Security Council – Work assessment under Bosnia and Herzegovina presidency (January 2011) – Letter from Bosnia and Herzegovina (excerpts)

Letter dated 29 June 2011 from the Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council 

 I have the honour to transmit herewith a report on the work of the Security Council during the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina in January 2011 (see annex). The report was prepared under my national 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) Ivan Barbalić
Ambassador
Permanent Representative 

Annex to the letter dated 29 June 2011 from the Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council 

   Assessment of the work of the Security Council during the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (January 2011) 

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   Middle East 

   The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question 

 On 19 January, the Security Council held an open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, during which it heard a briefing from the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe. In his briefing, the Under-Secretary-General expressed serious concern at the continuing lack of progress in the search for a negotiated settlement and reiterated the Secretary-General’s call on Israel to freeze all settlement activity, in conformity with international law and the road map. With regard to Gaza, the Under-Secretary-General expressed concern over the situation that had prevailed in the previous month, including an increase in tensions, and condemned the indiscriminate firing of projectiles towards Israeli civilian areas by Palestinian militants, while stressing that all parties must refrain from actions contrary to international humanitarian law that targeted or endangered civilians. He also reminded the Council that a fundamental goal of the United Nations continued to be the revitalization of Gaza’s economy and the search for an end to the Israeli closure policy. 

 Turning to the situation in Lebanon, the Under-Secretary-General said that the political crisis there, which had been provoked by divergent views on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, had continued to deepen. He said that the Secretary-General had reiterated his call on all parties not to interfere with or influence the Special Tribunal, stressing that the independent judicial process should not be linked with any political debate and that it was important not to prejudice its outcome. 

 Following the briefing, the Council also heard statements by the Permanent Observer for Palestine, Council members and 25 other speakers. Most speakers urged both the Israeli and Palestinian sides to resume direct negotiations towards a two-State solution. Many speakers called on Israel to halt all settlement activity, underlined the need for further steps to ease restrictions on the flow of goods and people in and out of Gaza in accordance with Security Council resolution 1860 (2009), condemned rocket fire from Gaza, and called for progress on intra-Palestinian reconciliation. With respect to Lebanon, many speakers called on all Lebanese parties to seek a negotiated political solution to the current situation and expressed support for the independence of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. 

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