Algeria lays out Security Council program prioritizing Gaza briefings, counterterrorism in Africa and Libya sanctions review

Algerian Ambassador Ammar Ben Grama, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations, opened a press briefing saying Algeria is assuming the Security Council presidency for January and set out a program of work focused on Gaza, counterterrorism in Africa and several regional situations.

Algeria announced a briefing on attacks on hospitals in Gaza scheduled for the next morning; a ministerial-level open debate on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres expected to brief; and a high-level event on counterterrorism in Africa to be chaired by Algeria’s foreign minister, Ahmed Ataf, on Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. "We will continue to highlight the suffering of Palestine, the humanitarian crisis that is catastrophic in Gaza," Ben Grama said, calling for an "immediate and conditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza."

Why it matters: the program centers on issues that members and many U.N. observers have said pose immediate humanitarian and security risks — including civilian harm in Gaza, instability in Libya, and militant activity across parts of Africa. Algeria signaled it will press the council to address those crises through briefings, debates and a dedicated counterterrorism event.

In outlining the agenda, Ben Grama congratulated five newly elected nonpermanent members — Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia — and thanked the outgoing members Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland for their terms. He said the presidency will be "efficient, proactive, open, [and] transparent" and listed planned sessions covering Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas.

On Gaza and Palestine, Ben Grama said the council would hold an immediate briefing on recent attacks on health facilities and will elevate the quarterly open debate on the Middle East to ministerial level on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. "As the Arab member of the Security Council, the cause and issues related to the Arab region, particularly the situation in Lebanon, Syria, Sudan and Yemen, remain a major concern of ours," he said, adding Algeria will coordinate with "Palestinian brothers and humanitarian workers" and take measures "as the situation requires."

Ben Grama quoted Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as saying Algeria "will never drop the Palestinian cause until Palestine can create its independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital." He said Algeria backs UNRWA and intends to call for a meeting in the third decade of January to discuss support for the agency, which Ben Grama described as "irreplaceable and should continue to work and to fulfill its mandate given overwhelmingly by the General Assembly."

On Libya, Ben Grama said Algeria is "profoundly concerned" by the prolonged crisis and cited foreign interference as a principal driver of instability. He said Algeria supports a Libyan-led political process and described the existing Libya sanctions regime as a protective mechanism to create conditions for peace; he emphasized the importance of the effectiveness of the arms embargo and safeguarding frozen Libyan assets.

Regarding Syria, Ben Grama said Resolution 2254 contains "principles on which we can build a better future for all Syrians" and described Algeria’s approach as supporting a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned transition. He said a Security Council meeting on Syria is scheduled for Jan. 8 to receive a report from the U.N. special representative and to debate assistance for reconstruction and governance.

On Western Sahara, Ben Grama said the council met three months earlier to renew the MINURSO mandate and that Algeria does not plan to place the issue on the January agenda unless new developments occur; he said a relevant meeting is expected in April and reiterated support for a solution compatible with Security Council resolutions and the self-determination aspirations of the people of Western Sahara.

Ben Grama also said Algeria will dedicate a signature event of its presidency to counterterrorism in Africa and that Algeria — citing its own history confronting terrorism — will offer experience and support to multilateral cooperation on the issue. "We would like the United Nations to continue to discuss how we should best deal with the issue of terrorism and organizing multilateral cooperation," he said.

Journalists asked whether the council would pursue a new resolution on Gaza and whether sanctions against Israel would be considered; Ben Grama said decisions on any resolution will depend on consultations with council members and reiterated calls for action to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law. On settlements and other measures, he said Council members have expressed opposition but that more must be done to stop settlement activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

The ambassador addressed other procedural items the presidency will handle this month, including the renewal of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) later in the month and regular briefings on country situations such as Colombia. He also said Algeria will press for convergence and complementarity among international and regional organizations working on Libya to avoid duplication of efforts.

No formal council decisions, votes or resolutions were announced at the press briefing; Ben Grama described planned meetings and priorities for Algeria’s monthlong presidency and said resulting actions would depend on consultations and the positions of other Security Council members.

Looking ahead, the Algerian presidency’s priorities for January, as stated at the briefing, center on immediate humanitarian concerns in Gaza, support for UNRWA, counterterrorism cooperation for Africa, renewal and oversight of sanctions and peacekeeping mandates and continued attention to Syria and Western Sahara.