Informal Consultations of Security Council Committee Established Pursuant to Resolution 2048 (2012) concerning Guinea-Bissau - 19 August 2016

On 19 August 2016, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012) concerning Guinea-Bissau held informal consultations to consider the Secretary-General’s report on progress made with regards to stabilization and restoration of constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau, submitted pursuant paragraph 19 of resolution 2267 (2016).

The Chief of the Security Council Subsidiary Bodies, Kelvin Ong, provided an overview of the key findings and recommendations detailed in the report.  Antero Lopes, Acting Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Political Affairs in the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea‑Bissau (UNIOGBIS), also joined the meeting via teleconference from Bissau.

Although this year’s scenario in Guinea-Bissau was presented as less encouraging, Mr. Ong remarked that the recommendations presented last year by the Secretary-General in his report remained valid, which are: maintaining the sanctions regime and its criteria; sending a strong message that it is ready to impose sanctions to all spoilers and eventually adopt additional measures and designations; considering the establishment of a Panel of Experts and defining benchmarks for the lifting of sanctions.  In addition, the report also recommended the Committee to consider to: task its Chair to visit Guinea-Bissau; and to review/update its sanctions list.

Some members commented positively on measures being still useful and effective, and supported the continuation of the sanctions regime.  One member, though, warned against broad interpretation of listing criteria and questioned their relevance.

On the recommendation from the Secretary-General to consider establishing a Panel of Experts, some members noted that Experts could help by timely gathering information and data useful to the Committee, especially in connection to the listing and delisting process.

Members of the Committee also highlighted the necessity of continuing to send messages to Guinea-Bissau that the Council remained vigilant and was monitoring closely the developments in the country.