Programme of Work for April 2024
Malta is the president of the Security Council in April. Council members adopted the provisional programme of work for the month earlier today (1 April).
As one of the signature events of its presidency, Malta will organise a debate on the role of young people in addressing security challenges in the Mediterranean under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item. Ian Borg, Malta’s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, is expected to chair the meeting. A UN Secretariat official, Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean Nasser Kamel, and a civil society representative are expected to brief.
The second signature event this month is a briefing on children and armed conflict titled “Addressing the consequences of the denial of humanitarian access for children”. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations Ted Chaiban, and a civil society representative are the expected briefers.
The annual open debate on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) will be held in April. Maltese Deputy Prime Minister Christopher Fearne will chair the meeting, which is expected to focus on preventing CRSV through demilitarisation and gender-responsive arms control. The anticipated briefers are Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten and a civil society representative.
The Security Council will also hold its annual briefing on the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Borg will brief in his capacity as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.
The other European issue that will be discussed this month is Kosovo. Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Caroline Ziadeh is expected to brief on recent developments in Kosovo and UNMIK’s work.
As in past months, there are likely to be one or more meetings on Ukraine in April.
The quarterly open debate on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question” will also be held in April. Borg is expected to chair the meeting, at which Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to brief. This month, the Security Council also expects to receive a briefing from Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator (SHRC) for Gaza Sigrid Kaag in line with resolution 2720 of 22 December 2023. Additional meetings on this file may be convened depending on developments in Israel and Gaza. In this regard, at today’s press conference on April’s programme of work, Ambassador Vanessa Frazier (Malta) noted that Jordan had sent a letter requesting a ministerial-level meeting on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The meeting is likely to be scheduled for 17 April. Additionally, at France’s request, Council members held closed consultations this morning to discuss a French-proposed draft resolution on the war between Israel and Hamas.
Several other Middle Eastern issues will be discussed in April.
The monthly briefing and consultations on Yemen are expected to feature briefings by UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg, OCHA Director of Operations and Advocacy Edem Wosornu, and a civil society representative. Head of the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) Major General Michael Beary is expected to brief in consultations.
The monthly meeting on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria will include briefings by Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen, OCHA Head in Geneva and Director of the Coordination Division Ramesh Rajasingham, and a representative of the relief agency Malteser International.
Several African issues are on the programme this month.
The Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) ahead of its 30 April expiry. (On 14 March, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2726, a short technical rollover of UNMISS’ mandate).
A briefing, followed by consultations, is planned on the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and developments in Libya, as well as on the work of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of UNSMIL Abdoulaye Bathily is expected to brief on UNSMIL, while Ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki (Japan) may brief in his capacity as chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee.
Consultations on the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the situation in Western Sahara are planned for April. The anticipated briefers are Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara Staffan de Mistura and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara and Head of MINURSO Alexander Ivanko.
A briefing, followed by consultations, is planned on the Great Lakes region. Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia is expected to provide the biannual briefing on the implementation of the 2013 Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework (PSC-F) for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region. Briefings are also expected from OCHA’s Director of the Humanitarian Financing and Resource Mobilization Division Lisa Doughten and a civil society representative.
Two issues in the Americas are featured on this month’s programme.
There will be an open briefing on Colombia and the work of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia. Special Representative and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia Carlos Ruiz Massieu and a civil society representative are expected to brief. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.
The Council will also hold its 90-day briefing on the situation in Haiti. Special Representative and Head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) María Isabel Salvador will brief on recent political, security, and humanitarian developments in the country and on the Secretary-General’s latest report on BINUH. In addition, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell is expected to brief in her capacity as designated Principal Advocate on Haiti for the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the UN’s high-level humanitarian coordination platform.
Other issues could be raised during the month, depending on developments.
