Today, August 1, the United States assumes the presidency of the United Nations Security Council, presenting an opportunity to bring additional focus to issues that are important to the United States and essential to the Security Council’s mandate of maintaining international peace and security.
The United States will focus on two of the Biden Administration’s top foreign policy priorities: Combating food insecurity and defending human rights.
For the third time during her tenure, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Representative to the UN, will spotlight food insecurity and the conflicts that exacerbate it, including Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.
During its last Security Council presidency in May 2022, the United States convened partners from around the world to craft a Roadmap for Global Food Security. This year, the United States will take additional steps to galvanize partners on this issue. On Thursday, August 3, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will chair a High-Level Open Debate on Famine and Conflict-Induced Global Food Insecurity, the United States’ signature event.
Armed conflict also continues to threaten human rights around the world. The United States will use its Security Council presidency to elevate human rights and draw renewed attention to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – as relevant today as when it was adopted nearly 75 years ago.
The United States will also preside over a full planned Program of Work in the Security Council, including briefings and consultations on a range of issues of significance to international peace and security, including regularly scheduled meetings on ISIL, Lebanon, Libya, the Middle East, Syria, and Yemen. The United States also plans to hold meetings on Ukraine and Mali during the month of August.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield will preview the United States’ planned Program of Work at a UN press conference on August 1 at 2:00 p.m. ET. The press conference and open meetings of the Security Council will be broadcast live via UN WebTV: http://webtv.un.org/.
Source : U.S. Mission to the United Nations
