UN – French Security Council presidency, October 2017 [fr]

France applauds the work carried out by the Ethiopian presidency that ended on September 30, which gave rise in particular to the adoption of resolution 2378 on the reform of peacekeeping operations, a crucial subject for France.

During our presidency, Jean-Yves Le Drian will be in New York on October 30-31 to discuss the following priorities:

Sahel: On October 30, the minister for Europe and foreign affairs will chair a ministerial meeting on security challenges. The ministers will review the consolidation of the joint force launched following the unanimous adoption, on June 21, of resolution 2359, hailing the creation of the G5 Sahel. The secretary-general will present the report that he published on this force in mid-October. A Security Council mission is scheduled to visit the region on October 19-23.

The protection of children in armed conflict: On October 31, Jean-Yves Le Drian will host an open debate with the secretary-general’s special representative for children and armed conflict. Discussions will deal with the threats that terrorist groups pose for children, and the international community’s commitment in the aftermath of the Protecting Children from War conference held in Paris this past February. France is deeply involved with this issue, especially since the adoption of resolution 1612 (2005), which instituted a monitoring and reporting mechanism on abuses committed against children in armed conflict.

We will also place the following items on the Security Council’s agenda:

The protection of humanitarian and medical personnel in armed conflict: Jean-Yves Le Drian will attend a meeting on this subject on October 31.

The Rohingya: An informal Security Council meeting will be held at the behest of France and in partnership with the United Kingdom.

Migration: France wants to renew resolution 2240 in order to extend for another year the authorization for Operation EUNAVFOR Sophia, to combat the trafficking of migrants on the open sea off the coast of Libya.

Women, peace and security: A public debate based on the latest report by the UN secretary-general will be held on October 27, and will deal with women’s contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable solutions to crises.

The Security Council will continue to monitor the situation in Syria, Yemen, Mali, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Haiti, as well as the question of the Western Sahara. A debate will be held on the selection criteria and deployment modalities for peacekeepers.