NEW YORK, NY [UN] –GNUSA – Rev. Papadopoulos
[Photos: GANP/ Dimitris Panagos]
The Security Council will convene its signature event of the month on May 20 — an open high-level debate on maritime security, held under the overarching theme of maintaining international peace and security, the Council’s President for May announced today [May 1] at a United Nations Headquarters press conference.
Ambassador Evangelos C. Sekeris, Permanent Representative of Greece, the country that holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member organ this month, told reporters that the event — titled “Strengthening Maritime Security through International Cooperation for Global Security” — will be chaired by Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. UN Secretary-General António Guterres will serve as the main briefer, and the President of the Board of Directors of the Union of Greek Shipowners, Melina Travlos, will also address the Council.
Greece has “elevated” the representation to the highest political level to highlight the strong interest Athens places on this critical issue — as a UN Member State, a maritime nation and “home to one of the world’s largest merchant fleets”, Mr. Sekeris said.
Ambassador Sekeris emphasized that many Member States recognize the critical importance of maritime security, particularly the need to protect freedom of navigation, secure global supply chains and raise awareness of the complexities and gravity of maritime threats.
Looking ahead, the Council will also hold its annual open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict on May 22, which will be elevated to ministerial level and chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece, Giorgos Gerapetritis. Several senior UN officials and a representative of civil society are expected to brief the organ.
As Ambassador Sekeris stressed, Greece during its Council presidency will aim to highlight the vital role of this annual debate in safeguarding women, children and other vulnerable populations during armed conflict.
Referring to other highlights on the calendar, he noted that on May 6, the Council will convene its semi-annual debate on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina; on May 14, it will hold its monthly briefing on the situation in Yemen, followed by a briefing on Libya on May 16 by Karim Khan, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
On May 21, under Greece’s presidency, the Council will conduct its monthly open briefing on the situation in Syria, he continued. On May 27, it will hold elections to appoint a new judge to the International Court of Justice and finally, on May 28, the Council will hold its monthly briefing on the situation in the Middle East, with a focus on the Palestinian question.
