France assumes rotating UN Security Council presidency for March

France on Sunday assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for March.

Francois Delattre, the permanent representative of France to the United Nations, took over the rotating council presidency from Liu Jieyi, the Chinese ambassador to the UN, who held the council presidency for February.

Last month, the Security Council held 35 meetings to consider more than 20 agenda items, including those on Syria, Yemen, Libya, South Sudan and Ukraine, adopting seven resolutions, two presidential statements and issuing 15 press statements.

Also, China held an open debate on maintaining international peace and security commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN and the victory of the Second World War.

In March, an open debate is planned on children and armed conflict, with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expected among the briefers. Also planned is a debate on Afghanistan, during which the Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

In addition, Council members will send a visiting mission to the Central African Republic (CAR), Ethiopia and Burundi. The four- day visit to the CAR will be the Council's first to the country.

Under the UN Charter, the Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security in the world at large.

The Council is composed of five permanent members -- China, the United States, Britain, France, and the Russian Federation -- and 10 non-permanent members that are elected in groups of five, with a tenure of two years on the Council.

The presidency of the Council rotates among its 15 member states based on the English-language alphabetical order of the countries' names on a monthly basis. Endite