Security Council and Related

The following Security Council press statement was issued today (30 July 2012 ) by Council President Néstor Osorio (Colombia):

Adopted by the Security Council at its 6774th meeting, on 18 May 2012. [LINK]

The following Security Council press statement was issued today (8 May) by Council President Agshin Mehdiyev (Azerbaijan):

The Secretary-General is gravely concerned that despite calls by the international community for the immediate restoration of constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau, the leaders of the 12 April 2012 coup d'état are instead deepening the political crisis in the country by announcing plans to establish a national transitional government. This is particularly disturbing as it comes at a time when the people of Guinea-Bissau should be preparing through multi-party democratic elections to elect a new President. The Secretary-General remains concerned about the continued detention of Guinea-Bissau's interim President, the Prime Minister and other national officials and reiterates his call for their immediate release.

The Secretary-General has spoken with Their Excellencies Mr. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mr. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Mr. Paulo Portas, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Portugal, to intensify cooperation with regional and other leaders towards finding a speedy and lasting solution to the political crisis in Guinea-Bissau.

The Secretary-General welcomes the efforts undertaken by ECOWAS, the AU and other partners of Guinea-Bissau to facilitate the restoration of constitutional order in the country and reaffirms the continued support of the United Nations to these efforts, including through the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office for Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS).

New York, 16 April 2012

The following Security Council press statement was issued today (13 April 2012) by Council President Susan Rice (United States)

As Guinea-Bissau prepares to hold presidential elections on Sunday, 18 March 2012, the Secretary-General appeals to national stakeholders, including the Government, political parties, civil society and the population as a whole, to ensure that the poll takes place in a peaceful, orderly and transparent manner.

He calls on the candidates to follow existing legal procedures to resolve any electoral grievances that might arise and to respect the official results announced by the Supreme Court. The Secretary-General reaffirms the commitment of the United Nations to continue to support national efforts towards sustainable peacebuilding, socioeconomic development and respect for the rule of law.

New York, 15 March 2012

The following Security Council press statement was issued on 31 March by Council President Mark Lyall Grant (United Kingdom):

The members of the Security Council are following closely the situation in Guinea-Bissau. They were briefed on 28 March 2012 by Joseph Mutaboba, Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), and by Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Chair of the Guinea-Bissau Configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, and heard a statement by the Representative of Guinea-Bissau.

The Security Council emphasizes the need to uphold and respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Guinea-Bissau.

The members of the Security Council welcomed the smooth conduct of the first round of the presidential election on 18 March and commended the people of Guinea-Bissau for their peaceful participation in the democratic process. The members of the Security Council welcomed the financial and technical support provided by Guinea-Bissau's regional and international partners, including through provision of electoral observers for the first round of the election. They further welcomed the conclusions of the various observers' missions that the first round of elections was conducted in a free and fair manner.

The members of the Security Council took note of the results released by the National Electoral Commission, as well as the announcement of a run-off election between candidates Carlos Gomes Júnior and Koumba Yalá. The members of the Security Council urged the political parties to engage in dialogue on preparations for the run-off election. The members of the Security Council called upon all political leaders and their supporters to exercise restraint and to refrain from any action that could hamper the electoral process and to resolve their disputes in accordance with the constitutional framework in line with the relevant African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) legal instruments.

The members of the Security Council recognized the role of international partners, especially the African Union, ECOWAS and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), in supporting national efforts for peacebuilding and reconciliation. In this context, the Council took note of the announcement of a joint mission by the African Union, ECOWAS and the United Nations to Guinea-Bissau. The members of the Security Council encouraged the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to continue using his good offices to support national efforts aimed at the holding of peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections.

The members of the Security Council underscored the importance of successful conclusion of the presidential and legislative elections to achieving progress on critical peacebuilding priorities in Guinea-Bissau, in particular on security sector reform, including demobilization of military and police, socio-economic development, fighting impunity and drug trafficking, and taking forward the national dialogue on reconciliation. The members of the Security Council urged Guinea-Bissau's national authorities to continue addressing these issues, and the United Nations, as well as the international community, to continue supporting Guinea-Bissau's national authorities to achieve these aims.

The members of the Security Council emphasised the need for the national authorities in Guinea-Bissau to bring those responsible for any acts of election-related violence to justice. The members of the Security Council reiterated that the Government of Guinea-Bissau bore the primary responsibility for ensuring the security of its population and creating an atmosphere conducive to the peaceful conduct of the elections. They urged the defence and security forces to respect civilian oversight and control of the military, the constitutional order and the rule of law.

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2012/sc10597.doc.htm

13 January 2012 - The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Baso Sangqu (South Africa):

The members of the Security Council were briefed on 10 January 2012 by B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, on the situation in Guinea-Bissau.

The members of the Security Council expressed their condolences to the Government and people of Guinea-Bissau on the death of President Malam Bacai Sanhá.

The members of the Security Council encouraged the authorities, political parties and the people of Guinea-Bissau to respect the legal and institutional framework for the transition phase and ensure the conditions for peaceful, timely, free, fair and transparent presidential elections are met.

The members of the Security Council condemned the attack by military officers against the army headquarters on 26 December 2011, and welcomed the actions of the civilian Government and the military to ensure public safety, respect for constitutional order, as well as the Government'€™s decision to investigate these attacks to hold accountable those responsible for the events of 26 December.

The members of the Security Council, recalling its resolution 2030 (2011), encouraged the Government of Guinea-Bissau and all stakeholders to continue to work together to respect the constitutional order, the rule of law and human rights, and to pursue political dialogue so as to preserve stability in the country and promote national reconciliation. The members of the Security Council reiterated their call on members of the Armed Forces of Guinea-Bissau to respect civilian rule, and further called on the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to intensify efforts to create the enabling environment for enhanced civilian control over the security forces, and fight impunity.

The members of the Security Council called on the Government to continue to pursue important reforms for the consolidation of peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau, especially regarding security-sector reform, with particular attention to the launching of the Pension Fund for members of the Armed Forces and efforts to counter narcotics trafficking. The members of the Security Council welcomed the announcement by Prime Minister Gomes Junior of a first phase of demobilization of military officers on 23 January 2012, which should be conducted in accordance with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)/Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP) road map.

The members of the Security Council expressed their commitment to continue to closely follow the situation in Guinea-Bissau and, in this regard, called on the United Nations Integrated Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) to work with the authorities, as well as with other international partners, in the preparation and support of upcoming elections, expected reforms and ongoing investigations.

9 January 2012 - The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the passing of President Malam Bacai Sanha today in Paris. The Secretary-General presents his condolences to the family of the late President and the people of Guinea-Bissau. He pays tribute to President Sanha's leadership in guiding Guinea-Bissau, at a particularly difficult time in its history.

The Secretary-General trusts that the succession arrangements provided for in the Constitution of Guinea-Bissau will be fully respected. He wishes to reassure the national authorities and the people of Guinea-Bissau of the full support of the United Nations.

New York, 9 January 2012

21 December 2011 - Reaffirming its full commitment to the consolidation of peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau, the Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in that country until 28 February 2013.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2030 (2011), the Council took note of the Secretary-General's latest report on that situation, dated 21 October (document S/2011/655) and of its recommendations. (For background, see Press Release SC/10434 of 3 November).

Further to today's text, the Council also noted the country's strategic work plan, emphasizing that reform of the defence and security sectors, the fight against impunity and against illicit drug trafficking remained priority sectors for peace consolidation. It requested the Peacebuilding Commission to support implementation of the country's peacebuilding priorities and the Secretary-General to track progress in future reports and make recommendations to address any gaps.

The Council called on the Government and political stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau to work together to consolidate peace and stability, use legal and peaceful means to resolve differences and intensify efforts for genuine and inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation.

In a related provision, the Council urged Guinea-Bissau's Armed Forces to respect constitutional order, civilian rule and oversight, as well as rule of law and human rights, to refrain from interference in political issues, and to guarantee the security of national institutions, as well as of the population in general, and to participate fully in reforming defence and security sectors.

Among other terms of the text, the Council called for the conclusion of the investigations into the political assassinations of March and June 2009 as soon as possible, and on the Government to ensure that the work of the National Commission of Inquiry was credible, transparent and consistent with international standards. The Secretary-General was asked to assist in the conclusion of those probes.

Resolution

The full text of resolution 2030 (2011) reads as follows:

"The Security Council,

"Recalling its previous resolutions and statements of its President concerning the situation in Guinea-Bissau, in particular its resolutions 1876 (2009) and 1949 (2010),

"Welcoming the efforts made by the Government of Guinea-Bissau towards the maintenance of stability and constitutional order, including the work of the National Assembly on reconciliation,

"Noting the encouraging steps taken by the Government of Guinea-Bissau in achieving economic reform, including public administration and public finance reforms, and welcoming the adoption by the authorities of Guinea-Bissau of the second poverty reduction strategy paper and a national strategic document for action on the social determinants of health, and noting the efforts of bilateral partners to support the development of the health sector,

"Stressing the importance of the upcoming legislative election in Guinea-Bissau and the need to have free, fair and transparent elections as a crucial and necessary step towards the consolidation of democracy and national reconciliation, and calling upon all stakeholders to contribute to a peaceful environment during and after the election,

"Reaffirming that the Government of Guinea-Bissau and all stakeholders must remain committed to national reconciliation through genuine and inclusive political dialogue, respect for constitutional order, reforms in the defence, security and justice sectors, the promotion of the rule of law, human rights and the promotion of socio-economic development and the fight against impunity and illicit drug trafficking,

"Stressing the importance of security sector reform for the consolidation of peace in Guinea-Bissau and the need for the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to intensify efforts to create the enabling environment for enhanced civilian control over the security forces of Guinea-Bissau, in particular the armed forces,

"Noting with deep concern the threats to national and sub-regional security and stability posed by the growth in illicit drug trafficking and organized crime in Guinea-Bissau, welcoming the approval by the Government of the 2011-2014 National Operational Plan to combat illicit drug trafficking and organized crime and the establishment in Guinea-Bissau, under the framework of the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI), of a Transnational Crime Unit, and re-emphasizing the need to tackle the problem of illicit drug trafficking in the countries of origin, transit and final destination through an approach of common and shared responsibility,

"Reiterating the importance of the continued support of the United Nations and the international community for the long-term security and development of Guinea-Bissau, particularly in the fields of security sector reform, justice, the fight against illicit drug trafficking and to create the enabling environment to fight impunity and strengthen Guinea-Bissau's institutional capacity,

"Welcoming the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) to assist in the reforms of the defence and security sectors in Guinea-Bissau, noting the need for further efforts to implement the ECOWAS-CPLP road map in support of those reforms and encouraging the international community to remain engaged in addressing key challenges in the country,

"Reiterating the importance of regional and subregional cooperation in addressing the challenges faced by Guinea-Bissau,

"Encouraging relevant stakeholders to remain engaged in addressing key governance and peacebuilding challenges in the country,

"Re-emphasizing that the Government of Guinea-Bissau bears the primary responsibility for security, the protection of its civilian population, peacebuilding and long-term development in the country,

"Recalling its appreciation for the work of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) in coordinating the assistance provided by the United Nations and international partners to Guinea-Bissau,

"Welcoming the continued engagement of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) in Guinea-Bissau and the recent visit of the Chair of the Commission's Guinea-Bissau Configuration, taking note of the briefing of the Chair of the Guinea-Bissau Configuration of the PBC on 3 November 2011 and acknowledging the contribution of the Peacebuilding Fund to peacebuilding in Guinea-Bissau;

"Reaffirming its full commitment to the consolidation of peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau,

"1. Decides to extend the mandate of UNIOGBIS as established in paragraph 3 of resolution 1876 (2009), until 28 February 2013;

"2. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on Guinea-Bissau dated 21 October 2011 (S/2011/655) and of the recommendations contained therein and welcomes the activities of UNIOGBIS;

"3. Takes note of the strategic work plan developed pursuant to resolution 1949, emphasizes that the reform of the defence and security sectors, the fight against impunity and the fight against illicit drug trafficking remain priority sectors for peace consolidation in Guinea-Bissau and further requests the Secretary-General to measure and track progress, in the next reports, on the work of UNIOGBIS in support of efforts by the relevant authorities of Guinea-Bissau in those sectors through the appropriate benchmarks, including recommendations to address gaps if there are any, without prejudice to the remaining tasks of the UNIOGBIS mandate;

"4. Calls upon the Government and all political stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau to work together to consolidate peace and stability in the country, use legal and peaceful means to resolve differences and intensify efforts for genuine and inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation, including the National Conference on Reconciliation and requests the Secretary-General, including through his Special Representative, to support such efforts;

"5. Urges members of the Armed Forces of Guinea-Bissau, in particular its leaders, to respect constitutional order, civilian rule and oversight, as well as the rule of law and human rights, to refrain from any interference in political issues, to guarantee the security of the national institutions, as well as the population in general, and to fully participate in the reform of the defence and security sectors further urges Guinea-Bissau's political leaders to refrain from involving the military and the judiciary in politics;

"6. Requests the Secretary-General, through his Special Representative in Guinea-Bissau, to continue to assist the Government to enhance its coordination of international assistance for credible security sector reform under the principle of national ownership and full civilian control of the military;

"7. Welcomes the ECOWAS-CPLP partnership to support Security Sector Reform (SSR) in Guinea-Bissau, calls on ECOWAS, CPLP and the Government of Guinea-Bissau to continue to fulfil their commitments in the framework of the ECOWAS-CPLP road map, especially the operationalization of a pension fund for members of the armed forces and security services, including their leaders, as well as the rejuvenation and professionalization of the military and security structures, recognizes the importance of contributions to the pension fund to take forward SSR, and in this context further welcomes the contribution of the Government of Guinea-Bissau to the pension fund and further calls on the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to complete the adoption of the basic legislation and framework related to the reform of the defence and security sectors including the pension fund;

"8. Calls for the conclusion of the investigations into the political assassinations of March and June 2009 as soon as possible, calls on the Government of Guinea-Bissau to create the enabling environment to ensure that the work of the National Commission of Inquiry is credible, transparent and consistent with internationally agreed standards, and requests the Secretary-General, to assist in the conclusion of these investigations, and further calls on the AU, ECOWAS, the CPLP, the European Union (EU) and other partners, to support, as appropriate, these and other efforts by the authorities to end impunity;

"9. Calls upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to ensure the prosecution, with full respect for due process, of those responsible for all criminal acts including illicit drug trafficking;

"10. Urges the Government of Guinea-Bissau to continue to tackle corruption including by implementing the United Nations Convention against Corruption;

"11. Encourages the Government of Guinea-Bissau to continue the implementation of the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI) in the country;

"12. Also urges the international community, including the Peacebuilding Commission and regional organizations such as the AU, ECOWAS, the CPLP and the EU, as well as bilateral partners as appropriate, to increase their support to WACI to fight transnational organized crime and illicit drug trafficking which threaten security and stability in Guinea-Bissau and in the subregion; welcomes in this regard the commitment of the Government of Guinea-Bissau to tackle this threat through the implementation of its 2011-2014 national operational plan and calls on the Government to allocate the necessary resources to implement the plan and for international partners to assist national authorities in this regard;

"13. Requests the Peacebuilding Commission to continue to support the implementation of Guinea-Bissau's peacebuilding priorities as well as to continue to provide advice to the Security Council on how to remove critical obstacles to peacebuilding in Guinea-Bissau, in particular security sector reform and illicit drug trafficking and to keep the Council updated on progress it has made in helping to address these;

"14. Calls on all national stakeholders, including political, military and civil society actors, to fully participate in the National Conference on Reconciliation and to ensure that a follow-up mechanism to implement the National Conference's recommendations be put in place;

"15. Encourages the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to continue to pursue efforts to enhance integration and effectiveness of the United Nations presence on the ground in support of the stabilization, peace and development priorities of the Government and people of Guinea-Bissau and further, to give special attention to increased interaction with the authorities of Guinea-Bissau in order to strengthen its institutional capacities;

"16. Emphasizes the important role of women in prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, as recognized in resolution 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010), underlines that a gender perspective should continue to be taken into account in implementing all aspects of the mandate of UNIOGBIS, and encourages UNIOGBIS to continue to work with national authorities in this regard, and relevant stakeholders to improve women's participation in peacebuilding;

"17. Requests the Secretary-General to report on progress made in implementing this resolution and the mandate of UNIOGBIS as outlined in resolution 1876 (2009) through a briefing in March 2012, a report in July 2012 and every six months thereafter;

"18. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter."