SECURITY COUNCIL REPORT Monthly APR 2012 30 March 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 The US will hold the presidency of the and by the Secretary-General’s Personal Sudan and South Sudan 1 Security Council in April. Envoy for Western Sahara, Christopher Status Update since our Ross, in consultations; An open debate on improving UN capacity March Forecast 2 n UNAMID, the joint UN/AU operation in to assist states to counter illicit cross- Sudan/Darfur 6 Darfur, to be followed by consultations; border flows is planned late in the month, Western Sahara 8 n the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, by and the Secretary-General is expected to the Secretary-General’s Special Repre- Côte d’Ivoire 10 brief. The aim of the debate is to focus sentative and mission head, Martin Israel/Palestine 12 attention on the broad range of UN activities Kobler, to be followed by consultations; in this field and to help states make a better Iraq 13 n the UN Interim Mission in Abyei, in con- use of different forms of UN assistance in International Court of Justice 15 sultations; and controlling flows of arms, drugs and indi- n women, peace and security, by the Notable Dates for April 16 viduals, among other things, across their head of UN Women, Michelle Bachelet, borders. A resolution or a presidential state- experience from recent and current UN to be followed by consultations. ment is the expected outcome. peacekeeping engagements, with an eye A briefing on the implementation of resolu- to possible improvements on the ground; There will also be the quarterly open debate tion 1559 and Lebanon, initially expected in and approaches at the Security Council’s on the Middle East, preceded by a briefing April, appears to have been moved to May disposal when dealing with gross human by the Secretariat. for scheduling reasons. rights violations. On 27 April the Council will vote (simultane- At press time the monthly “horizon scan- It is likely that the chair of the Iran Sanc- ously with the General Assembly) to fill a ning” briefing by the DPA was not planned tions Committee, Ambassador Néstor vacancy on the International Court of Justice. for April. Osorio (Colombia), possibly with the coor- A briefing by the Secretary-General on dinator of its Panel of Experts, will brief UN The Council expects to hold consultations nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament members at large with an aim to help inter- to consider the final report of the Panel of and security is expected. This event, taking ested states improve the implementation of Experts that supports the Côte d’Ivoire place soon after the Seoul summit on the Iran sanctions. Sanctions Committee and to discuss the nuclear security, will afford an opportunity renewal of the sanctions regime and the to take stock of developments since the Panel’s mandate. summit-level Council debate on this subject Sudan and South Sudan chaired in September 2009 by US President Formal Council sessions will be needed to Barack Obama and to maintain the engage- adopt resolutions renewing the Côte Expected Council Action ment on the part of the Council with this d’Ivoire sanctions regime along with the In April, the Council expects to be briefed in issue. A resolution or a presidential state- mandate of its Panel of Experts and to consultations on the Secretary-General’s ment is expected as an outcome. renew the mandate of MINURSO. most recent report on the situation in Abyei. No outcome was anticipated at press time. Other briefings are planned on: Early in April, members of the Council will n Syria, by the Joint UN-Arab League Envoy participate in an annual retreat with the Given the fluid and unpredictable nature of for Syria, Kofi Annan, in consultations; Secretary-General. This year, the main top- events in Sudan and South Sudan, Council n Western Sahara, by the head of ics expected to be discussed at the retreat members are also likely to follow closely MINURSO and Special Representative of are: the growing challenges posed to such issues as the humanitarian situation in the Secretary-General, Hany Abdel-Aziz, peace and security by international crime; South Kordofan and Blue Nile, events along >>page 4 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 March Forecast n Syria: On 1 March, the Council issued a support of AMISOM, both bilaterally and order. The Council welcomed the efforts press statement (SC/10564) deploring through the UN AMISOM trust fund, and of the Friends of Yemen and noted the the deteriorating humanitarian situation for the development of Somali security importance of its next meeting on 23 in Syria and calling upon Damascus to forces while calling on AMISOM to con- May. The Council endorsed the Secre- grant access to Valerie Amos, the Under- tinue efforts to ensure the protection of tary-General’s intention to deploy a team Secretary-General for Humanitarian civilians. It also stressed the importance of experts, to work alongside the UN Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordina- of effective governance and encouraged country team, and monitor progress on tor. On 6 March, Under-Secretary-General international support for reconstruction the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, and economic development as well as and Implementation Mechanism in con- briefed Council members during the continued humanitarian assistance. sultation with the Yemeni government. monthly horizon scanning exercise, Lastly, it expressed concern about the n Haiti: On 8 March, the Council held a reporting that both Amos and Kofi Annan, continued threats of piracy and terrorist debate (S/PV.6732) on the situation in the UN-Arab League Special Envoy for attacks by the Islamist group Al-Shabaab Haiti. Mariano Fernández, the Special Syria, would soon be visiting Damascus. and others. On 28 March, the chair of the Representative of the Secretary-General On 13 March Amos briefed Council mem- Somalia/Eritrea Sanctions Committee, and Head of MINUSTAH, briefed during bers on her 7-9 March visit and on 16 Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri (India) the debate. March Annan briefed Council members briefed Council members in informal con- n ICC: On 16 March, the Council released on his 10 March visit and ongoing media- sultations on the work of the Committee. a press statement welcoming the first ver- tion efforts. On 21 March the Security (The Committee received a mid-term dict of the International Criminal Court, Council agreed on a presidential state- briefing from the Monitoring Group for which found Thomas Lubanga guilty of ment (S/PRST/2012/6) supporting Annan the sanctions regime on 3 February, and the crimes of conscripting and enlisting and his six-point plan for mediation (S/ on 17 February announced the addition child soldiers under the age of 15 years PV.6736). The same day the Council of one individual to the sanctions list. The (SC/10580). issued a press statement (SC/10585) on chair is required to report to the Council n Working Methods: On 19 March, Coun- the terrorist attacks in Aleppo and every 120 days.) cil members met to discuss working Damascus which had occurred earlier in n Libya: On 7 March, the Council was methods of the Security Council. Portu- the month. Syria was also a prominent briefed (S/PV.6731) by Ian Martin, who gal—as chair of the working group that issue at the 12 March high-level debate presented the Secretary-General’s report deals with working methods—and the on challenges and opportunities in the (S/2012/129) on UNSMIL. Martin said UK distributed a non-paper in advance of Middle East (S/PV.6734). On 22 March that UNSMIL should focus on five areas: the consultations, inviting suggestions there was an Arria-formula meeting for democratic transition, including the elec- on the three issues of “periodicity” Council members to meet with the toral process; public security, including (spreading out the Council’s mandate Human Rights Council’s Commission of the demobilisation, integration or reinte- renewals), conference resources and Inquiry on Syria. There were P5+Morocco gration of ex-combatants; human rights, “interactivity” (such as regular horizon- negotiations between 6 -8 March on a transitional justice and rule of law; prolif- scanning sessions and use of draft resolution condemning the violence eration of arms and border security; and video-conferencing). Additional issues in Syria. However, as agreement was not coordination of international support. were also raised, many of which were possible the draft text was never circu- Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib also suggested during the open debate on 30 lated to the wider Council membership. addressed the Council. On 12 March, the November. On the drafting resolutions, n Somalia: On 5 March, the Council held Council unanimously adopted resolution an idea was proposed that, in addition to an open debate on Somalia chaired by 2040, modifying and extending UNSMIL’s a permanent member being the “pen Under Secretary of State Henry Belling- mandate by 12 months but subject to holder” on most issues, an appropriate ham (UK) as a follow up to the 23 review within six months (S/PV.6733). co-drafter could be selected from among February London Conference (S/ n Yemen: On 7 March, Council members the elected ten.