国际英语新闻:UN Security Council approves busy agenda for November: president

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- November will be a busy month for the United Nations Security Council, with consultations that address almost all of the "global hotspots" of conflict, said Indian Ambassador to the UN Hardeep Puri on Friday, who holds the rotating presidency this month.

Almost every global hotspot will be covered in the work of the Security Council during the month of November, Puri said at a press conference concerning the agenda that was approved by the 15- member Council on Friday morning. The agenda includes consultations on South Sudan and Sudan, the conflict in Syria and the Middle East, Somalia, sanctions on Libya, the International Criminal Court, situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Western Sahara region, he said.

The work program is impacted by the UN's closure for three days earlier this week due to Hurricane Sandy. The former Security Council President Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala, who holds the presidency for October, was "not able to convene all the scheduled meetings so we've tried to take them on board," said Puri

The Council will also hold three open thematic debates on piracy, women, peace and security as well as the working methods of the Security Council for this month.

The situation in Mali is not on the agenda. Whether or not it will be addressed by the Council depends on the outcome of the report of the secretary-general due on Nov. 26, said the president.