Security Council – Work assessment under Germany presidency (Feb 2003), incl. SecCo briefing by DPA USG – Letter from Germany (excerpts)

Letter dated 16 April 2003 from the Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Germany

to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

  I have the honour to transmit herewith the assessment of the work of the Security Council during the presidency of Germany (February 2003) (see annex). This assessment was prepared on my own authority, but I have consulted other members of the Council before submitting it.

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

(Signed) Hanns Schumacher
Ambassador
Chargé d’affaires a.i. 

Annex to the letter dated 16 April 2003 from the Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

Assessment of the work of the Security Council during the Presidency of Germany

(February 2003)

   Introduction

  The month of February was a very busy month for the Security Council, as the question of Iraq moved to the forefront of the Council’s deliberations.

  In addition to nine informal consultations and two private meetings, the Security Council held nine public meetings, including two open debates, on Iraq and combating terrorism, in the spirit of enhancing the transparency of the Council’s work.

  There were no mandate renewals for United Nations peacekeeping missions in the month of February. The mandate for the United Nations Mission in Angola expired on 15 February. The Security Council adopted a resolution on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire which was taken up twice in informal consultations. A presidential statement was adopted after the public meeting on Kosovo. Also twice on the Council’s agenda was the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including a briefing by the United Nations Secretariat and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighting the critical human rights situation in the eastern part of that country. Furthermore, the Council heard the regular monthly briefings on the situation in Afghanistan (focused this time on the reform of the security sector) and the Middle East.

/…

    Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question

  The monthly briefing of the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, was given by the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs on 13 February. Subsequently, the Council held informal consultations. Some members expressed the view that rapid publication of the road map could bring a long-awaited renewed prospect for a political solution to the region. Members expressed their concern at the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories. The Security Council will continue to pay close attention to this issue also under present circumstances.

/…

__________