Security Council – Work assessment under Burkina Faso presidency (December 2009) – Letter from Burkina Faso (excerpts)

   Letter dated 15 July 2010 from the Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council 

 I have the honour to transmit herewith the report on the work of the Security Council during the presidency of Burkina Faso in December 2009 (see annex). 

 The document was prepared under my responsibility, following consultation with the other members of the Security Council. 

 I should be grateful if you would have the present letter and its annex circulated as a document of the Security Council. 

(Signed) Michel Kafando
Ambassador
Permanent Representative 

   Annex to the letter dated 15 July 2010 from the Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council 

   Assessment of the work of the Security Council during the presidency of Burkina Faso (December 2009) 

 During the presidency of Burkina Faso in December 2009, the Security Council had an extensive programme of work. It discussed and took action on the developments in Somalia, the Sudan, Cyprus, Côte d’Ivoire, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, the Middle East, Iraq and Guinea. The Council held 27 formal meetings, including 9 public meetings, of which one was an open debate on drug trafficking as a threat to international security. It also held three private meetings with troop-contributing countries and 15 closed consultations of the whole. The Council adopted 10 resolutions and 5 presidential statements. The President also read out three statements to the press. 

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   The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question 

 On 17 December, the Council heard a briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, from the Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General, Robert H. Serry. He said that negotiations had yet to resume between the two parties and confidence between the parties remained low. He noted the announcement by the Government of Israel that it would restrain certain settlement activity for a period of 10 months, and the decision of the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization to extend the terms of the Palestinian Authority presidency and the Palestinian Legislative Council, until elections could be held. He referred to the readiness of the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to continue to serve until elections are held. One member of the Council took the floor in the Council Chamber. During the consultations of the whole that followed, Council members called on the two parties to resume negotiations. A number of members expressed their concern about the situation in Gaza and called for the full implementation of resolution 1860 (2009). Some Council members reiterated the importance of implementing resolution 1701 (2006). Some members also called upon Israel to freeze all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory.

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