The United Nations Security Council is holding an expanded session today, Tuesday, on the course of chemical weapons disarmament in Syria, chaired by Adiji Abu, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs. There will be a hearing session for interventions by Council member states on this topic, followed by a closed consultations session.

The Security Council will also hold a hearing this evening under the item "Threats to International Peace and Security," from the Council's agenda, based on a request from the Russian representative to the Council. Sources in the Security Council said the session will focus on the explosions on September 26 of last year of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, which sustained severe damage that led to its shutdown at that time.

The Security Council had begun its work for this week with a session held yesterday on the mechanism for delivering humanitarian aid to Syria through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing in the north of the country with Turkey, without the need for prior approval from the Syrian government.

The Security Council also discussed yesterday the resolution to extend the mandate of the United Nations mission in Yemen under the Hodeidah Agreement. Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Representative for Yemen and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya spoke on the matter.