The Security Council's February programme will target three conflicts severely impacting international peace and security - namely those in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine - its President for the month told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference today.
"Our aim for the month is to run a constructive, transparent presidency, tightly focused on the Council's core role in ensuring the maintenance of international peace and security," said James Kariuki (United Kingdom), whose country holds the 15-member organ's rotating presidency for February.
"On Ukraine, we are closer to peace than ever before," he said, noting that talks between the parties are ongoing with facilitation by the United States. Speaking in his national capacity, he said Ukraine has demonstrated that it is the party of peace, while the Russian Federation continues to block progress and attack both Ukrainian civilians and civilian energy infrastructure, plunging everyday people into cold and darkness in the depths of winter.
"We will not stand idly by," he said, noting that the United Kingdom intends to call a meeting on Ukraine on 24 February to mark the fourth anniversary of the war in the country, to be chaired by Foreign Minister for Europe and the United States, Stephen Doughty.
"The brutal conflict and humanitarian disaster in Sudan remains an urgent priority," he continued. "That is why we will use our presidency this month, and the mandated Council meeting on Sudan on [19 February], to focus on the desperate need to alleviate suffering, protect civilians and end the catastrophic fighting." He said Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Yvette Cooper is expected to chair that meeting.
Turning to the Gaza Strip, Mr. Kariuki voiced the United Kingdom's strong support for United States President Donald J. Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza, which achieved a ceasefire and has accelerated the entry of significantly more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Underlining the need to move that plan forward into its next phases, he welcomed today's opening of the Rafah Crossing from Egypt for people travelling on foot.
"But, this is not enough," he stressed. "Rafah and all crossing must be fully opened for humanitarian aid to enter at scale." In that context, the Council's February monthly meeting on the question of Palestine will address aid delivery, the ceasefire plan's implementation and other critical issues, including the deteriorating conditions in the West Bank.
In addition to the ministerial-level meetings already mentioned, he said, the United Kingdom's Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Chris Elmore, is expected to chair the month's first meeting on counter-terrorism, on 4 February. The Council's annual police commissioners' meeting will take place on 5 February, and mandated meetings will be held on Yemen and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
He said the presidency also plans to hold media stakeouts ahead of the Council's Syria meeting, on 13 February, and its Libya meeting, on 18 February.
Mr. Kariuki responded to several questions from members of the UN Correspondents' Association, including one referencing a letter sent by Secretary-General António Guterres to all Member States about the UN's possible "financial collapse" if countries do not pay their dues in full. Asked what the Council can do to press for action on that front, Mr. Kariuki recalled that Member States have already agreed to a 15 per cent budget cut to improve the Organization's efficiency.
"I don't think it's a matter for the Security Council to have those discussions on financial rules," he said, adding that such matters fall under the purview of the General Assembly. Instead, the Council can do its part by ensuring that it is mandating efficiency and the best "value for money" in all its deployed peace operations.
One correspondent, pointing out that hundreds of Palestinian civilians have been killed since a ceasefire was agreed in Gaza and endorsed by the Council in resolution 2803 (2025), asked whether Council members have any role to play in ensuring the agreement's implementation.
"We have been very clear that everybody must fulfil their commitments under the ceasefire," Mr. Kariuki stressed. "We are now hopefully moving into phase two," he said, citing the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza as one important upcoming step in the agreement's implementation.
Asked for details about the Council's planned meeting on Syria on 13 February, he recalled that the organ held its historic first visit to Damascus in December 2025 and met with a range of women's groups, civil society organizations and minority community representatives. The Council committed to supporting reconstruction efforts, he said, noting that its on-the-ground conversations will guide the meeting this month. "One of the things we will talk about is how we build [an] inclusive Syria," he said.
Mr. Kariuki responded to a question about the Council's visit to Lebanon, held during the same December 2025 mission, and members' views on Israel's continued violations of Lebanon's sovereignty.
He replied that the Council met with the Lebanese Government's team tasked with coordination and deconfliction, which reported a positive increase in contact and cooperation with its Israeli counterparts. "This is a good thing," he said, while acknowledging: "We are still not where we need to be."
Mr. Kariuki also responded to a range of questions in his national capacity, including about the ongoing Ukraine war peace talks, the impact of a reported new bilateral trade agreement between the United States and India, a reported fresh round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, and a Sudan humanitarian aid conference slated to be convened on 3 February.
At the meeting's outset, he condemned the terror attack in Balochistan, Pakistan, over the weekend, adding: "The Council is considering its response to these attacks."
For the full programme of work, please see: https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/programme-work .
