Security Council – Work assessment under Burkina Faso presidency (September 2008) – Letter from Burkina Faso (excerpts)

    Letter dated 23 February 2009 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of Burkina Faso 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 Burkina Faso in September 2008 (see annex). The document was prepared under my responsibility, after consultation with the other members of the Council.

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

(Signed ) Paul Robert Tiendrébéogo

Ambassador

Deputy Permanent Representative

Chargé d’affaires a.i.

Annex to the letter dated 23 February 2009 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

[Original: English]

 Assessment of the work of the Security Council during the presidency of Burkina Faso (September 2008)

   Introduction

  During the month of September 2008, under the presidency of Burkina Faso, the Security Council held 29 meetings to discuss African, Asian, European and American issues. Seventeen of those meetings, including two high-level ones, were public. The Council adopted five resolutions, four presidential statements and six statements to the press.

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   Asia and the Middle East

    The situation in the Middle East including the Palestinian question 

  The Council examined this issue twice during the month of September 2008.

  On 18 September, in consultations, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Robert Serry, briefed the Council on the negotiations taking place between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, in particular the talks of 26 and 31 August and 16 September 2008. He also stated that relations between the Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanon were improving, while the blockade imposed by Israel in the Gaza Strip was still a concern.

  At the request of the Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Arab League, the Security Council held a debate on 26 September, at the ministerial level. Although many delegations focused their statements on the settlements that are still going on in the Palestinian territories, others spoke about the global situation in the Middle East.

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