Security Council, Adopting Resolution 2190 (2014), Extends Liberia Mission until 30 September 2015, Bearing in Mind Ebola’s Impact on Reforms
Recognizing that the Ebola outbreak had slowed national reforms, the Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) until 30 September 2015, outlining priorities in the areas of civilian protection, humanitarian assistance support, justice and security body reforms, human rights promotion and protection, and protection of United Nations personnel.
Through resolution 2190 (2014) adopted under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council decided that UNMIL’s authorized strength would remain at up to 4,811 military and 1,795 police personnel. In its duties, UNMIL would protect civilians from threat of physical violence, within its capabilities and areas of deployment, as well as facilitate humanitarian aid provision, in collaboration with Liberia, by helping to establish the necessary security conditions. It also would coordinate with the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), as appropriate.
By other terms, UNMIL would help Liberia develop and implement its national strategy on security sector reform, as well as assist senatorial elections — postponed since October — by providing logistical support. In the area of human rights, it would carry out promotion, protection and monitoring activities, with a focus on abuse against women and children, notably sexual- and gender-based violence.
The Council decided that UNMIL would have a “renewed focus” on supporting the Government in achieving a transition of complete security responsibility to the Liberian National Police, by strengthening its capacity to manage personnel and improve training. It requested the Secretary-General to ensure that the Mission had qualified specialist advisers to help the implementation of sustainable rule of law, justice, governance and security sector reform programmes.
Urging the Government to prioritize the development of security agencies, especially the Liberian National Police, the Council emphasized the need for progress on constitutional and institutional reforms and urged intensified efforts on the transition of security responsibilities from UNMIL to the national authorities. More broadly, it recognized that the Ebola outbreak had put on hold joint activities of Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire and affirmed the importance of inter-mission cooperation arrangements as UNMIL and the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) downsized.
In that context, the Council recalled the Secretary-General’s proposal to establish a quick reaction force to implement UNOCI’s mandate and support UNMIL, as well as its requests to ensure that the unit reached full operational capability no later than May 2015. It requested the Secretary-General to provide a midterm report on the ground situation no later than 30 April 2015 and a final report no later than 15 August 2015.
The meeting began at 3:04 p.m. and ended at 3:08 p.m.
Resolution
The full text of resolution 2190 (2014) reads as follows:
“The Security Council,
“Recalling its previous resolutions, in particular resolutions 1509 (2003), 2066 (2012), 2116 (2013), 2176 (2014), 2177 (2014) and 2188 (2014), the statements of its President concerning the situation in Liberia and the subregion and resolution 2162 (2014) on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire,
“Affirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of Liberia and recalling the principles of good-neighbourliness, non-interference and regional cooperation,
“Affirming that the Government of Liberia bears primary responsibility for ensuring peace, stability and the protection of the civilian population in Liberia and for reforming the security sector, particularly the Liberia National Police (LNP), stressing that lasting stability in Liberia will require the Government of Liberia to sustain well-functioning and accountable government institutions, especially in the security and justice sectors, to build the confidence of all Liberians and urging the Government of Liberia to demonstrate substantive progress in the reform, restructuring and effective functioning of the security and justice sectors to provide for the protection of all Liberians,
“Welcoming the overall progress toward restoring peace, security and stability in Liberia, commending the enduring commitment of the people and Government of Liberia to peace and to developing democratic processes and institutions and initiating important reform efforts and calling on all Liberian stakeholders to intensify momentum toward achieving greater social cohesion,
“Reiterating grave concern about the unprecedented extent of the Ebola outbreak in Africa, and the impact of the Ebola virus on West Africa, including Liberia,
“Recognizing the role of the Government of Liberia in continuing to lead the ground-level response against the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, as well as to address the wider impact of the Ebola outbreak on communities and to plan for the longer term recovery, including with the support of the Peacebuilding Commission, taking note of the Liberia Economic Stabilization and Recovery Plan and commending those Member States, which, in concert with other actors on the ground, continue to provide crucial support to assist the efforts of the Government of Liberia to prevent, respond to, isolate and mitigate suspected cases of Ebola,
“Recognizing that the Ebola outbreak in Liberia has slowed the efforts of the Government of Liberia to advance certain governance and national reform priorities,
“Extolling the continued contribution, commitment and resolve of United Nations personnel, especially the troop- and police-contributing countries of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), to assist in consolidating peace and stability in Liberia, and the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, particularly during the Ebola outbreak and expressing appreciation to the international community, including the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and the Mano River Union, for their continuing support to consolidate peace, security and stability in Liberia,
“Welcoming the efforts undertaken by the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) to provide overall leadership and direction to the operational work of the United Nations System and underscoring the need for relevant United Nations System entities, including the United Nations peacekeeping operations in West Africa, in close collaboration with UNMEER and within their existing mandates and capacities, to provide immediate assistance to the Governments of the most affected countries, including Liberia,
“Noting with concern the potential for conflict over Liberia’s natural resources and disputes related to land ownership and also noting that issues related to corruption continue to threaten to undermine stability and the effectiveness of government institutions,
“Recognizing the extension provided by the Government of Liberia to the Constitution Review Committee, looking forward to a comprehensive, inclusive constitutional review process as well as the development of the National Human Rights Action Plan and the implementation of the National Reconciliation Roadmap and urging efforts to strengthen the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, which could play a key role as a publicly accessible human rights institution and as a mechanism to monitor and follow-up on the implementation of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,
“Welcoming the contributions of the Peacebuilding Commission to security sector reform (SSR), rule of law and national reconciliation in Liberia and emphasizing the need for coherence between, and integration of, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and development to achieve an effective response to post-conflict situations,
“Commending the cooperation between, and significant efforts of, the Government of Liberia and UNMIL to plan, manage and implement UNMIL’s phased military drawdown and expressing concern that the Government has not provided predictable and sustainable funding to shoulder the continuing costs of deploying security personnel and resources, including to operate and maintain the sites vacated by UNMIL,
“Noting the postponement from October 2014 of the Senatorial Elections,
“Expressing appreciation for the continued assistance provided by both the Government and the Liberian people to Ivoirian refugees in eastern Liberia and toward their voluntary repatriation to Côte d’Ivoire,
“Commending the continued efforts of the Government of Liberia to strengthen security cooperation in the subregion, notably with the Governments of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire, and recognizing that the instability in western Côte d’Ivoire continues to pose cross-border security challenges for Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire,
“Recognizing the significant challenges that remain across all sectors, including continuing problems with violent crime, in particular the high rates of sexual and gender-based violence, especially involving children, recalling its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), and 2106 (2013) on women, peace, and security, welcoming the renewed efforts by the Government of Liberia to promote and protect human rights, in particular of women and children and emphasizing that persistent barriers to full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) will only be dismantled through dedicated commitment to women’s empowerment, participation, and human rights, and through concerted leadership, consistent information and action, and support, to build women’s engagement in all levels of decision-making,
“Taking note of the 15 August 2014 report of the Secretary-General (S/2014/598) and the recommendations contained therein on the adjustments to the mandate and reconfiguration of UNMIL, his letter (S/2014/644) dated 28 August 2014 and his update to the Council on 12 November 2014,
“Determining that the situation in Liberia continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region,
“Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,
Governance, Rule of Law, Security Sector Reform and National Reconciliation
“1. Emphasizes that the Government of Liberia bears primary and ultimate responsibility for security and the protection of its population and urges the Government to prioritize the effective and rapid development of the security agencies, especially the LNP, which is the priority law enforcement agency tasked with civilian policing responsibilities, including through the timely provision of sufficient financial resources and other support;
“2. Encourages the Government of Liberia to prioritize its efforts to further national reconciliation and economic recovery, to combat corruption and to promote efficiency and good governance, in particular by continuing to strengthen Government transparency and accountability, including by managing effectively Liberia’s natural resources, emphasizes the importance of pursuing a national reconciliation and social cohesion strategy, through concrete measures to promote national healing, justice and reconciliation at all levels and involving all Liberian stakeholders and calls on the Government of Liberia to continue to support the participation of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding, including in decision-making roles in post-conflict governance institutions and the broad range of reform efforts;
“3. Emphasizes the need for continued progress by the Liberian authorities on constitutional and institutional reforms, especially of the rule of law and security sectors, and the national reconciliation processes, particularly in light of the wider political, security, socioeconomic and humanitarian impact of the Ebola outbreak on communities and the need to plan for the longer term recovery of Liberia, in this regard, requests the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to assist such efforts through the use of good offices and political support, including in view of the Senatorial Elections, and stresses that the responsibility for the preparation, security and conduct of free, fair, transparent and safe elections, including measures to mitigate the potential negative impact of the holding of elections on the spread of Ebola, rests with the Liberian authorities;
“4. Urges the Government of Liberia to intensify its efforts toward achieving progress on the transition of security responsibilities from UNMIL to the national authorities, particularly with regard to prioritizing and resourcing the critical gaps to facilitate a successful transition, improving the capacity and capability of the LNP and the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) as well as the justice sector, including courts and prisons, enabling the promotion of human rights and reconciliation, effective oversight, professionalism, transparency and accountability across all security institutions and strengthening democratic institutions and extension of state authority and services throughout the country for the benefit of all Liberians;
“5. Affirms its expectation that the Government of Liberia will assume fully its complete security responsibilities from UNMIL no later than 30 June 2016 and also affirms its intention to consider, consistent with paragraphs 16 and 17 below, the continued and future reconfiguration of UNMIL accordingly;
“6. Stresses the importance of the Government of Liberia formulating a concrete plan, with timelines and benchmarks, for building the security sector in coordination with the reconfiguration of UNMIL, detailing leadership, coordination, monitoring and resources, oversight mechanisms, early passage of the draft Police Act and further reform of the promotion and manpower policies, with a view to decentralizing the national security institutions, particularly the LNP;
“7. Underscores the importance of the Government of Liberia, in coordination with UNMIL, the United Nations Country Team and international partners, continuing to develop national security and rule of law institutions that are fully and independently operational, and to this end, encourages accelerated coordinated progress on the development and implementation of the Security and Justice Development Plans and the National Human Rights Action Plan, urges the effective, transparent and efficient management by the Government of Liberia of assistance, including from bilateral and multilateral partners, to support the reform of the justice and security sectors and further urges the Government to redouble its efforts to register and track arms and related materiel used and imported by its security forces;
Sexual and Gender-based Violence
“8. Expresses its continued concern that women and girls in Liberia continue to face a high incidence of sexual and gender-based violence, reiterates its call on the Government of Liberia to continue to combat sexual violence, particularly against children, and gender-based violence and to aggressively combat impunity for perpetrators of such crimes and to provide redress, support and protection to victims, including through public information campaigns and by continuing to strengthen national police capacity in this area and to raise awareness of existing national legislation on sexual violence and encourages the Government of Liberia to reinforce its commitment in this regard, including by funding the implementation of its national action plan on sexual and gender-based violence and improving women and girls’ access to justice;
UNMIL mandate
“9. Decides to extend the mandate of UNMIL until 30 September 2015;
“10. Decides that the mandate of UNMIL shall be the following, in priority order:
(a) Protection of Civilians
(i) To protect, without prejudice to the primary responsibility of the Liberian authorities, the civilian population from threat of physical violence, within its capabilities and areas of deployment;
(b) Humanitarian Assistance Support
(i) To facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance, including in collaboration with the Government of Liberia, and those supporting it, and by helping to establish the necessary security conditions;
(ii) To coordinate with UNMEER, as appropriate;
(c) Reform of Justice and Security Institutions
(i) To assist the Government of Liberia in developing and implementing, as soon as possible and in close coordination with bilateral and multilateral partners, its national strategy on Security Sector Reform (SSR);
(ii) To advise the Government of Liberia on SSR and the organization of the LNP and BIN to provide technical assistance, co-location and mentoring programs for the LNP and BIN, with a particular focus on developing the leadership and internal management systems of the LNP and BIN, as well as for justice and corrections;
(iii) To assist the Government of Liberia in extending national justice and security sector services throughout the country through capacity-building and training;
(iv) To assist the Government of Liberia to coordinate these efforts with all partners, including bilateral and multilateral donors;
(d) Electoral Support
(i) To assist the Government of Liberia with the Senatorial Elections by providing logistical support, particularly to facilitate access to remote areas, coordinating international electoral assistance and supporting Liberian institutions and all Liberian stakeholders, including political parties, in creating an atmosphere conducive to the conduct of peaceful elections, including through UNMIL Radio;
(e) Human Rights Promotion and Protection
(i) To carry out promotion, protection and monitoring activities of human rights in Liberia, with special attention to violations and abuses committed against children and women, notably sexual- and gender-based violence;
(ii) To support the strengthening of efforts by the Government of Liberia to combat sexual- and gender-based violence, including its efforts to combat impunity for perpetrators of such crimes;
(f) Protection of United Nations personnel
(i) To protect the United Nations personnel, installations and equipment and ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations and associated personnel;
“11. Decides that UNMIL, in accordance with paragraphs 4, 5, 6 and 10 (c) above, shall put renewed focus on supporting the Government of Liberia to achieve a successful transition of complete security responsibility to the LNP by strengthening its capacity to manage existing personnel and to improve training programs to expedite their readiness to assume security responsibilities throughout Liberia;
“12. Requests UNMIL to ensure that any support provided to non-United Nations security forces is provided in strict compliance with the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy on United Nations Support to non-United Nations Security Forces (S/2013/110);
“13. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that UNMIL has the requisite qualified specialist advisers with the professional skills and experience appropriate to this transition phase in order to enhance mentoring with the aim of increasing the capacity of the Government, particularly the LNP and BIN, to accelerate the implementation of sustainable rule of law, justice, governance and SSR programs, including mechanisms to hold perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence accountable;
“14. States the importance of UNMIL, within its capabilities and areas of deployment, and without prejudice to its mandate, continuing to assist the Government of Liberia, the Committee established pursuant to paragraph 21 of resolution 1521 (2003) and the Panel of Experts and to carry out its tasks, in this regard, set forth in previous resolutions, including resolution 1683 (2006);
Force structure
“15. Decides that UNMIL’s authorized strength shall remain at up to 4,811 military and 1,795 police personnel;
“16. Recalls its endorsement, in its resolution 2066 (2012), of the Secretary-General’s recommendation to decrease UNMIL’s military strength in three phases between August 2012 and July 2015 and affirms its intention to resume the phased drawdown once it has been determined that Liberia has made significant progress in combatting the Ebola outbreak, which represents a threat to the peace and stability of Liberia;
“17. Requests the Secretary-General to provide an update no later than 15 March 2015 on the situation in Liberia, especially an assessment of the impact of the Ebola outbreak on the stability of Liberia and options for resuming the drawdown in line with the objective of completing the security transition as referred to in paragraph 5 above and recognizes that the modalities of the resumption of the phased drawdown, referred to in paragraph 16 above, may require adjustments in light of this update;
Regional and inter-mission cooperation
“18. Recognizes that the Ebola outbreak has put on hold the joint activities between the Governments of Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as between UNMIL and the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), calls on these governments to continue reinforcing their cooperation, particularly with respect to the border area, including through increased monitoring, information sharing, and coordinated actions, and in implementing the shared border strategy to, inter alia, support the disarmament and repatriation of armed elements on both sides of the border and the voluntary return of refugees in safety and dignity, as well as to address the root causes of conflict and tension, and in this regard, calls upon all United Nations entities in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, including all relevant components of UNOCI and UNMIL, within their respective mandates, capabilities and areas of deployment, as well as the two United Nations Country Teams, where relevant and appropriate, to support the Ivoirian and Liberian authorities;
“19. Affirms the importance of inter-mission cooperation arrangements as UNMIL and UNOCI downsize, reaffirms the inter-mission cooperation framework set out in its resolution 1609 (2005), recalls its endorsement in its resolution 2062 (2012) of the recommendation of the Secretary-General to transfer three armed helicopters from UNMIL to UNOCI to be used in both Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia along and across their border and also recalls its decision in its resolution 2162 (2014) that all UNOCI and UNMIL military utility helicopters shall be utilized in both Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia in order to facilitate rapid response and mobility, while not affecting the area of responsibility of either mission;
“20. Recalls the proposal by the Secretary-General as set out in his report of 15 May 2014 (S/2014/342), to establish, in the context of inter-mission cooperation arrangements between UNMIL and UNOCI, for an initial period of one year and within the authorized military strength of UNOCI, a quick reaction force to implement UNOCI’s mandate and to support UNMIL, while reiterating that this unit will remain primarily a UNOCI asset;
“21. Recalls its authorization, pursuant to its resolution 2162 (2014), to the Secretary-General to deploy this unit to Liberia, subject to the consent of the troop contributing countries concerned and the Government of Liberia, in the event of a serious deterioration of the security situation on the ground in order to temporarily reinforce UNMIL with the sole purpose of implementing its mandate and further recalls its requests to the Secretary-General to take steps to ensure that this unit reaches full operational capability as soon as possible, and no later than May 2015, and to inform the Security Council immediately of any deployment of this unit to Liberia and to obtain Security Council authorization for any such deployment for a period that exceeds 90 days;
Reports of the Secretary-General
“22. Requests the Secretary-General to keep it regularly informed of the situation in Liberia and the implementation of the mandate of UNMIL and to provide to it a midterm report no later than 30 April 2015 and a final report no later than 15 August 2015 on the situation on the ground and implementation of this resolution;
“23. Decides to remain seized of the matter.”