Security Council Adopts Resolution 2267 (2016) Granting One-Year Mandate Extension to United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau
Text Demands that National Defence, Security Forces Submit to Civilian Authority
The Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) for one year today, amid a political crisis in that country and ahead of the Council’s visit to West Africa in March.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2267 (2016), the 15-member Council, expressed strong support for UNIOGBIS and for the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in the country, affirming that they would continue to lead international efforts to help the Government of Guinea-Bissau strengthen democratic institutions, promote and protect human rights and incorporate a gender perspective into peacebuilding. The United Nations would also offer strategic and technical advice on how to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, and establish effective law enforcement and criminal justice systems.
The Council called upon Guinea-Bissau’s President, Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament and leaders of political parties to abide by their commitment to restore political stability in the country, while working together, as well as with the military and civil society to address the root causes of instability. It also reiterated its demand that the security and defence services submit fully to civilian control.
Also by the text, the Council urged Bissau-Guinean national stakeholders to commit to re-establishing momentum for progress in key areas outlined in the “Terra Ranka” development programme presented to donors at a Brussel round table in March 2015, and invited partners to fulfil their pledges made there.
Speaking after the resolution’s adoption, Fodé Seck (Sénégal) said the text expressed the Council’s concern over the human rights situation in Guinea-Bissau and tensions among the President, Prime Minister, National Assembly and political leaders, which had considerably hindered reforms under way. In that regard, the Council was urging national authorities to end impunity against those violating human rights abuses, particularly those of women and children, and to respect the separation of powers and the rule of law, he said. He appealed to the Council, as well as bilateral, subregional and regional partners, to continue supporting Guinea-Bissau in an effort to break the current deadlock.
The meeting began at 10:06 a.m. and ended at 10:11 a.m.
Resolution
The full text of resolution 2267 (2016) reads as follows:
“The Security Council,
“Recalling its previous resolutions, statements of its President and press statements on the situation in Guinea-Bissau, in particular resolutions 1876 (2009), 2030 (2011), 2048 (2012), 2092 (2013), 2103 (2013), 2157 (2014), 2186 (2014) and 2203 (2015),
“Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on Guinea-Bissau, dated 12 February 2016 (S/2016/141) and the recommendations contained therein, and underscoring the Secretary-General’s positive appreciation of the role of his Special Representative and head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) in assisting the government of Guinea-Bissau,
“Stressing the need for the Government of Guinea-Bissau to continue to take concrete steps towards peace, security and stability in the country, by effectively reforming the Security Sector, tackling corruption through the reinforcement of the judicial system, improving public administration and State revenue’s management, as well as the supply of basic services to the population, and commending its commitment to the implementation of its national priorities,
“Expressing concerns over the ongoing political and institutional tensions among the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Parliament and heads of political parties which has prevented the country from moving forward with its national reform agenda for over six months (para 89 SG’s report) and threaten to undermine the progress made in Guinea-Bissau since the restoration of constitutional order following the elections held in 2014,
“Welcoming the continued engagement of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Miguel Trovoada, the Senegalese President, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Guinean President, ECOWAS Mediator for Guinea-Bissau, the Special Envoy of the Nigerian President, and other interlocutors in the search for a peaceful solution to the impasse and recalling the need for concerted action among the United Nations, ECOWAS, the African Union, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries and the European Union,
“Emphasizing the need for respect of democratic principles and stressing the importance of national reconciliation, inclusive dialogue and good governance, essential for the attainment of lasting peace in Guinea-Bissau, further stressing the importance of including all Bissau-Guineans in this process at national and local levels, while upholding the principles of separation of powers, rule of law, justice and combating impunity and encouraging all stakeholders to engage in the process,
“Stressing that the consolidation of peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau can only result from a consensual, inclusive and nationally owned process, respect for constitutional order, priority reforms in the defence, security and justice sectors, the promotion of the rule of law, the protection of human rights, the promotion of socioeconomic development and the fight against impunity and drug trafficking,
“Reaffirming the importance of the continued non-interference of the defence and security forces in the political situation in Guinea-Bissau, and commending the restraint shown in this regard, as well as the peacefulness of the people of Guinea-Bissau,
“Underscoring the importance of the Government of Guinea-Bissau, with the support of UNIOGBIS and international partners, to continue developing national security and rule of law institutions that are transparent, accountable and professional,
“Stressing that all stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau should work to ensure short-, medium- and long-term stability through clear commitment and genuine inclusive political dialogue aimed at creating conditions conducive to finding viable and sustainable solutions to the country’s social, economic, political and military problems, which would facilitate the implementation of key reforms and the strengthening of State institutions,
“Noting efforts of the Government to gain effective civilian control and oversight over the defence and security forces, as failure to do so could adversely affect the effective functioning of State institutions, as a result of collusion between some political actors and the military leadership,
“Commending the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States in helping to sustain peace, security and development and to support the security sector reform (SSR) process in Guinea-Bissau namely through the activities of its Mission (ECOMIB),
“Welcoming the continued contribution of ECOMIB in ensuring an environment that enables the implementation of critical reforms in the defence and security sector and encouraging the international community to support the continuation of such efforts,
“Taking note with concern of the financial difficulties faced by ECOMIB in continuing to implement its mandate,
“Reiterating its call on the Government of Guinea-Bissau to conduct transparent, independent and credible investigations into all alleged human rights violations and abuses, in accordance with international standards, and to hold those responsible accountable for their actions,
“Reiterating its concern at the threat posed by drug trafficking and related transnational organized crime to peace and stability; and in this regard, welcoming the efforts of the Government of Guinea-Bissau, ECOWAS, UNIOGBIS, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other relevant stakeholders in combating this issue,
“Re-emphasizing the need to tackle the problem of drug trafficking in the countries of origin, transit and final destination on a basis of a common and shared responsibility, to tackle the world drug problem and related criminal activities; and, in this regard, stressing the need for increased coherence, coordination and efficiency among relevant partners to enhance their collective efforts, in particular through sharing of information, underlining that any lasting solution to instability in Guinea-Bissau should include concrete actions to fight impunity and ensure that those responsible for politically motivated assassinations and other serious crimes such as breaches of constitutional order and drug trafficking-related activities are brought to justice, including through national judicial mechanisms,
“Reiterating the importance and urgency of the continued evaluation capacity and support provided by the relevant United Nations (UN) entities and international, regional, subregional and bilateral partners for the long-term security and development of Guinea-Bissau, particularly towards the implementation of security and justice sectors reforms, the fight against transnational organized crime as well as the creation of an enabling environment for good governance and inclusive and sustainable social development, and in this regard, commending the important work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in collaboration with relevant UN entities in Guinea-Bissau and the subregion, and encouraging enhanced cooperation between UNODC and UNIOGBIS,
“Emphasizing the role of UNICEF working closely with government to create the proper conditions to provide education for the children of Guinea-Bissau,
“Emphasizing the important role of women in prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, as recognized in resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013), and 2242 (2015),
“Welcoming the cooperation between UNIOGBIS, national authorities and civil society organizations to increase women’s participation in Guinea-Bissau and underlining that a gender perspective must continue to inform the implementation of all relevant aspects of the mandate of UNIOGBIS,
“Reaffirming that Guinea-Bissau’s partners should continue to actively and closely coordinate their actions in support of the Government’s efforts to address the country’s political, security and development challenges, and in this regard, welcoming the coordinated support provided by the country’s partners, namely those in the UN system, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), the European Union (EU), the World Bank, and the African Development Bank, to the Government during the International Donor Conference for Guinea-Bissau held on 25 March 2015 in Brussels,
“Taking note of the final communiqué of the forty-eighth Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 16 to 17 December 2015 underscoring the need for dialogue to consolidate peace and democracy in Guinea-Bissau,
“Taking note of the statement made by the Chair of the Guinea-Bissau Configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on 15 February 2016 and welcoming the continued engagement of the PBC with Guinea-Bissau,
“Welcoming the successful efforts to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus disease and emphasizing the need for ongoing preparedness efforts to build domestic capacity and health surveillance and response systems, and domestic resilience system,
“Reaffirming its full commitment to the consolidation of peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau,
“1. Decides to extend the mandate of UNIOGBIS for a period of 12 months beginning on 1 March 2016 until 28 February 2017;
“2. Expresses its strong support for the key role of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Guinea-Bissau, and requests UNIOGBIS, including through the use of the good offices and political support of the Special Representative, to focus, in particular, on the following priorities:
“(a) Support an inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation process to strengthen democratic governance and work towards consensus on key political issues particularly with regards to the implementation of necessary urgent reforms;
“(b) Provide strategic and technical advice and support to national authorities and relevant stakeholders, including in coordination with ECOWAS/ECOMIB and other international partners, in implementing the national security sector reform and rule of law strategies, as well as developing civilian and military justice systems that are compliant with international standards;
“(c) Support the Government of Guinea-Bissau towards the mobilization, harmonization and coordination of international assistance, including for the implementation of the national security sector reform and rule of law strategies, and enhancing cooperation with the AU, ECOWAS, CPLP, EU and other partners in support of the maintenance of constitutional order and the stabilization of Guinea-Bissau;
“3. Also affirms that UNIOGBIS and the Special Representative will continue to lead international efforts in the following priority areas:
“(a) Provide support to the Government of Guinea-Bissau in strengthening democratic institutions and enhancing the capacity of state organs to function effectively and constitutionally;
“(b) Provide strategic and technical advice and support for the establishment of effective and efficient law enforcement and criminal justice and penitentiary systems, capable of maintaining public security and combating impunity, while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms;
“(c) Assist national authorities in the promotion and protection of human rights as well as undertake human rights monitoring and reporting activities;
“(d) Provide strategic and technical advice and support to the Government of Guinea-Bissau to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, in close cooperation with UNODC;
“(e) Provide support to the Government of Guinea-Bissau to incorporate a gender perspective into peacebuilding, in line with Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008) and 2242 (2015), as well as implementation of the National Action Plan on Gender in order to ensure the involvement, representation and participation of women at all levels through inter alia the provision of gender advisers;
“(f) Work with the Peacebuilding Commission in support of Guinea-Bissau’s peacebuilding priorities;
“4. Calls upon Bissau-Guinean leaders, including the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Parliament and heads of political parties to abide by their commitment to bring political stability to Guinea-Bissau in the interests of the People of Guinea-Bissau;
“5. Calls upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau and all stakeholders, including the military, political parties, and civil society to work together to consolidate progress made so far, and to address the root causes of instability with particular attention to political-military dynamics, ineffective State institutions and rule of law, impunity and human rights violations and abuses, poverty and lack of access to basic services;
“6. Underscores the need for dialogue to consolidate peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau and calls upon the national authorities to expedite the review of Guinea-Bissau’s Constitution;
“7. Reiterates its demand to the security and defence services to submit themselves fully to civilian control;
“8. Commends the important efforts of ECOWAS and encourages ECOWAS to continue extending its political support to the authorities and political leaders of Guinea-Bissau through the use of good offices and mediation;
“9. Encourages ECOWAS and CPLP to take the necessary steps towards organizing a meeting of the International Contact Group on Guinea-Bissau, in consultation with the UN, EU and all stakeholders;
“10. Takes note of the evolving human rights situation in the country and urges the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to take all necessary measures to protect human rights, put an end to impunity, initiate investigations to identify the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses, including those against women and children; and bring them to justice and take action to protect witnesses in order to ensure due process;
“11. Welcomes the joint efforts by international partners, in particular the UN, AU, ECOWAS, EU and CPLP, to enhance cooperation in support of the government in Guinea-Bissau and encourages them to continue to work together towards the country’s stabilization in accordance with the priority structural reforms established by the government, and in this regard, recognizes the role of the Peacebuilding Commission in enhancing these efforts with a view for supporting the long-term peacebuilding priorities of Guinea-Bissau;
“12. Recognizes the ongoing implementation of some defence and security sector reforms and encourages the continuation of further efforts as a crucial element for long-term stability in Guinea-Bissau and further encourages coordinated action by all relevant subregional, regional and international partners of Guinea-Bissau in this field in order to obtain expeditious and positive results;
“13. Commends the crucial role of ECOMIB in securing the state institutions and in supporting SSR, supports its continuation, in accordance with the expressed will of the authorities of Guinea-Bissau and urges bilateral, regional and international partners to consider providing financial assistance to support ECOWAS in sustaining the deployment of ECOMIB, as requested by the forty-eighth Ordinary Summit of Heads of State of ECOWAS;
“14. Calls upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to continue to actively reform and strengthen the judicial system, while ensuring the separation of powers and access to justice for all citizens;
“15. Reiterates its call upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to implement and review national legislations and mechanisms to more effectively combat transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking and money-laundering, which threaten security and stability in Guinea-Bissau and in the subregion, and in this context, to provide additional support to the Transnational Crime Unit (TCU) established under the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI) and the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA); encourages international bilateral and multilateral partners to increase their support to these institutions and further encourages these partners to contribute to support the presence of UNODC in Guinea-Bissau and to the UNIOGBIS Trust Fund for immediate, medium and longer-term priorities; calls upon the international community to enhance cooperation with Guinea-Bissau to enable it to ensure control of air traffic and surveillance of maritime security within its jurisdiction, in particular to fight drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, as well as illegal fishing in Guinea-Bissau’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone and other cases of illegal exploitation of natural resources; and urges the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to demonstrate full commitment to combating drug trafficking;
“16. Stresses the importance of combating drug trafficking to achieve political and economic stability in Guinea-Bissau, requests the Secretary-General to ensure the relevant capacity within UNIOGBIS, continuing to provide an anti-drug component, including appropriate expertise and to include within the report of the Secretary-General an assessment of progress made in combating drug trafficking, and further requests the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to increase efforts to achieve greater coherence, coordination and efficiency among relevant UN agencies, funds and programmes in the country to maximize their collective effectiveness, in particular through provision by these agencies, funds and programmes of relevant information to the Special Representative on individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with drug trafficking that contribute to creating a threat to the peace, stability and security of Guinea-Bissau and the subregion;
“17. Commends the good offices role of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to support the Government of Guinea-Bissau, and invites the Secretary-General to reinforce UNIOGBIS’ capacities in this regard and to continue strengthening the coordination for international support;
“18. Urges Bissau-Guinean national stakeholders to demonstrate the necessary commitment to re-establish momentum for progress in key areas, as outlined in the programme “Terra Ranka” presented to the donor community at the Brussels round table held in March 2015, invites Guinea-Bissau’s partners to fulfil the pledges they made at that round table and also encourages UNIOGBIS to assist in the coordination of international assistance to the Government of Guinea-Bissau in its fight against poverty;
“19. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Council regular reports every six months on the implementation of this resolution and submit a report within six months to the Committee established pursuant to its resolution 2048 (2012) on the progress made with regards to the stabilization of the country and restoration of constitutional order and recommendations on the continuation of the sanctions regime in the post-election environment, in line with paragraph 12 of resolution 2048 (2012);
“20. Decides to review the sanctions measures established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012) seven months from the adoption of this resolution;
“21. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.”