Security Council Calls for Integrating United Nations Support of Police, Justice, correctional Sectors, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2447 (2018)
Underling the importance of helping rule-of-law institutions achieve sustainable peace in countries hosting peacekeeping and special political missions, the Security Council called today for the integration of United Nations support for their respective police, justice and correctional sectors into mandates from the outset.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2447 (2018), the Council requested that the Secretary-General enhance the coherence, performance and effectiveness of such support and ensure coherence between United Nations country teams and other actors of the Organization in order to help national Governments restore criminal justice institutions.
For that purpose, it called upon the Secretary-General to ensure that the planning of peacekeeping and special political missions entails a thorough analysis of the context, capacities and needs of criminal justice sectors in host States, highlighting the importance of a context-specific approach.
Reaffirming the importance of national ownership and leadership in strengthening criminal justice institutions, the Council stressed the need for host countries to promote accountability for crimes within domestic institutions, consistent with applicable international obligations in human rights law and humanitarian law, and to exercise their jurisdiction in addressing impunity.
The Council urged all police-contributing countries to meet United Nations performance standards for personnel, training and equipment while maintaining the highest standards of conduct. It requested that the Secretary-General keep detailed performance data on police, justice and corrections institutions in order to improve the analytics and evaluation of mission operations on the basis of clear and well-identified benchmarks. It also requested that he further examine ways to strengthen United Nations assistance to criminal justice institutions in host countries, taking into account the challenging, complex and evolving nature of current conflicts.
Speaking before the adoption, Côte d’Ivoire’s representative said the resolution is the second product of 2018 in his delegation’s fruitful collaboration with the Netherlands on holistic peacekeeping. The text will strengthen efforts at the heart of the Council’s work, he emphasized, recalling that the organ’s led to the success of United Nations peacekeeping operations in his country.
Following the adoption, the representative of the Netherlands welcomed the demonstration of Council unity, describing the resolution as a major step forward with its recognition that “there can be no lasting peace without justice”. It gives the Council the tools to focus on critical issues, he said, stressing the importance of sound coordination among the broad range of actors. It also very clearly assigns responsibilities where they belong and urges host countries to combat impunity and promote accountability, he added.
The Russian Federation’s representative praised the facilitation of discussions on the draft on the part of Côte d’Ivoire and the Netherlands. Although the negotiations were difficult, there was a willingness on the part of the facilitators to heed the views of all Member States and forge a consensus, he noted. He called for negotiations on upcoming drafts to be conducted with respect in order to enable the forging of Council unity, so that his delegation will not have to consider alternative options to consensus.
Beginning at 10:10 a.m., the meeting ended at 10:20 a.m.
Resolution
The full text of resolution 2447 (2018) reads as follows:
“The Security Council,
“Recalling its resolutions 2185 (2014) and 2382 (2017) on United Nations Policing, as well as relevant resolutions such as resolutions 1265 (1999) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians, 1325 (2000) and 2242 (2015) on women, peace and security, 2086 (2013) on peacekeeping operations, 2151 (2014) on security sector reform, 1645 (2005), 2282 (2016) and 2413 (2018) on post-conflict peacebuilding, 2436 (2018) on performance in peacekeeping operations, and statements of its President such as the statements of 6 October 2004 (S/PRST/2004/34), 29 June 2010 (S/PRST/2010/11), 19 January 2012 (S/PRST/2012/1) and 21 February 2014 (S/PRST/2014/5) on the rule of law and of 12 February 2010 (S/PRST/2010/2) and 14 May 2018 (S/PRST/2018/10) on peacekeeping operations, as well as the statement of 14 July 1997 (S/PRST/1997/38) on civilian police,
“Reaffirming its primary responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security,
“Stressing the primary responsibility of States for the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as well as for the protection of civilians and the important contribution that United Nations assistance to police, justice and correction areas in peacekeeping and special political missions can provide throughout the conflict cycle, where and as mandated, including through the protection of civilians, capacity-building and development efforts of host-State police, justice and corrections institutions, and noting the relevance of its contribution when considering the broader reform of the peace and security pillar,
“Reaffirming that lasting peace is not achieved nor sustained by military and technical engagements alone, but through political solutions and strongly convinced that such political solutions should guide the design and deployment of United Nations peacekeeping operations,
“Reaffirming its commitment to upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including its commitment to and respect for the principles of political independence, sovereign equality and territorial integrity of all States in conducting all peacekeeping activities and the need for States to comply with their obligations under international law,
“Further reaffirming the basic principles of peacekeeping, such as consent of the parties, impartiality, and non-use of force, except in self-defence and defence of the mandate, and recognizing that the mandate of each peacekeeping operation is specific to the needs of the situation concerned and underlining that the mandates that it authorizes are consistent with the basic principles, and reiterating that the Security Council expects full delivery of the mandates it authorizes,
“Reiterating the need for a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention and sustainable peace, which comprises operational and structural measures for the prevention of armed conflict and addresses its root causes, including through strengthening the rule of law at international and national levels and promoting sustained economic growth, poverty eradication, social development, sustainable development, national reconciliation, good governance, democracy, gender equality and respect for, and protection of, human rights,
“Noting the important role United Nations assistance to police, justice and corrections institutions can play, where mandated, in strengthening the rule of law and security sector reform and reaffirming the lead role of national authorities in progressing the reform of police, justice and corrections institutions as part of wider rule of law and security sector reform efforts, including in dedicating national resources towards national police, justice and corrections institutions, and monitoring the impact of police, justice and corrections reform, and recognizing that the political leadership and political will of national authorities are critical in this regard and success necessitates national ownership,
“Reaffirming the primary responsibility of national governments and authorities in identifying, driving and directing priorities, strategies and activities for peacebuilding and sustaining peace, emphasizing that sustaining peace is a shared task and responsibility that needs to be fulfilled by the Government and all other national stakeholders, and in this regard, emphasizing that inclusivity is key to advancing national peacebuilding processes and objectives in order to ensure that the needs of all segments of society are taken into account, and stressing that civil society can play an important role in advancing efforts to sustain peace,
“Underlining the importance of the support to the strengthening of rule of law institutions of the host country that is provided, where mandated, by a number of peacekeeping operations and special political missions within the scope of their mandates, working in coordination with relevant United Nations entities, and recalling that multidimensional peacekeeping missions may be mandated to provide such support in helping national authorities develop critical rule of law priorities and strategies to address the needs of police, judicial institutions and corrections system and critical interlinkages thereof, with a view to supporting the states’ ability to provide critical functions in these fields, and as a vital contribution to building peace and ending impunity,
“Welcoming efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General to mobilize all partners and stakeholders in support of more effective United Nations peacekeeping through his initiative “Action for Peacekeeping,” and welcomes the political commitments to continue to strengthen the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations, amongst others through joint platforms,
“Reiterating the importance of enhancing police, justice, and corrections services in host countries and emphasizing the importance of the rule of law at the national level as one of the key element of conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution and peacebuilding,
“Stressing the critical importance of strengthening police, justice and corrections elements in peacekeeping operations and special political missions, where and as mandated, to assist national governments in stabilizing the situation, extend State authority, end impunity, protect civilians, tackle the underlying causes of conflict, prevent relapse into conflict and build and sustain peace,
“Noting that host-State policing institutions are often the primary link between the government and communities on security issues, and reiterating that professional, effective, accountable and accessible law enforcement, corrections and judicial institutions are necessary to lay the foundations for sustainable peace and national development,
“Stressing the importance of United Nations support to strengthen police, justice and corrections institutions, including to provide, as appropriate, a recourse to victims through redress for past violations and abuses, and also to promote national reconciliation, lay the groundwork for durable voluntary return of displaced persons and to help prevent a relapse into conflict, where and as mandated in UN peacekeeping operations and special political missions,
“Acknowledging the role of Police Components as an integral part of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions, and the increasingly diverse and complex policing-related tasks in the mandates of such operations and missions, where mandated,
“Recognizing the indispensable role of women in United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions, including the critical role that women play in all peace and security efforts, including by providing diverse perspectives which can assist in building trust with local communities and stressing the need to increase their full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership in decision-making in host-States with regard to policing and the rule of law,
“Welcoming the efforts to incentivize greater numbers of women in police and civilians deployed and appointed to senior positions in United Nations peacekeeping operations, and efforts to review the obstacles preventing women’s recruitment and professional advancement; taking note in this regard of the Secretary-General’s System-wide Strategy on Gender Parity which tasks relevant United Nations entities, in consultation with Police-Contributing countries, to develop a separate, dedicated strategy on this matter,
“Stressing the importance of the efforts of the Secretary-General and the United Nations entities through the Global Focal Point for Police, Justice and Corrections arrangement (Global Focal Point) in enhancing internal coherence and strategic coordination to strengthen a comprehensive United Nations approach to police, justice and corrections assistance,
“Underlining the importance of close coordination of the range of United Nations police, justice and corrections activities, both at headquarters and in the field, in particular between the Security Council-mandated missions and the United Nations Country Team, as appropriate, and encouraging relevant United Nations entities mandated to undertake police, justice and corrections activities to work through existing coordination mechanisms, as appropriate,
“1. Underscores the importance of integrating UN support to police, justice and corrections areas into the mandates of peacekeeping operations and special political missions from the outset, as necessary, to assist national governments in the re-establishment or restoration of police, justice and corrections services to support achievement of peacekeeping operations and special political missions’ strategic goals, where and as mandated, and to address the root causes of each conflict, including through strengthening the rule of law at national and international levels;
“2. Reaffirms its support for the development of a comprehensive and integrated performance policy framework that identifies clear standards of performance for evaluating all United Nations civilian and uniformed personnel working in and supporting peacekeeping operations and special political missions that facilitates effective and full implementation of mandates, and includes comprehensive and objective methodologies based on clear and well defined benchmarks to ensure accountability for underperformance and incentives and recognition for outstanding performance;
“3. Urges all police-contributing countries to meet UN performance standards for personnel, training, and equipping, and to support the effective implementation of mandated tasks while maintaining the highest standards of conduct, further urges all civilian mission components and Secretariat staff supporting peacekeeping operations to meet performance standards and comply with staff regulations, notes the efforts of the Secretary-General to develop a comprehensive performance assessment system to help police-contributing countries meet United Nations performance standards, and calls upon all stakeholders to support these efforts;
“4. Underscores the importance of focusing United Nations assistance to police, justice and corrections institutions in peacekeeping operations and special political missions on both the rapid re-establishment of essential services to respond to people’s justice and security needs, and longer term institutional reform based on transparency, efficiency and sustainability, where and as mandated, and calls on the Secretary-General to make sure that planning of United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions with police, justice and corrections mandates are based on a thorough analysis of the context, capacities and needs of host-States;
“5. Also reiterates its resolve to give peacekeeping operations and special political missions clear, credible, and achievable mandates matched by appropriate resources on police, justice and corrections tasks, where and as mandated, that include realistic benchmarks, results and improved accountability for comprehensive UN support, in a manner consistent with applicable international law;
“6. Reaffirms its ongoing efforts to review peacekeeping operations to ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiency of peacekeeping operations and special political missions on the ground, and requests the Secretary-General to:
(a) enhance the coherence, performance and effectiveness of United Nations assistance to police, justice and corrections institutions in peacekeeping missions and special political missions;
(b) ensure coordinated analyses, planning, and programmes, as appropriate, between the UN Country Team and other UN actors;
(c) ensure timely planning and benchmarks for mission transitions, including strategies to increase capacity of the UN Country Team and host government police, justice and corrections institutions, as appropriate; and
(d) ensure data streams related to the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations, including peacekeeping performance data, to include police, justice and corrections institutions, are centralized to improve analytics and evaluation of mission operations, based on clear and well identified benchmarks;
“7. Calls on the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General and on Resident Coordinators, as appropriate, to ensure, when United Nations Peacekeeping operations or special political missions are mandated, full coherence of police, justice and corrections assistance, avoid fragmentation and maximize integration of efforts, including through joint work;
“8. Reaffirms the importance of national ownership and leadership in peacebuilding, whereby the responsibility for sustaining peace is broadly shared by the Government and all other national stakeholders, and recognizes that United Nations police, justice and corrections components can contribute to building and sustaining peace by supporting host-State police, justice and corrections institutions, as mandated;
“9. Reaffirms the importance of adhering to the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy in providing United Nations peacekeeping-related support to non-United Nations security forces in line with the Charter of the United Nations;
“10. Stresses the need for host countries to promote accountability for crimes within their domestic justice systems, consistent with applicable international obligations, including under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and encourages host countries to exercise their jurisdiction in addressing impunity including through strengthening their police, justice and corrections institutions;
“11. Acknowledges that joint planning and delivery of assistance to police, justice and corrections areas by various United Nations entities through the Global Focal Point have created greater effectiveness and efficiencies in peacekeeping operations and special political missions;
“12. Requests the Secretary-General to examine ways to strengthen United Nations assistance to police, justice and corrections institutions to host countries and submit recommendations, for the consideration of the Security Council, taking into account the challenging, complex and evolving nature of current conflicts;
“13. Requests the United Nations to emphasize prevention and response to conflict related sexual and gender-based violence and support to victims, including in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes and security sector reform, and, with the consent of the host government, assist national authorities to strengthen the rule of law, for instance through the work of the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict;
“14. Recalls its resolution 2242 (2015) and its request that the Secretary-General initiate, in collaboration with Member States, a revised strategy to double the numbers of women in police contingents of United Nations peacekeeping operations by 2020 and further requests that this strategy ensures the full, effective and meaningful participation of women in all aspects of peacekeeping, and that this revised strategy is presented to the Security Council by March 2019;
“15. Requests the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of this Resolution in relevant peacekeeping and peacebuilding reports.”