Regional conflicts, piracy to dominate Russian UNSC presidency

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitali Churkin has outlined an agenda for the Russian presidency of the Security Council in the month of August.        

The items are as follows: The future of the United Nations peacekeeping operations in Iraq and Lebanon; A report from UN Central Asia envoy Miroslav Jenca on the situation in Kyrgyzstan; Proposals to roll up United Nations military operations in the Central African Republic and Chad; A report from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, on August 3, on the progress of international diplomacy to agree a final status for the Serbian province of Kosovo; Preparation for a September meeting of the big-power mediating quartet for the Middle East, And last but not least, the worsening piracy off the Horn of Africa.      

A few months ago, Russia persuaded the Security Council to commission a top-level UN report on the legal aspects of the problem.     

We hear about this from Mr Churkin: "The report should be out before the end of July, and August should see the start of debates on concrete international laws against piracy. Despite difficulties in the way, there is hope that the family of nations can find appropriate ways to prosecute and penalize pirates. This would save time and effort for the international naval crews on the counter-piracy patrol off East Africa".  

Mr. Churkin also said he would keep fingers crossed not to deal with problems like the 2006 war in Lebanon or the 2008 conflict in the South Caucasus. Both erupted in August.