In the month of December - a month effectively shortened to three weeks of mandated work due to the imminent year-end holidays - the Security Council will hold signature debates on Afghanistan and "leadership for peace", while also conducting its first visit to the Middle East in six years, said the organ's President for December during a Headquarters press conference today.
"We are assuming the presidency at a time of high geopolitical tensions, fragile global security and humanitarian challenges everywhere," said Samuel Žbogar (Slovenia), whose country holds the 15-member Council's rotating monthly presidency. He added that the Council is likely to hold a meeting on Ukraine and take up numerous mandate renewals and plans to devote a full week to the wide array of mandated country situations in the Middle East.
Noting that December marks Slovenia's second presidency as an elected Council member and the final month of its two-year term, Mr. Žbogar said the delegation will reflect on its tenure after the end of this challenging month.
However, he noted one main lesson learned: "There is a great lack of trust [both] within the Council and within the international community." Significant work is needed to recommit to peace and to make the UN an institution "where everyone will find a place, a shield and a rescue".
Planned Visits to Syria and Lebanon
Turning to the details of the month's programme of work, he said the Council's planned visit to Syria and Lebanon - its first to the region in six years and its first-ever visit to Syria - "comes at a crucial time for the region and for these two countries". It has been a year since the fall of the Al-Assad regime in Syria and a year since a ceasefire was agreed in Lebanon, which continues to face daily challenges. It is now critical to show solidarity with people in both countries and discuss their paths forward.
Upon their return, on 8 December, he said members will be briefed on the UN's cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Then, on 10 December - Human Rights Day - the Council will hold a special stakeout on human rights followed by a meeting on Afghanistan, to be chaired by Minister for Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon.
Open Debate: Leadership for Peace
On 15 December, the Council will hold an open debate on the topic "leadership for peace", building on a 2024 meeting on that same theme. This year, Slovenia will urge delegations to consider the many ways in which the UN is being challenged - from financial constraints to the erosion of respect for the Charter and international law to attacks on humanitarian workers.
That debate will also focus on the UN's highest-ranking leadership position, that of Secretary-General, he said, recalling that the Presidents of the Security Council and the General Assembly sent a joint letter at the end of November formally asking for candidate submissions. The open debate should be a time when Member States can share their thoughts on what kind of leader the UN needs next. "The role of the Secretary-General is an impossible job […] especially in these challenging times," he said.
Third Week of December: Focus on Middle East
During the third week of December, he said, Council members will turn their attention fully to the Middle East, with mandated discussions on the question of Palestine, Yemen, Syria and Libya. In addition, on 2 December, members will hear a final briefing from the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which is slated to close at the end of 2025.
Mandate Expirations and Renewals
Regarding Africa, he went on to note that the Council will meet on 19 December to consider extending the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) amid complicated new developments on the ground. Members will also convene on 11 December to discuss the work of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) and on 18 December to discuss the Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWA).
He said members will also consider several other mandates which are slated to expire in December - namely, those of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), the 2713 sanctions committee on Al-Shabaab and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED).
In addition, the Council is already preparing possible presidential statements marking 30 years since the signature of the 1995 Dayton Accord, which ended the three-and-a-half-year-long Bosnian war, as well as on peacekeeping operations and the youth, peace and security agenda. Ad hoc meetings are also expected to be called by Council members on matters that could include Myanmar, Sudan and the one-month anniversary of the ceasefire agreed in Gaza.
Questions and Answers with Media Correspondents
Mr. Žbogar also responded to several questions from media correspondents.
Asked to elaborate on the expected scenarios this month vis-à-vis Ukraine, he said that Slovenia - as penholder on the Ukraine file - calls monthly meetings to provide regular updates and "keep Ukraine on the agenda". Now, with negotiations ongoing between the parties, a meeting is equally important. While no outcome is expected as early as December, it remains possible that an agreement could be reached and that the Council would be called upon to endorse it. "It's out of our hands how these [talks] will end or where they will lead to," he said.
Responding to a question about next steps for "snapback sanctions" on Iran, he said the Council will receive a report from the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) in December, and a meeting will likely be called when it is received. Regarding sanctions, he said a sanctions committee will be formed early in 2026 and a chair will be appointed. "That might be challenging […] because you need a consensus," he stressed, noting that Council members do not agree among themselves on that issue.
Asked about the imminent Council visit to Syria and Lebanon - which will include delegates from all 15 members - he said planning the trip and garnering the agreement of all Council members was not easy. "First, we want to convey a message of support," he said, noting that a lack of trust in the UN still lingers in Syria. The Council will also lay out its expectations regarding efforts to combat terrorism and other matters.
In Lebanon, he said the Council's message will also be one of support for the country's leadership. Members will visit United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) troops and see the Blue Line on the border with Israel.
Asked about the ongoing situation in Gaza and the Council's recent resolution endorsing a ceasefire and a "Board of Peace", he said the organ now enjoys a monitoring role in the sense that it receives written reports on the resolution's implementation every six months. In addition, members can request briefings on the text's implementation at any time.
Regarding escalating tensions in the Caribbean Sea, where the United States continues to ramp up its military presence, he said the Council stands ready to meet in case a member deems it necessary.
Finally, asked to elaborate on the "leadership for peace" debate and his comment regarding the deterioration of trust in the UN system, Mr. Žbogar recalled that - while discussing that topic in 2024 - the Council adopted a presidential statement in which all members recommitted to abide by the UN Charter. While that may sound easy, it was not.
This month's open debate will provide Member States a chance to continue to reflect broadly on what they want to see in the next Secretary-General, he said, as well as on the UN's still-crucial role on the world stage. He voiced his hope that the discussion "will trigger the realization that we need to fight for the UN [and] that there is no alternative to the UN".
For the full programme of work, please see: https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/programme-work .
