Geneva, 28 July 2023
United States to Assume the Presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of August with a focus on food insecurity and human rights.
Signature event on August 3 will address food insecurity for the third consecutive Security Council Presidency.
For the month of August, the United States will serve as President of the United Nations Security Council, a position that rotates every month among the 15 Council members.
In this role, the United States will be responsible for setting the agenda of the Security Council for the month, organizing Security Council meetings, managing the distribution of information to Council members, issuing statements, and communicating the Council’s actions to the public.
A top priority for the United States during its Security Council presidency will be addressing food insecurity.
“The Biden Administration has been rallying the world to address this challenge, including by launching the Roadmap for Global Food Security last year,” said Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Representative to the United Nations. “I’ve seen starvation up close with my own eyes, which is why I’ve made food security the focus of all three of our UN Security Council presidencies during my tenure. We cannot look away from the millions who are worried about where they’ll find their next meal or how they’ll feed their families.”
As part of the focus on addressing food insecurity, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will chair the United States’ signature event, a High-Level Open Debate on Famine and Conflict-Induced Global Food Insecurity planned for August 3. This event builds on the March 2021 and May 2022 UN Security Council signature events drawing attention to the link between conflict and food insecurity.
The United States will also prioritize the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms by calling attention to human rights situations in countries like the DPRK and Syria. It will also elevate human rights at every opportunity throughout the month – a nod to the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – by including voices from civil society in the Council’s meetings.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield will preview the United States’ planned Program of Work during a press conference August 1 at 1:00 pm. For additional updates, visit https://usun.usmission.gov/united-states-presidency-of-the-un-security–council-august-2023/ . Security Council briefings and meetings can be viewed at http://webtv.un.org/ .
Source – US Mission Geneva