Estonia's presidency in UN Security Council May 2020

Priorities of the Estonian presidency

• We will keep the coronavirus crisis in focus, as the crisis also poses a threat to the global security environment. From the perspective of peace and security, it is crucial to follow the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire, continue peacekeeping missions and ensure full access to humanitarian aid in crisis areas. For several months now, Estonia has led discussions on the pandemic at the Security Council, and at our initiative, a council meeting was held on the issue for the first time on 9 April. During the presidency, it was Estonia’s continued aim to keep the Security Council focused on risks related to COVID-19. We organised a meeting of permanent representatives with the Secretary-General of the UN on the implementation of his call for a global ceasefire to allow countries to deal with the pandemic. We also worked to make sure that members of the Security Council are informed about important developments related to COVID-19. Human rights are critical for the response to and recovery from the pandemic.
• Improving transparency and working methods during the crisis. We ensured that the transparency and efficiency of the Council’s work are safeguarded to the maximum extent. Our aim was to make sure that the virtual, video teleconference meetings of the Security Council are as similar to the regular Council meetings as possible. We strived to allow for the maximum participation of UN member states in the Council’s open meetings. Representatives of the civil society had the possibility to brief the members of the Council where appropriate. In order to increase efficiency and transparency, Estonia held an open debate on the working methods of the Council on 15 May. 
• Principles of international law must be followed and violations should be highlighted. For Estonia, the most important principle is the prohibition of the use and threat of force. May marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War on European soil. On 8 May, Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu hosted a high-level informal Security Council meeting on European security, which focused on the lessons learnt for preventing future atrocities and on the responsibility of the Security Council. At the end of the month, with the Secretary-General attending, the Security Council also discussed the protection of civilians and the importance of international humanitarian law; Estonia’s national statement was made by President Kaljulaid. International law, human rights violations and accountability were in our focus. In this context, the situation in Syria and the three tracks of the Security Council agenda (political, humanitarian, and chemical weapons) remained a priority for us. 
• We will also raise the issue of emerging security threats. At the initiative of Estonia and with the United Kingdom and the United States, the issue of cybersecurity was raised at the UN Security Council table for the first time on 5 March. As the president of the Council, we continued raising awareness of emerging threats. Particularly now, when cyberattacks and cyber crime have increased during the pandemic, it was high time to discuss the common rules for a stable and peaceful cyberspace. We called an informal video meeting of the Council on this issue in a format that would enable other UN members to take part.