UK Ambassador to the United Nations Barbara Woodward is President of the Security Council for month of April. (Source: gov.uk)

By Gary Raynaldo       DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED  NATIONS  –   NEW  YORK  –   ENGLAND  officially took over as President of the UN Security Council  today  for the month of April with a focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The President of the Security Council for April and Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom  is Ambassador Barbara Woodward.  Ukraine will be the UK’s  priority as it sits in the powerful Security Council President seat this month,  working  toward sustaining Russia’s diplomatic isolation until Moscow “ends the war.”  The UK will also bring Security Council members together for meetings of conflict-related sexual violence and the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.  

“The UK’s Security Council presidency will be a pivotal moment to galvanise international support for Ukraine, lay bare Russia’s lies,  and sustain its diplomatic isolation and defend the principles of the UN Charter”

-United Kingdom

United Kingdom follows the United Arab Emirates which held the rotating  presidency the month of March 2022.  The UN Security Council comprises  15 member states, including five permanent members – the United Kingdom, China, Russia, the United States and France.   The UK plans to organise two signature events. The first signature event is a briefing on the implementation of resolution 2565 on the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, adopted during the UK presidency in February 2021. The UK Minister of State for South Asia, North Africa, the UN and the Commonwealth, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, is expected to chair the meeting.  The second signature event is the annual open debate on conflict-related sexual violence, which this year is entitled “Accountability as Prevention: Ending Cycles of Sexual Violence in Conflict”. Lord Ahmad is expected to chair the meeting. Secretary-General António Guterres, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laure[1]ate Nadia Murad, and one or more civil society representatives are the anticipated briefers.

Security Council to Hold Open Debate on Palestinian Question 

In April, the Security Council is scheduled to hold its quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.  Other Middle East issues on the programme include:

-SYRIA, meetings on political, humanitarian and chemical weapons tracks

– YEMEN,  monthly meeting on developments

AFRICA  Issues on the April programme of work:

• LIBYA, renewal of the mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), consultations on UNSMIL, and the semi-annual briefing by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on cases in Libya

• MALI, briefing and consultations on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization
Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)

• WESTERN SAHARA, briefing in consultations on the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)

• SUDAN/SOUTH SUDAN, briefing and consultations on the implementation of the mandate
of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA)

The UK  said it  intends to encourage interactive discussion and outcome-oriented action during its
April presidency.