S/PV.9441 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to documents S/2023/720 and S/2023/724, which contain the text of letters dated 29 September 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Al-Shabaab addressed to the President of the Security Council. At this meeting, the Council will hear a briefing by Ambassador Kimihiro Ishikane, Permanent Representative of Japan, in his capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Al-Shabaab. I now give the floor to Ambassador Ishikane. Mr. Ishikane: As mandated by paragraph 11 (g) of resolution 1844 (2008), I have the honour to brief the Security Council in my capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992), concerning Al-Shabaab, covering the period from 16 June 2023 to 17 October 2023. I would like to begin by noting that since my previous briefing to the Council (see S/PV.9349), the members of the Committee have met twice in informal consultations. On 28 September they met to hear briefings, respectively, by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Panel of Experts on Somalia also participated in these briefings as an observer. The two related written reports were transmitted to the Council after the briefings, with the report of the Emergency Relief Coordinator issued as document S/2023/720. On 29 September, the Committee members met to receive a presentation from the Panel of Experts on Somalia on its final report and to discuss its recommendations. That report was also subsequently transmitted to the Council and issued as document S/2023/724. The OCHA briefing of 28 September focused on the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Somalia and on any impediments to it, pursuant to the humanitarian carveouts provided for in resolutions 2662 (2022) and 2664 (2022). After providing an overview of the humanitarian situation in Somalia, the Deputy Director of OCHA’s Operations and Advocacy Division elaborated on the security impediments to the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The UNODC briefing on the same date covered two issues within the framework of resolution 2662 (2022), namely, maritime security and countering the financing of terrorism in Somalia. The UNODC representatives covered, inter alia, the topics of implementing the charcoal ban and managing the charcoal stockpiles, enhancing regional cooperation on illicit maritime flows, protecting fisheries and disrupting Al-Shabaab operations and finances. In his remarks on 29 September, the Coordinator of the Panel of Experts provided an update on recent developments in Somalia since the submission to the Committee of the Panel’s final report in late August 2023. He informed the Committee of the security situation in Somalia and the work conducted by the Panel on managing weapons and ammunition, tracing weapons and ammunition captured from Al-Shabaab, and implementing the one-off exemption to the charcoal ban in accordance with resolution 2696 (2023). In its final report, the Panel made nine recommendations — four are addressed to the Security Council and five to the Committee. The Committee is currently considering the recommendations addressed to it. During the reporting period, the Committee received two thematic updates from the Panel of Experts. One update covered the issue of the misappropriation of Somali financial resources. The other dealt with efforts to disrupt Al-Shabaab finances. The Committee also communicated with Member States and United Nations bodies on various matters. It sent letters to Somalia in connection with recommendations contained in the Panel’s first thematic update and the Panel’s midterm update, as well as on Somalia’s proposal for the one-off complete disposal of the charcoal stockpile by export. The Committee also requested and received clarification from Bulgaria on an advance delivery notification submitted by it. Furthermore, with respect to the recommendations contained in the Panel’s first thematic update, the Committee sent letters to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia and to the Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service. The Committee also issued a press release on the conflict in Las Anod and a note verbale to all Member States on charcoal matters and vessel inspections related to the smuggling of weapons to Somalia. I will now summarize the statistics with regard to arms embargo exemption notifications. During the reporting period, the Committee received 12 notifications pursuant to paragraph 15 and annex B of resolution 2662 (2022). The Committee also received three post-delivery notifications pursuant to paragraph 18 of resolution 2662 (2022). Lastly, on 17 August, the Secretary-General appointed the humanitarian expert for the Panel of Experts, a position that had been vacant since the beginning of the mandate, and the Panel is now at its full authorized strength of six experts. I would like to conclude my briefing by expressing our support for the work of the Panel and stress the need to ensure the safety of the Panel members for the full implementation of their mandate.

I thank Ambassador Ishikane for his briefing.