On April 11^th, 2024, the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) organized the fifty third instalment in a series of monthly dialogues between the President of the UN Security Council and Civil Society organizations. The Dialogue was held in-person at United Nations Headquarters and broadcast live on UN Web TV for wider accessibility.

The dialogue featured H.E. Mrs. Vanessa Frazier, Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Malta to the UN, and was moderated by Mr. William Yotive. The event was broadcasted live on UN Web TV and promoted on social media with the hashtag #MeetUNSCPres to allow for a participation from a global audience and wider stakeholder engagement.

Ambassador Frazier shared the Council’s programme of work for the month of February. She spoke about meetings scheduled for the month and focus areas, such as children and armed conflict, Women, Peace and Security, focusing on conflict-related sexual violence, as well as regional focus areas in the Middle East, Yemen, and Haiti.

The floor was then opened for questions from representatives of civil society organizations, inquiring on the current situation in Gaza, the role civil society can play in advocating for democracy and peace, as well as utilizing regional alliances to address global conflict. In her commentary, the Ambassador stressed the importance of sustained aid to be delivered safely to Gaza, and emphasized the value she places on civil society participation. Ambassador Frazier discussed Malta’s utilization of CSO briefers in order to inform the Counsel, as well as to increase the diversity of views presented on a given topic.

In case you missed it, you can watch the full debate here.

WFUNA will continue hosting monthly briefing with subsequent Presidents of the United Nations Security Council. Stay tuned for more information on the next CSO Dialogue!