Considering the effects of sanctions against civilians, what plans and measures does the UN Security Council have on its agenda to reduce the effects of these sanctions?
Speaking in my national capacity, our long standing position has been that sanctions are not intended to target the lives of ordinary people. I believe this is also a shared view among member states, especially when it comes to the possible impact of sanctions on humanitarian assistance. I will not go into what the Security Council will or will not do at this stage other than to say that the members are all seized of this matter.
What measures do the 10 non-permanent members of the UN Security Council have on their agenda to create transparency and accountability of the Council during its two-year term?
The elected members have an important role to play since they have the mandate given to them by the General Assembly. However, I speak here not just as an elected member but representing all the 15 members of the Security Council to say that there is a general sense that transparency and accountability needs to be improved and there is already some progress in this regard. For instance, the report of the Security Council to the General Assembly is being submitted on time.
Nevertheless, there are also areas where there could be major improvements, particularly in the working of the sanctions committees where it is important that requests for listing and delisting are treated objectively based on evidence.
What is UN Security Council’s plan to solve issues like Afghanistan where many people are living under treacherous and difficult conditions?
On 30 August, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2593 which lays down the expectations of the international community vis-à-vis Afghanistan. These include humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people, formation of a truly inclusive and representative government, combating terrorism and drug trafficking and preserving the rights of women, children, and minorities. These expectations have not changed, and all these priorities are equally important. As far as the humanitarian situation is concerned, the members of the Security Council are all concerned. We have a meeting on Afghanistan scheduled for the month. Among the briefers will also be the Emergency Relief Coordinator who will brief the Council on the humanitarian situation and how the international community can help. There is broad support within the Council on the humanitarian carve-out extended by Resolution 2615.
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