The 2021 edition of the Highlights of Security Council Practice, published every year since 2011 by the Security Council Affairs Division (SCAD) in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) offers a snapshot of Council activities on the most significant procedural and constitutional developments.
Overcoming some of the difficulties faced in 2020, the Security Council progressively returned to pre-pandemic patterns of activity in 2021, adopting 57 resolutions, issuing 24 presidential statements and considering 45 agenda items.
The Council unanimously adopted several landmark decisions in 2021: resolution 2565 (2021), calling for strengthened international cooperation for increased COVID-19 vaccine access; resolution 2573 (2021), strongly condemning attacks in situations of armed conflict directed against civilians or civilian objects; and resolution 2601 (2021), calling on all parties to safeguard, protect, respect and promote the right to education, including in armed conflict.
The year saw a significant increase of high-level engagement at meetings and videoconferences, facilitated by the availability of remote connections to Heads of State and Government. There was also an increase in the participation of civil society briefers and a notable increase in female representatives of civil society organizations. Despite important disagreements, the Council recorded a 7 per cent increase in unanimity in the adoption of resolutions compared to 2020. In this regard, the Council was able to adopt unanimously resolution 2585 (2021), extending the cross-border mechanism for the provision of humanitarian aid into Syria.
On 8 June, the Council adopted by acclamation resolution 2580 (2021), recommending to the General Assembly that António Guterres be appointed UN Secretary-General for a second term. The General Assembly subsequently adopted resolution 75/286, appointing Guterres for a term of office from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2026.
In addition to the Highlights series, DPPA’s SCAD makes available a wealth of data and information concerning the work of the Council, including its past and current practice, working methods, sanctions measures and bodies and mandates of existing peacekeeping and special political missions. SCAD maintains the Council's current and upcoming programme of work on the Council’s website and regularly prepares analytical information relating to the Council’s work.
Learn more at www.un.org/securitycouncil.
