Security Council Renews Mandate of United Nations Disengagement Observer Force for Six Months, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2581 (2021)

The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) for six months, until 31 December, as it continues to monitor the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria in the Golan.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2581 (2021), the Council called upon the parties concerned to implement resolution 338 (1973) — which called for a ceasefire in the Yom Kippur war — and stressed their obligation to respect the terms of the Disengagement of Forces Agreement.

By other terms, the Council called on the parties to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any breaches of the ceasefire and the area of separation, where there should be no military activity of any kind, including military operations by Syria’s armed forces.

It further called on all parties to cooperate fully with UNDOF operations, to respect its privileges and immunities and to ensure its freedom of movement, and for all groups other than UNDOF to abandon all UNDOF positions and to return peacekeeper vehicles, weapons and other equipment.

In addition, the Council called on the parties to provide all necessary support for the Observer Force to use the Quneitra crossing, in line with established procedures, and to lift COVID-19 restrictions as soon as conditions permit so that the Observer Force can step up its operations on the Bravo side of the area of separation.

It also requested UNDOF, Member States and relevant parties to take all steps to protect the safety, security and health of all UNDOF personnel, taking into account the impact of the pandemic.

The meeting began at 3:03 p.m. and ended at 3:04 p.m.