Week 98, 21 – 25 November 2022

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 Security Council was briefed on police components of UN peacekeeping operations. The UN General Assembly held its annual debate on Security Council reform, during which UN Member States called for urgent restructuring of the 15-member organ. Meetings were also held on Libya, Ukraine and Mali.

• On 14 November 2022, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2660 (2022), renewing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), for a period of twelve months.
• On 14 November 2022, the Security Council adopted resolution 2659 (2022), extending the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) until 15 November 2023.
• On 14 November 2022, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, briefed the Council on police components of UN peacekeeping operations. He highlighted that steps are being taken to strengthen gender-responsive policing efforts to ensure the different security needs of women, men, girls and boys are considered, including through a robust network of gender advisers and police gender focal points.  He highlighted that with support from Member States, the UN police has already achieved its gender parity targets for 2025, with women currently comprising almost 1 in 5 United Nations police officers. Ireland underscored that police must offer support and training to host Governments, to civil society, including women’s networks, as well as to police and security sector actors, as this will enable the development of mechanisms and environments that engage and protect local communities, including women, in a bid to build sustainable peace

 

Jean-Pierre Lacroix

• On 15 November 2022, Abdoulaye Bathily, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), briefed the Council. He outlined the human rights situation in the country, which remains alarming and called on Libyan authorities and neighbouring countries to uphold international standards related to safe search and rescue practices for migrants and refugees. Ireland also called on Libya’s leaders to come together and agree on a constitutional basis towards free, fair and inclusive elections as soon as possible.
• On 16 November 2022, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations briefed the Council on the activities of the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel) and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). She reported that the situation in the region has continued to deteriorate, with indiscriminate violence by terrorists compounding an already disastrous humanitarian situation.  Ireland pointed out that political divergences between the G5 Sahel member States have negatively affected the operationalisation of the Joint Force and noted concern over the Wagner Group’s presence. Ireland further underlined that women, youth and civil society must be at the front and centre of these processes, highlighting the need to address the dire humanitarian situation and the impacts of the climate crisis

Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee

• In a briefing on 16 November 2022, Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, told the Council that in the past few days Ukrainians have been subjected to some of the most intense bombardments of the nine-month-old war. She reported that, as of 14 November 2022, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded 16,631 civilian casualties, totalling 6,557 persons killed and 10,074 injured since the start of the aggression.  She voiced concern about the loss of electricity, hampered humanitarian efforts, allegations of atrocities and human rights violations and a looming food crisis in the country. Ireland strongly emphasised that parties to the conflict must comply with international humanitarian law, including the obligation to take all feasible precautions and the prohibitions against indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks.

Rosemary DiCarlo

• On 17 November 2022, the UN General Assembly opened its annual debate on Security Council reform. Member states renewed their appeals for enlarging the 15-member organ and updating its working methods to make it more transparent, inclusive, representative, accountable and effective in a world gripped by a cascade of interlocking crises. At the concluding debate, on 18 November 2022, Ireland stated that the Council no longer reflects the make-up of the United Nations and the realities of the world today. Ireland called for smaller nations, including small island developing States, to have a role at the UN that reflects the seriousness and urgency of their situations and emphasised that Council reform, big or small, is urgently need, now more than ever.

 

 

The Week Ahead (21 -25 November 2022)

This week, the Security Council will receive its annual briefing from the chairs of the 1267, 1373 and 1540 Committees. An Informal Interactive Dialogue (IID) on the Syria Humanitarian file is scheduled. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, will report on piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea and the Council will meet for briefing and consultations on Yemen.

Monday – 21 November 2022

• The Council will receive its annual briefing from the chairs of the 1267, 1373 and 1540 Committees. The briefers will be Ambassador Heimerback (Norway), Chair of the 1267 Committee, concerning ISIL (Da'esh), Al-Qaida; Ambassador Kamboj (India), Chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC); and Ambassador de la Fuente (Mexico), Chair of the 1540 Committee, which focuses on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
• An Informal Interactive Dialogue (IID) on the Syria Humanitarian file is scheduled, the second such IID under resolution 2642, which was adopted in July. The IID aims to review and follow up on the implementation of resolution 2642, including progress in early recovery projects and cross line assistance.

Tuesday – 22 November 2022

• The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, will report on piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea and its underlying causes, as mandated by Resolution 2634 (2022).
• The Council will meet for briefing and consultations on Yemen.

Wednesday – 23 November 2022

• No official meetings.

Thursday – 24 November 2022

• No official meetings.

Friday – 18 November 2022

• No official meetings.