Security Council – Work assessment under United Kingdom presidency (December 2013) – Letter from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (excerpts)

Letter dated 11 December 2013 from the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council 

 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland held the presidency of the Security Council for the month of June 2013. An assessment of the work of the Council has been prepared under my supervision in consultation with the other members of the Council (see annex). 

 I should be grateful of the present letter and its annex could be circulated as a document of the Security Council. 

(Signed) Mark Lyall Grant 

Annex to the letter dated 11 December 2013 from the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council 

Assessment of the work of the Security Council during the presidency of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (June 2013) 

   Introduction 

 Under the presidency of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in June 2013, the Security Council held a total of 20 meetings, of which
3 were private and 4 were thematic. The Council adopted four resolutions and two presidential statements and issued eight statements to the press. 

/…

   Middle East 

/…

   The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question 

 On 25 June, the Security Council held its monthly meeting on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. The Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs briefed the Council at a public meeting. The briefing was followed by consultations of the whole. 

/…

 Following the briefing, the Council held consultations of the whole. On the Palestinian issue, members expressed support for the efforts of Mr. Kerry. Some members expressed concern about the negative impact that recent incidents might have on the peace process. They stressed the importance of dialogue and confidence-building between the two sides. Some members called on Israel to halt its settlement activities as well as lift restrictions on the Gaza Strip. …

/…

____________