the regional organisation.

El-Ghassim Wane

• Judge Carmel Agius, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), delivered his last briefing to the Council on 14 June 2022, before he steps down at the end of June. He outlined recent developments regarding the remaining cases of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) detailing that during his term he has issued seventy-two decisions and orders, leaving only two recently filed matters to be dealt with by his successor. Serge Brammertz, Prosecutor of the IRMCT, underlined that in the last two years, his office has accounted for half of the fugitives who remained at large following the closure of the ICTR. Ireland urged all States to cooperate fully with and assist the IRMCT in its efforts to arrest and surrender remaining fugitives.
• The Council was briefed by Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, who reported that the truce has been holding in Yemen for two and a half months. The parties recently extended the truce until 2 August 2022, and it continues to hold in military terms, which has led to a significant reduction in civilian casualties. Ireland commended this achievement and hailed the first steps towards re-opening roads in Taïz, the closures of which have been described as a hostile environment for humanitarian and medical workers. Ireland called for the prioritisation of mine clearance, urging the international community to address funding gaps, and further called for support for an inclusive, Yemeni-led political settlement, under United Nations auspices.
• The second signature event of the Albanian June Presidency of the Council took place on 15 June 2022 in the form of an Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security. Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), briefed the Council on the role of regional organisations in implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the face of political turmoil. Stella Ronner-Grubačić, Ambassador for Gender and Diversity of the European Union, underlined that women continue to be left out of the political dialogue about their countries’ future in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan, Yemen or Syria. Ireland emphasized that disregarding gender and women only results in illusory peace and stability.

Sima Sami Bahous

• The Council held its annual meeting on EU-UN cooperation on 16 June 2022. Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, told the Council that despite the growing deficit in multilateralism, exacerbated by the rise of power politics, the European Union remains mobilized to work closely with the United Nations. Albania’s Foreign Minister, Olta Xhaçka, stated that Moscow’s aggression against Ukraine poses a challenge to the values of freedom, democracy and justice that bind Europeans together. Ireland reaffirmed its commitment to EU-UN relations and further underscored that both the UN and the EU have a crucial role to play in ensuring a rapid and effective response to the deepening global food security crisis driven by the Russian Federation’s “senseless” war in Ukraine.

Josep Borrell

• On 16 June 2022, Helen La Lime, Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), informed the Council that gangs are tightening their control over swathes of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. She further outlined that the stalled investigation into the assassination of the late President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse, epitomizes the deeply entrenched issues affecting Haiti’s justice system. Ireland noted that that Haitian people’s lived reality is one of constant intimidation, violence and terror, and further expressed concern about the failed judicial system and the resulting impunity. Ireland also called on the Council to ensure that BINUH has adequate resources to fulfil its mandate.

The Week Ahead (20 – 24 June 2022)

This week, the Security Council will hold briefings on South Sudan, Syria, the Golan Heights, the Central African Republic, and Afghanistan. Ireland will also host an Arria-formula meeting to mark the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute.

Monday – 20 June 2022

• The Council will hold a briefing and consultations on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Nicholas Haysom, will brief the Council.
• The Council will hold a briefing and consultations on Syria. Under-Secretary-General for humanitarian affairs, Martin Griffiths, is expected to brief on the progress and challenges in implementing Resolution 2585.

Tuesday – 21 June 2022

• The Council will hold closed consultations on UNDOF (Golan Heights), ahead of the expected mandate renewal at the end of the month. The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, is expected to brief.

Wednesday – 22 June 2022

• The Council will hold a briefing and consultations on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

Thursday – 23 June 2022

• The Council will hold a briefing and consultations on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Deborah Lyons, and Under-Secretary-General, Martin Griffiths, are expected to brief.

Friday – 24 June 2022

• Ireland will host an Arria-formula meeting to mark the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute, reflecting on the relationship between the ICC and the Security Council.