SECURITY COUNCIL REPORT Monthly Aug 2012 1 August 2012 This report is available online and can beFORECAST viewed together with research studies and Update Reports at www.securitycouncilreport.org. For daily insights by SCR on evolving Security Council actions please subscribe to our “What’s In Blue” series at www.whatsinblue.org or follow @SCRtweets on Twitter. Overview Contents of This Issue France will preside over the Security Coun- Briefings in consultations are likely on: UNSMIS (Syria) 1 cil in August. n issues of concern, by the Department of Status Update since our July Political Affairs (reviving the practice of Forecast 2 There will be one debate during the month, “horizon scanning”); on Kosovo and the work of the UN Mission Lebanon 5 n Sudan and South Sudan, twice, by the in Kosovo (UNMIK). Sudan and South Sudan 6 Secretariat in line with resolution 2046 Briefings, to be followed by consultations, that calls for briefings every 15 days; Somalia 8 are expected on: n the UN Interim Security Force in Abyei Mali 10 (UNISFA) and the Secretary-General’s n the UN Supervision Mission in Syria Kosovo 12 (UNSMIS), most likely by the head of UN most recent report; DPRK (North Korea) 13 peacekeeping, Hervé Ladsous and pos- n the work of the UN Regional Centre for sibly also by the UN-Arab League Joint Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia UNRCCA (Central Asia) 15 Special Envoy Kofi Annan; (UNRCCA), by its head, Miroslav Jena; Notable Dates 16 n the Middle East, by the Secretariat; and and n options for possible steps to ensure the n the work of the Democratic People’s n Syria, prior to the 19 August expiry of the full restoration of constitutional order in Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions mandate of UNSMIS; and and territorial integrity of Mali, possibly Committee by its Chair, Ambassador n Somalia, right after the scheduled 20 the Deputy Secretary-General, and likely José Filipe Moraes Cabral (Portugal). August political transition in the country. also by representatives of the AU and the In addition, consultations are planned on: Economic Community of West African A formal session will be needed to adopt a n the UN Interim Force in Lebanon States (ECOWAS). resolution renewing the mandate of UNIFIL. (UNIFIL); UNSMIS (Syria) Envoy Kofi Annan would also brief and On 11 July, Council members were briefed whether the UNSMIS mandate would be by Annan on his mediation efforts, including Expected Council Action renewed for a further period. his 9 July meeting with Syrian President The mandate of the UN Supervision Mis- Bashar al-Assad. Annan said neither the Key Recent Developments sion in Syria (UNSMIS) ends on 19 August. government nor the opposition had The overall level of violence in Syria has The Council will hold two rounds of consul- embraced his six-point plan and asked continued to escalate, with the government tations on UNSMIS in August which will Council members to endorse the Action increasing its military operations in popula- likely focus on the Secretary-General’s Group communiqué of 30 June and insist on tion centres and armed opposition groups assessment of the security situation in Syria consequences for Syria’s non-compliance intensifying attacks against government and recommendations for the mission’s with Council decisions. (The communiqué forces and installations, particularly in future. (Resolution 2059 renewed UNSMIS called for all parties to recommit to the six- Damascus and Aleppo. On 14 July the for a final period of 30 days and requested point plan and mapped out steps for a ICRC determined that the fighting in Syria reporting within 15 days.) Syrian-led political process.) met its threshold for an internal armed con- It seems likely that peacekeeping head flict, i.e. civil war. The UN estimates 10,000 After Annan’s briefing, the UK circulated a Hervé Ladsous—who visited Syria in late killed since the crisis began in March 2011, draft resolution co-sponsored by France, July to assess the situation—will brief the while other monitoring groups report Germany, Portugal and the US that, under Council in early August. It was unclear at figures as high as 17,000. Chapter VII, endorsed the communiqué, press time if UN-Arab League Joint Special >>page 3 Security Council Report One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, 885 Second Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10017 T:1 212 759 9429 F:1 212 759 4038 www.securitycouncilreport.org 1 Status Update since our July Forecast n Israel/Palestine: High Commissioner for outgoing head of BNUB (S/PV.6799). Chair- UK, Council members held an interactive Human Rights Navi Pillay, briefing Council person of the Burundi PBC configuration, dialogue with the chairs of the PBC country- members in consultations on 2 July, said Ambassador Paul Seger (Switzerland), also specific configuration. the settlement of Israeli citizens in the occu- briefed. The briefing was followed by n Yemen: On 17 July, Special Adviser on pied territories is prohibited by international consultations attended by Landgren and Yemen Jamal Benomar briefed Council law and that settlement activity is linked to Council members. members in consultations noting that sev- discriminatory policies and practices apply- n DRC: On 10 July, the Council held consul- eral political, humanitarian and security ing only to Palestinians. On 25 July, Special tations on the DRC, and heard a briefing by challenges continued to hamper the transi- Coordinator Robert Serry briefed the Special Representative and head of tion process and described interference Security Council prior to its quarterly open MONUSCO, Roger Meece, via video-tele- from former President Ali Abdullah Saleh debate on the Middle East (S/PV.6816). conference on the escalating violence in and his kinsmen as a key obstacle to stabil- Serry reiterated his warning that negative North Kivu. On 16 July the Council issued a ity. Benomar also updated the Council on trends regarding the peace process, the press statement (SC/10709), condemning preparations for the national dialogue con- Gaza blockade, the solvency of the Pales- all outside support to all armed groups in ference which is hoped will feed into the tinian Authority, and Israeli settlement the DRC and demanding that all forms of constitution-making process enabling policy consistently undermined the com- support to them cease immediately. The general elections by February 2013. mon goal of a negotiated two-state solution. Council was briefed by Meece in consulta- n Cyprus: On 19 July, the Council adopted In remarks to the press after the debate, the tions again on 30 July regarding the resolution 2058 extending the mandate of Arab Group expressed concern over the situation in the DRC. UNFICYP until 31 January 2013. The resolu- diminishing chances for peace, deplored n UNOWA (West Africa): On 11 July, Said tion passed with 13 votes in favour and two the unwillingness to react to the deteriorat- Djinnit, the Special Representative and abstentions (Azerbaijan and Pakistan). ing situation and encouraged the Council to head of UNOWA, introduced the Secretary- Negotiations on the text were contentious, visit Palestine to inspect the facts on the General’s latest report (S/2012/510) on particularly with respect to how a future ground as “the least the Council can and West Africa to Council members (S/ review of UNFICYP might be referenced in should do.” PV.6804). He noted that the recent coups in the preambular paragraphs. In its explana- n Libya: On 2 July Pillay also briefed Council Mali and Guinea-Bissau, armed insurrec- tion of vote (S/PV.6809), Azerbaijan said the members in consultations on Libya. On 10 tion and continuing instability in parts of resolution did not place the required July the Council issued a press statement Côte d’Ivoire, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, emphasis “on a results-oriented process,” welcoming Libya’s 7 July elections terrorist threats and attacks in the region, and that its proposal to reflect a sense of (SC/10704). On 18 July, Special Represen- and the increase in illicit drug trafficking urgency of the review had not been given tative Ian Martin briefed the Council for the meant that the security situation presents a “due consideration.” Pakistan said not last time in his capacity as the head of new wave of challenges to governance, enough time was given to all Council mem- UNSMIL saying the elections were an peace consolidation and conflict preven- bers to engage in open and transparent “extraordinary accomplishment” marred by tion. The UNOWA report provides negotiations and that the final language some violent incidents, mostly in the east considerable detail on events in Mali and was not fully reflective of the Secretary- (S/PV.6807). The Libyan permanent repre- the wider Sahel since the 22 March coup, General’s recommendations. sentative also addressed the Council, emphasising the mediation efforts of n Iraq: On 19 July, UNAMI head Martin Kobler stating that “according to all observers, the ECOWAS and the complexity of the situa- briefed the Council (S/PV.6811) on the elections were free and fair and met all inter- tion in the region. Secretary-General’s report (S/2012/535). national standards.” The briefing was n PBC: On 12 July, the Council held an open Martin noted that seven years after the followed by consultations. debate to discuss the fifth annual report of adoption of the constitution, key institutions n Tribunals: On 5 July the Council issued a the PBC (S/2012/70), which was published had yet to be established and fundamental press statement (SC/10700), welcoming on 30 January (S/PV.6805). The open legislation remained outstanding, including the commencement of the functioning of debate was chaired by María Angela Hol- the establishment of the Federation Coun- the Arusha branch of the International guín, the Foreign Minister of Colombia cil, the strengthening of the judicial system, Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (which held the Council presidency in July).