Security Council resolution 2697 (2023) [on extension of the mandate of the Special Adviser and the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant until 17 Sept. 2024]
Symbol: S/RES/2697 (2023)
Date: 2023-09-15
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/78 [119] IRAQ SITUATION
S/ X Threats to international peace and security.
Subjects: Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Organization)|UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant|UN. Special Adviser and Head of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant|TERRORISM|WAR CRIMES|CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY|GENOCIDE|ACCOUNTABILITY|IRAQ|CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: ALBANIA
vote: yes
country: BRAZIL
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: ECUADOR
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GABON
vote: yes
country: GHANA
vote: yes
country: JAPAN
vote: yes
country: MALTA
vote: yes
country: MOZAMBIQUE
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SWITZERLAND
vote: yes
country: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                    S/RES/2697 (2023)
               Security Council                                                  Distr.: General
                                                                                 15 September 2023




               Resolution 2697 (2023)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 9419th meeting, on
               15 September 2023

                    The Security Council,
                    Reaffirming its resolutions 1265 (1999), 1325 (2000), 1368 (2001), 1373 (2001),
               1624 (2005), 1894 (2009), 2106 (2013), 2150 (2014), 2170 (2014), 2178 (2014), 2199
               (2015), 2242 (2015), 2249 (2015), 2253 (2015), 2322 (2016), 2331 (2016), 2341
               (2017), 2347 (2017), 2354 (2017), 2367 (2017), 2368 (2017), 2370 (2017), 2490
               (2019), 2544 (2020), 2597 (2021), 2651 (2022) and its relevant presidential
               statements,
                    Reaffirming its respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence
               and unity of Iraq, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the
               United Nations,
                     Recalling that ISIL/Da’esh constitutes a global threat to international peace and
               security through its terrorist acts, its violent extremist ideology, its continued gross,
               systematic and widespread attacks directed against civilians, its violations of
               international humanitarian law and abuses of human rights, particularly those
               committed against women and children, and including those motivated by religious
               or ethnic grounds, and its recruitment and training of foreign terrorist fighters whose
               threat affects all regions and Member States,
                     Condemning the commission of acts by ISIL/Da’esh involving murder,
               kidnapping, hostage-taking, suicide bombings, enslavement, sale into or otherwise
               forced marriage, trafficking in persons, rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual
               violence, recruitment and use of children, attacks on critical infrastructure, as well as
               its destruction of cultural heritage, including archaeological sites, and trafficking of
               cultural property,
                     Recognizing that the commission of such acts which may amount to war crimes,
               crimes against humanity or genocide, is part of the ideology and strategic objectives
               of ISIL/Da’esh, and used by ISIL/Da’esh as a tactic of terrorism, and that holding
               ISIL/Da’esh members accountable, particularly those who bear the greatest
               responsibility, including in terms of leadership, which can include regional or
               mid-level commanders, and the ordering and commission of crimes, will further
               expose this, and could assist in countering terrorism and violent extremism which can
               be conducive to terrorism, including by stemming financing and the continued flow
               of international recruits to the terrorist group ISIL/Da’esh,




23-17825 (E)
*2317825*

S/RES/2697 (2023)

                    Welcoming the considerable efforts of the Government of Iraq to defeat
               ISIL/Da’esh, and recalling its letter to the Secretary-General and Security Council
               dated 9 August 2017 calling for the assistance of the international community to
               ensure that members of ISIL/Da’esh are held accountable for their crimes in Iraq,
               including where those may amount to crimes against humanity ( S/2017/710),
                     Expressing its appreciation for the valuable contribution of the Investigative
               Team established by resolution 2379 (2017) to support domestic efforts to hold
               members of ISIL/Da’esh accountable by collecting, preserving, and storing evidence
               in Iraq of acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide
               committed by the terrorist group ISIL/Da’esh in Iraq ,
                    Underscoring the importance of sharing evidence collected by the Investigative
               Team established by resolution 2379 (2017) with the relevant Iraqi authorities, in a
               timely manner, for eventual use in fair and independent criminal proceedings,
               consistent with the applicable international law and the Investigative Team’s Terms
               of Reference,
                    1.   Reaffirms its resolution 2379 (2017), by which the Investigative Team,
               headed by a Special Adviser, was established; and recalls the terms of reference
               approved by the Council (S/2018/119);
                    2.   Takes note of the request from the Government of Iraq for a
               non-extendable one year extension of the mandate of the Special Adviser and the
               Team contained in its letter dated 5 September 2023 ( S/2023/654); and decides
               accordingly to extend the mandate of the Special Adviser and the Team until
               17 September 2024 only;
                    3.    Further takes note of the request from the Government of Iraq for the
               Investigative Team to promote national accountability in Iraq for members of
               ISIL/Da’esh and those who provided assistance and financing to this terrorist
               organisation by providing the evidence it has to the Government of Iraq within the
               next year;
                    4.    Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Security Council, no later
               than 15 January 2024, a report setting out recommendations for implementing this
               request with full respect for the sovereignty of Iraq;
                     5.    Requests the Investigative Team, with the approval of the Government of
               Iraq, determine the modalities for evidence sharing with third states, further requests
               that the Investigative Team communicate to the Government of Iraq on what previous
               evidence has been shared with third states, and recalls the importance of promoting
               throughout the world, accountability for acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes
               against humanity or genocide committed by ISIL/Da’esh;
                    6.    Requests the Special Adviser to continue to submit and present reports to
               the Council on the Team’s activities every 180 days and to develop, by 15 March
               2024, in consultation with the Government of Iraq, a roadmap for the completion of
               the Team’s mandate, including with respect to Iraq’s request set out in paragraph 3
               and the necessary steps for the Team’s closure;
                    7.    Decides to remain seized of the matter.




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