Middle East/Palestine Question – Press briefing by SecCo President (excerpts)

Press briefing by Security Council President

The Security Council would have a full agenda this month with Afghanistan, Africa and the Middle East, among other issues, Heraldo Muñoz, Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for January, told correspondents this afternoon at Headquarters.

Briefing the press on the Council's work programme for the month, he noted that Lakhdar Brahimi would brief the Council, for the last time in his capacity as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, on 15 January. Also, the public meeting scheduled for 14 January on the reports of the West Africa and Central Africa missions had been moved to 23 January since the relevant reports would not be ready by the 14th. The private meeting and consultations that had been scheduled for the morning of the 23rd would now take place in the afternoon.

/…

On the Middle East, which the Council would take up on 16 January, Mr. Muñoz noted that that was a degree of frustration in the Council that the "Road Map" had not been fully implemented and a hope that the many obstacles to its implementation could be overcome with the necessary political will.

Asked if there had been discussions concerning a draft text by the five permanent members of the Council on the issue of non-proliferation, Mr. Muñoz responded that he had only heard that the permanent five had discussed the matter, but it was not on the Council's agenda. If there were an initiative by any Council member to include it, it would be included.

/…

Asked if he had received a letter from Syria pertaining to settlement activity, he replied that he had not received such a letter, nor had he been contacted on that issue.

/…