Ambassador Tarek Ladeb, Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the United Nations and President of the UN Security Council for the month of  January 2021.   (united nations youtube)

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED NATIONS –  NEW  YORK  –  TUNISIA  officially took over the rotating Presidency of the UN Security Council Monday.  The Republic  Tunisia’s ambassador to the UN , Tarek Ladeb,  will preside as President at the Security Council for the month of January.  The presidency of the council is held by each of the members for one month, following the English alphabetical order of the member states’ Names.  Tunisia follows South Africa which held the presidency the month of December.   The UN Security Council comprises  15 member states, including five permanent members – the United Kingdom, China, Russia, the United States and France.   During the month of January,  Tunisia  has chosen to hold an open debate on the challenges faced by countries in fragile contexts, in particular on the African continent. Possible briefers include UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Chair of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat and
former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Tunisia is also organising a debate on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, focusing on international cooperation in combating terrorism, to commemorate 20 years  since the adoption of resolution 1373 in 2001.  Also  on  African issues, there will be updates on the activities of UNSMIL (Libya) and MINUSMA (Mali). Following the 18 August 2020 coup d’état that ousted Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led negotiations with the new military authorities to establish a civilian-led political transition. The Council may also adopt a resolution supporting the compliance of all national and international stakeholders with the 23 October 2020 ceasefire agreement between the parties to the Libyan conflict.   Ambassador Ladeb spoke about Tunisia’s priorities as President of the UN Security Council in presenting its January Programme of Work during a press conference Monday. 

TUNISIA Celebrates 10th  Anniversary of “Revolution of Freedom and Dignity”

Ambassador Ladeb also made note that Tunisia’s serving as President of the UN Security Council  coincides with the North African nation celebrating the 10th anniversary of “the revolution of freedom and dignity.”  The ambassador stated that the Tunisian Revolution laid the foundation for democracy, and added impetus to Tunis’s role on the international scene as an active advocate of the UN charter, with its chief principles of multilateralism and human rights.  Ten years later, Tunisia is a democracy in the Arab world, while authoritarian rule controls Egypt, and civil war rages on in Syria, Yemen and Libya.

“We will endeavor to assume this responsability with dedication and devotion to promote unity, consensus and more efficiency of the Council”.

-Ambassador Tarek Ladeb, Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the United Nations

Terrorism is  a very dangerous threat:  Ambassador  Ladeb

One hundred people were killed on Saturday in attacks on two villages in western Niger, Prime Minister Brigi Rafini said following one of the deadliest days in recent memory for a country ravaged by Islamist violence, as reported by CNN.

“This attack is another reminder that terrorist groups continue to destabilize the Sahel.”  –  Ambassador  Ladeb.   

 Regarding the Middle East, there will be the regularly scheduled meetings on Syria, the monthly meeting on developments in Yemen, and the quarterly debate on the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question. On Syria, there will be a meeting covering the political and humanitarian situations as well as on the use of chemical weapon. 

Before his latest appointment, Mr. Ladeb was Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the United Nations in New York from August 2019, having previously served as Director of the Arab and Islamic Organizations in his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2015 to 2019. He was his country’s Ambassador to Oman from 2011 to 2015, Charge d’affaires in the Embassy of Tunisia in Egypt from 2010 to 2011, Coordinator of Arab and African Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2007 to 2010, and Charge d’affaires of Tunisia in Iraq from 2002 to 2007. He also served as Deputy Head of Mission for his country’s embassies in Damascus, from 1998 to 2000, and Jordan, from 1994 to 1998. Ladeb holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a bachelor’s degree in translation, and he completed post-graduate studies in diplomacy and international relations at the Ecole Nationale d’Administration in Tunis.