On October 4th, the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) organized the twentieth installment in a series of monthly dialogues between the President of the UN Security Council and Civil Society organizations at the United Nations Headquarters.
The dialogue featured H.E. Jerry Matthews Matjila, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN, and President of the Security Council for the month of October. WFUNA’s Peace and Security Officer, Mr. Pablo Angulo, moderated the briefing, which was attended by 40 participants from UN-accredited civil society organizations.
The event was webcast 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 Matjila shared the Council’s programme of work for the month of October and highlighted the theme of South Africa’s Presidency – “Continuing the Legacy of Nelson Mandela: Working for a Just and Peaceful World.” He spoke about the Open Debates scheduled for October, including a debate on Peace and Security in Africa: Mobilizing the Youth Towards Silencing the Guns by 2020, and The Centrality of Preventive Diplomacy, Conflict Prevention and Resolution. Ambassador Matjila also stressed that the Security Council plans to address ongoing issues in Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cyprus, and Colombia, Guinea Bissau, Syria and Yemen at the upcoming briefings.
The floor was then opened for questions from representatives of civil society organizations on country specific questions relating to Cameroon, Myanmar, South Sudan, Kashmir and Palestine, as well as topics such as Youth, Peace and Security; Women, Peace and Security; Intersection of Disarmament and Arms Control in Civil Society; Climate Change, and Hate Speech.
In case you missed it, you can watch the full debate below or view the photo gallery here.
WFUNA will continue hosting monthly briefings with subsequent Presidents of the United Nations Security Council. Stay tuned for more information on the twenty-first CSO dialogue!
