By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, March 1 – With the United Kingdom taking over the Presidency of the UN Security Council for March, Ambassador Matthew Rycroft on March 1 took 20 questions from the media. Inner City Press asked him why the meetings on Burundi on March 9 and on Yemen on March 29 are both closed door. Video here.
On Burundi, Rycroft referred to France as the penholder. On Yemen -- on which the UK holds the pen -- he said sometimes there is a benefit to a closed door discussion. Fine: but what's the problem with an open briefing, then closed consultations? The Free UN Coalition for Access will continue to pursue this.
On Yemen Inner City Press also asked if the UK's findings as it looks into more than 250 incidents of the Saudi led coalition will be shared with the Security Council. It remains unclear.
At the end, Inner City Press asked Rycroft if Nick Kay is still a candidate to be UN Envoy to Libya. Rycroft said the UK supports current envoy Martin Kobler but if he is to be changed, it should be fast, there is momentum.
Rycroft said that civil society will be invited to participate in the month's wrap up session, a first. Boris Johnson will chair the March 23 meeting on South Sudan, and something on Somalia later that day. We'll have more on this.
