Outgoing Chairs of Subsidiary Bodies Update Security Council on Progress Made by Sanctions Committees, Working Groups
Security Situations, Armed Groups, Weapons Embargos Come Under Spotlight
Outgoing Chairs of Security Council subsidiary bodies detailed their work today on various progress made, underscoring their efforts in discussions on security situations, activities of armed groups and monitoring of arms embargoes, as they emphasized that more work remains to be done to move forward the goals of the 15-member body.
Over the course of the meeting, the Chairs of nine subsidiary bodies briefed the Council on the work of Committees and Working Groups concerning, among other things, certain terrorist groups and the situations in Iraq, Yemen, Guinea-Bissau, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Haiti.
Ferit Hoxha (Albania), Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and other Procedural Questions, Chair of the 1518 Committee concerning Iraq and Chair of the 2140 Committee concerning Yemen and the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, detailed his delegation’s innovations during its time as Chair. The 1518 Committee has witnessed continued progress in the delisting of entities on its Sanctions List. On the 2140 Committee, he said that it met 10 times in informal consultations. In November 2022, it held a joint meeting with the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 2713 (2023), formerly known as the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Al-Shabaab. Turning to the Informal Working Group, he said that that mechanism was able to produce three new notes of key importance to the functioning of the Council, including one note adopted just weeks ago on penholdership.
Harold Adlai Agyeman (Ghana), Chair of the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations, Chair of the 1591 Committee and Chair of the 2127 Committee, focused his remarks on the work of the 2127 Committee, saying that, since early 2022, it met 15 times in various formats to discuss the security situation in the Central African Republic, the activities of armed groups and the monitoring of the arms embargo. He expressed hope that the Panel of Experts will be established as soon as possible to provide much needed information to the Committee regarding the situation in the Central African Republic. The fact that the Committee has not sanctioned any individual since December 2021 is not lost on those armed group leaders who continue to destabilize the Central African Republic, he said, calling on the Council to agree on a new list of designations as soon as possible. Sharing observations regarding the situation in the Central African Republic, he voiced concern about the destabilizing activities of armed groups who continue to use violent tactics against both security officials and civilians, including, among other things, summary killings, sexual violence and kidnapping.
Mohamed Issa Abushahab (United Arab Emirates), speaking for Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012) concerning Guinea-Bissau, noted that the Counter-Terrorism Committee “not only continued its valuable work; it broke new ground” by agreeing on a set of guiding principles on threats posed by the use of unmanned aircraft systems for terrorist purposes. Emphasizing the need to address the root causes of terrorism, he called for the implementation of Council resolution 2686 (2022), which promotes tolerance and peaceful coexistence, including through whole-of-society approaches. Turning to the work of the Committee concerning Guinea-Bissau, he said that its level of activity has been relatively modest since the closure of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in that country in December 2020. There are currently 10 names on the Guinea-Bissau Sanctions List, all subject to the travel ban.
Michel Xavier Biang (Gabon), Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) concerning South Sudan, Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti and Chair of the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals established pursuant to resolution 1966 (2010), briefed the Council on the activities of these subsidiary bodies in 2022 and 2023. The 1533 Committee met more than 20 times in various formats, during which it heard about the activities of armed groups, the monitoring of the arms embargo, the management of weapons and munitions, the exploitation of natural resources and the situation of children.
Turning to the 2206 Committee, he reported that it met 14 times for informal consultations, but — as in the 1533 Committee — consensus was not reached regarding a briefing from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. On the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals, he recalled his objective of consulting with all members to reach agreement on a timeline for reviewing the residual mechanism’s working methods. Reiterating his delegation’s commitment to the Group’s work, he underscored that international criminal tribunals are essential for countering impunity for the grave crimes perpetrated in the Balkans and in Rwanda. He also updated the Council on the work of the 2653 Committee, detailing meetings held, written correspondence sent, a field visit and the inscription of four individuals on the relevant Sanctions List.
Briefings from Subsidiary Bodies
FERIT HOXHA (Albania), Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and other Procedural Questions, Chair of the 1518 Committee and Chair of the 2140 Committee, recalled that, during his country’s two-year mandate in the Council, he chaired four subsidiary bodies, namely the 1636 Committee on Lebanon, 1518 Committee on Iraq, 2140 Committee on Yemen and the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions. On the 1518 Committee, he said that, over the past two years, it witnessed continued progress in the delisting of entities on its Sanctions List. In December 2021, there were 81 individuals on the Sanctions List; the number now stands at 66, where there are 10 sanctioned entities. The reduction in the number of sanctioned individuals and entities over the past two years was due to the efforts of the Committee and Iraq, which submitted several delisting requests.
On the 2140 Committee, he said that it met 10 times in informal consultations. In November 2022, it held a joint meeting with the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 2713 (2023), at the recommendation of the Panel of Experts on Yemen, to discuss issues of mutual relevance to both Committees, including the links in illicit smuggling routes. The Committee agreed on follow-up action on four of the recommendations emanating from the various reports by the Panel of Experts. There are currently 12 individuals and 1 entity on the Committee’s Sanctions List. “I regret that in 2022, the Committee was not able to have an oral briefing from Ms. Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, due to the lack of consensus among the members of the Committee,” he added.
Turning to the Informal Working Group, he said that that mechanism aligned its own working methods with that of other subsidiary organs. At the outset of 2022 and 2023, the Informal Working Group adopted a programme of work setting out the main priorities and planned action for the upcoming year. Regular open discussions in the Informal Working Group on how Council members become penholders have proven to be both timely and conducive to generating concrete proposals on how the practice could be enhanced. The Informal Working Group was able to produce three new notes of key importance to the functioning of the Council, including one note adopted just weeks ago on penholdership. The note is a step forward to ensure that all Council members can hold the pen. It facilitates an understanding of the process and avoids a too prescriptive approach to the process, he went on to say.
HAROLD ADLAI AGYEMAN (Ghana), Chair of the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations, Chair of the 1591 Committee and Chair of the 2127 Committee, focused his remarks on the work of the 2127 Committee, saying that since early 2022, it met 15 times in various formats, including remotely during the COVID‑19 pandemic. It discussed the security situation in the Central African Republic, the activities of armed groups, the monitoring of the arms embargo, the management of weapons and ammunition, illicit exploitation of natural resources and the situation of children. During the briefings, States discussed with the Committee and the Panel of Experts the midterm and final reports of the Panel; however, no consensus was found vis-à-vis convening a meeting by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, who had briefed the Committee from 2105 to 2021. Information conveyed during these meetings was extremely useful for the Committee, he added.
He expressed hope that the Panel of Experts will be established as soon as possible to provide much-needed information to the Committee regarding the situation in the Central African Republic. The Security Council has requested the Panel to provide midterm and final reports; however, the current halt will make it impossible to complete this task or provide such information in a timely manner. Member States — including the Central African Republic and neighbouring countries — cannot meet to discuss the final reports. The fact that the Committee has not sanctioned any individual since December 2021 is not lost on those armed group leaders who continue to destabilize the Central African Republic, he said, calling on the Council to agree on a new list of designations as soon as possible.
Recalling his visit to the Central African Republic, he said that he engaged with its authorities on very pertinent issues concerning the Committee’s work prior to the adoption of resolution 2693 (2023), through which the Council decided that the arms embargo no longer applied to the Government. Sharing observations regarding the situation in the Central African Republic, he voiced concern about the destabilizing activities of armed groups who continue to use violent tactics against both security officials and civilians, including, among other things, summary killings, sexual violence and kidnapping. He also expressed deep concern about attempts of both local and foreign armed militia groups to exploit and trade the country’s natural resources.
The Council’s adoption of resolution 2693 (2023) is in line with the wishes of the African Union, he said, citing its importance in the restoration of normalcy in the Central African Republic. The removal of such restriction will ensure that the country’s authorities are better equipped to resist the destabilizing activities of armed groups and fulfil their responsibility to protect civilians. He expressed firm support for the Central African Republic as it carries out crucial security sector reforms and encouraged that country to develop its capacity for enhanced weapons and ammunition management practices, which will prevent arms from slipping into the arms of unauthorized armed groups.
MOHAMED ISSA ABUSHAHAB (United Arab Emirates), speaking for Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012) concerning Guinea-Bissau, noted that the Counter-Terrorism Committee held 13 meetings, with an additional one planned for later this month. Its Executive Directorate conducted nine visits to Member States from almost every continent to conduct country assessments. “The Committee not only continued its valuable work; it broke new ground” by agreeing on a set of guiding principles on threats posed by the use of unmanned aircraft systems for terrorist purposes. These will strengthen international cooperation on preventing and countering the use of drones for terrorist purposes. This development has been particularly poignant for his country, he said, recalling the terrorist drone attack on Abu Dhabi in January 2022. The Counter-Terrorism Committee has also deepened its knowledge through analytical reports and exchange of good practices on topics ranging from border management to the role of artificial intelligence.
Since the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, significant progress has been made on the development of guiding principles for preventing and countering the use of emerging financial technologies and on the use of information and communications technology (ICT) for terrorist purposes, he said. The Committee continued its engagement with the private sector, academia and civil society and collaborated with specialized agencies such as the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Emphasizing the need to address the root causes of terrorism, he called for the implementation of Council resolution 2686 (2022), which promotes tolerance and peaceful coexistence including through whole-of-society approaches. Going forward, the United Arab Emirates will continue to encourage and support the Executive Directorate, given its unique role and expertise to undertake further in-depth analysis, he said.
Turning to the work of the Committee concerning Guinea-Bissau, he said that its level of activity has been relatively modest since the closure of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in that country in December 2020. While the Council has not met to discuss the situation there since the closure of that Office, it continues to receive regular updates through the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). There are currently 10 names on the Guinea-Bissau Sanctions List, all subject to the travel ban. During his country's term as Chair, no proposals were made to either list or delist any individuals. During informal consultations on 24 March, the Committee was briefed on political and security developments on the ground by Guinea-Bissau's permanent representative, as well as the Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee. A summary of the consultations was issued as a press release on 27 April, he added.
MICHEL XAVIER BIANG (Gabon), Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) concerning South Sudan, Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti and Chair of the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals established pursuant to resolution 1966 (2010), briefed the Council on the activities of these subsidiary bodies in 2022 and 2023.
The 1533 Committee met more than 20 times in various formats, during which it heard briefings from the relevant Panel of Experts, the Minister for Mines of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, along with representatives of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), the United Nations Mine Action Service and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Through these, the Committee heard about the activities of armed groups, the monitoring of the arms embargo, the management of weapons and munitions, the exploitation of natural resources and the situation of children. He expressed regret that there was no consensus for a briefing by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. He went on to recall his November 2022 visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, welcoming the opportunity to do so, particularly in the context of persistent tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali.
Turning to the 2206 Committee, he reported that it met 14 times for informal consultations and was briefed by the Panel of Experts on South Sudan and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. These discussions focused on the political, security and humanitarian situations in South Sudan, as well as on progress made and difficulties encountered in implementing the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. He expressed regret that, as in the 1533 Committee, consensus was not reached regarding a briefing from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, but he hoped that the Committee will reach such consensus in the future. Recalling his visit to South Sudan in October 2023, he said that discussions focused on implementation of the Revitalized Agreement, particularly those provisions relating to security and transitional arrangements. Additionally, he shared several personal observations, including on the importance of field visits for raising public awareness of the objectives and scope of Council sanctions.
On the Informal Working Group, he recalled his objective of consulting with all members of the subsidiary body to reach agreement on a timeline for reviewing the Residual Mechanism’s working methods. He also detailed the renewal of mandates for certain judges and other judicial personnel, noting that such renewals occurred immediately after the adoption of resolution 2637 (2022). Reiterating his delegation’s commitment to the Group’s work, he underscored that international criminal tribunals are essential for countering impunity for the grave crimes perpetrated in the Balkans and in Rwanda. He also updated the Council on the work of the 2653 Committee, detailing meetings held, written correspondence sent, a field visit and the inscription of four individuals on the relevant Sanctions List.