France will hold the monthly presidency of the UN Security Council from July 1, 2021. Following the presidency of Estonia, whose achievements it commends and preceding that of Ireland which will start on September 1, the French presidency is part of a European sequence at the Security Council.
Under the UN Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and international security. As a permanent member, France has a special responsibility in those areas.
While the international community is facing multiple challenges, France intends to promote, together with its partners, an ambitious Security Council vision; the Security Council plays a key role in responding to crises, notably through the peaceful resolution of disputes.
For the first time since the start of the crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, all Security Council meetings scheduled for July will take place in person. During its presidency, France will continue to work to ensure respect for multilingualism, a fundamental United Nations principle.
On this occasion, France will organize several important meetings to be chaired by Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian:
- On July 15, the Minister will preside over a ministerial-level meeting of the Security Council focusing on the situation in Libya
- On July 16, he will preside over a ministerial-level meeting on protecting the humanitarian space.
The French Security Council Presidency will also be punctuated by regular deadlines such as the renewal of mandates for peacekeeping operations, speeches by the UN Secretariat and open debates. It will continue to monitor the situation in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, the Middle East, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, West Africa, Cyprus, Colombia and Central Asia.