Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Program Of Work topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DRC lays out Security Council program for July, flags natural-resources agenda and secretary-general process
Summary
Ambassador Zenon Mukongai presented the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Security Council program for July 2026, highlighting briefings on Sudan, Lebanon and Syria; high-level debates on women and the Middle East; a signature focus on natural-resource governance; and responsibility for the secretary-general selection process and related straw poll.
Zenon Mukongai, ambassador and permanent representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United Nations and president of the Security Council for July 2026, presented the Council’s program of work, outlining a schedule of briefings and high-level debates the DRC will chair during its month-long presidency.
Mukongai said the Council will receive a briefing from the International Criminal Court on Sudan on 7 July and will hold a high-level open debate on Women and Peace and Security on 8 July, which he said will be chaired by Prime Minister Judith Sumina and will focus on “honoring the promise of international law to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.”
He listed a series of events through the month, including an area-formula meeting and signature events on natural-resource governance (13 July and 22 July), space for potential adoption of a resolution on the Red Sea on 14 July, a briefing and consultations on Colombia on 15 July, consultations on Lebanon under resolution 1701 and on peacekeeping in Cyprus on 16 July, a briefing on Haiti on 20 July and a session addressing Syriaʼs political and humanitarian developments on 21 July. The Council will hold its monthly meeting at 3:00 p.m. on 30 July.
Mukongai told reporters the secretary-general selection process is also part of the Council’s responsibilities during the DRC presidency and that the first straw poll will occur under their presidency. He said candidate hearings are underway and working meetings with Council members would continue under the DRC’s chairmanship.
On a procedural question about an emergency meeting request, Mukongai said Bahrain had asked for an emergency meeting concerning Iran and that the request had been accepted and would be scheduled for the morning of the 2nd (as stated in the briefing).
Mukongai emphasized that the DRC will seek to lead the Council “with impartiality, transparency, effectiveness and inclusivity,” and that the presidency would remain ready to convene additional meetings if developments require it. “We take up this responsibility with a profound sense of duty and humility,” he said.
The ambassador closed the briefing after answering reporters’ questions and thanked the United Nations Secretariat and the Security Council Affairs Division for their support as the mission assumes the presidency.
