Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was unable to chair a plenary session of the United Nations Security Council on Monday, despite Somalia currently holding the rotating presidency of the Council.

The Security Council meeting was held on Monday evening at United Nations Headquarters in New York. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was unable to attend due to severe winter weather conditions across the United States, where heavy snowfall led to the cancellation of more than 10,000 flights, significantly disrupting air travel.

Somalia assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council at the beginning of January 2026, in line with the Council’s monthly rotational system. The role allows the presiding country to guide the Council’s agenda, oversee deliberations, and manage the conduct of meetings during its tenure, which is set to conclude in the coming days.

The anticipated chairing of the session by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had drawn considerable attention. Somalia’s tenure on the Security Council has been viewed as a major diplomatic achievement, following its election to a non-permanent seat and its active engagement in recent high-level debates and discussions at the United Nations.