Security Council to begin talks on Somalia draft resolution, President says

The United Nations Security Council will be considering a draft resolution on Somalia this week as it looks for progress on the situation in that country, the current President of the 15-member body said today.

Speaking to reporters outside the Council's chambers following closed-door consultations, Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock of the United Kingdom said that the draft resolution, to be introduced this week by the Norwegian delegation, would be discussed by experts "to take forward our business on Somalia."

During its meeting, the Council also discussed the prospects of the conference in Nairobi, led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is now scheduled to take place in September, Ambassador Greenstock said.

"The Council focused in some detail on what is going on in Somalia and what the parties need to do to make that conference a success," he said.

Earlier Tuesday, the Council heard a briefing from the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Kieran Prendergast, and also discussed the recent briefing by Winston Tubman, the Representative of Secretary-General Kofi Annan for Somalia and the head of the UN Political Office in the country.