(UNwebTV) Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, following her presentation of credentials to the United Nations Secretary-General at UN headquarters in New York Feb. 25, 2021. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield will serve as the President of the UN Security Council for the month of March 2021. 

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED  NATIONS  –   NEW  YORK –  The UNITED STATES officially took over the rotating Presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of March on Monday.  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.  The UNITED STATES   follows UNITED KINGDOM which held the presidency the month of February.  The UN Security Council comprises  15 member states, including five permanent members – the United Kingdom, China, Russia, the United States and France.  Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, will serve as the President of the UN Security Council the month of March.  The military’s ouster of civilian leadership in Myanmar is very concerning to the UN Security Council, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said at a press conference Monday as she presented the Council’s Programme of Work for March. The US has chosen to hold a high-level open debate on conflict and food security as its signature event with the Secretary-General as a possible briefer. Several meetings are planned on Sudan and South Sudan. On Sudan, the  Council is expecting a briefing on the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in  Sudan (UNITAMS) and the drawdown and withdrawal of the AU/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

We are at our strongest when we find opportunities to come together. That doesn’t mean we stop standing up for our values, our allies, or our interests—in fact, it means the opposite. By coming together, I firmly believe we will create more shared security, prosperity, and peace. pic.twitter.com/sTZcriUnI7

— Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (@USAmbUN) March 1, 2021

“America is back at the table at the UN,”  Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said. “We’re ready to get to work.”  Last Thursday,  Thomas-Greenfield  presented her credentials as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as she prepared to take on the task of carrying out American diplomacy on the world stage.  The U.S. ambassador said President Biden’s goal is to re-engage America with the world through diplomacy. She noted that the U.S. has rejoined the  World Health Organization (WHO), the  UN Human Rights Council, and the Paris Agreement. 

“President Biden said from day one we will lead by the power of our example. By rejoining the WHO, we will work to stamp out the pandemic that has  taken more American lives than the battlefields  of World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam war combined. By rejoining the Paris Agreement, we are fighting against the devastating hurricanes, wildfires, blackouts, and storms that have destroyed the homes and lives of so many millions of our friends and neighbors.”

On MYANMAR 

“The undemocratic coup in Burma is of particular concern  to the UN,”  the U.S. ambassador said.

“Let me be clear from the outset: The United States continues to strongly condemn the military coup in Myanmar. And we condemn the security forces’ brutal killing of unarmed people. And I would – like others – like to welcome and commend the courageous and brave statement made by the Myanmar Perm. Rep. here this morning.

“Like the Perm. Rep., the people of Myanmar are making their voices heard. Doctors and civil servants. Grocery store cashiers and milk tea servers. Delivery drivers, oil rig operators, and artists. They are marching in the streets. They are raising red balloons, and banging pots and pans, and they are demanding their democracy back. We stand in solidarity with them. We stand with the millions of people in Myanmar who have displayed courage and determination to reject this military coup. We stand with them as they call for a return to peace, democratic governance, and rule of law. The military has tried to silence those calls with social media and internet blackouts. But we still hear the people of Myanmar loud and clear.”

U.S. Ambassador to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said last week addressing the General Assembly for the first time on the situation in  Myanmar.

U.S. Ambassador  on  CHINA:

“I had the opportunity to meet with my Chinese counterpart as well, and let me just say we – our relationship is very complex. There will be areas where we will significantly disagree, in particular as it relates to human rights. But there are some areas where there will be times when we hope to work with the Chinese in a cooperative way, and I would give as an example there working with them on climate change. But as we look at our relationship moving forward and the importance of diplomacy, we will never give up on diplomacy and trying to achieve what are our ultimate goals, and that is to put values and transparency into how the United Nations works, and we hope to be able to work with the Chinese on improving that.”

On IRAN,  U.S Ambassador Encourages Iranians to Embrace Compliance

“We have stated unequivocally that Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon. And we are concerned that Iran is moving further away from compliance with its nuclear commitments. We are looking for opportunities to encourage the Iranians to go back to compliance. And if they make that decision, we are prepared to also rejoin the JCPOA. So this has been the case since the last administration pulled out of the JCPOA, and it’s why the U.S. has made clear that if Iran is prepared to resume full compliance with its commitments, that we – the U.S. is prepared to do the same. I will tell you that we were disappointed by Iran’s decision to suspend implementation of the Additional Protocol and the transparency measures under the JCPOA. We think it’s an opportunity that they have really lost, and we hope that they will reconsider that.”

Meanwhile,  On South Sudan, the  Security Council is expected  to be briefed on the latest report on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and to  renew its mandate by the middle of the month. The Council is also expected to consider a  resolution reauthorising the AU Mission in Somalia(AMISOM) in March.

Other meetings on African issues include:

• DRC, on the Secretary-General’s most recent report on MONUSCO
• Libya, on the Secretary-General’s report on UNSMIL and an update from the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee.

Regarding the Middle East, there will be the regular briefings on the political, humanitarian and chemical weapons tracks in Syria, as well  the monthly meeting on developments in Yemen.  Other Middle East issues that will be considered include:

• Golan Heights, on the UNDOF report

• Lebanon, an update on the implementation of resolution 1701, which called for a cessation of hostilities between the Shi’a militant group Hezbollah and Israel in 2006;  The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question. 

UN MINSUMA  MALI  Peacekeeping and  FRANCE 

“We will work with our colleagues in the  Security Council  to make MINUSMA more efficient. I know it is a concern to the French,”  Ambassador  Thomas-Greenfield, noting France Operation Barkhane maintains some 5,300 French soldiers in Africa  SAHEL region.