Security Council resolution 2203 (2015) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) until 29 Feb. 2016]
Symbol: S/RES/2203 (2015)
Date: 2015-02-18
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/70 [186] GUINEA-BISSAU SITUATION
Subjects: UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau|UN. Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau|PEACEBUILDING|GUINEA-BISSAU|HUMAN RIGHTS|ORGANIZED CRIME|DRUG TRAFFIC|CRIME PREVENTION|COORDINATION WITHIN UN SYSTEM|POST-CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: ANGOLA
vote: yes
country: CHAD
vote: yes
country: CHILE
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: JORDAN
vote: yes
country: LITHUANIA
vote: yes
country: MALAYSIA
vote: yes
country: NEW ZEALAND
vote: yes
country: NIGERIA
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SPAIN
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: VENEZUELA (BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF)
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                  S/RES/2203 (2015)
               Security Council                                                Distr.: General
                                                                               18 February 2015




               Resolution 2203 (2015)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 7385th meeting, on
               18 February 2015

                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling its previous resolutions, statements of its President and press
               statements on the situation in Guinea-Bissau, in particular resolutions 1876 (2009),
               2030 (2011), 2048 (2012), 2092 (2013), 2103 (2013), 2157 (2014) and 2186 (2014),
                    Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on Guinea-Bissau, dated
               19 January 2015 (S/2015/37) and the recommendations contained therein, and
               commending the engagement of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General
               and head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea -Bissau
               (UNIOGBIS),
                     Taking into consideration the recommendation of the Secretary-General to
               reinforce the role of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in assisting
               the Government of Guinea-Bissau through the use of the good offices, and in
               continuing to coordinate international support,
                      Welcoming the progress made by Guinea-Bissau, recognizing the concrete
               steps taken by the Government towards peace, security and stability in the country,
               by continuing to take steps towards the Reform of the Security Sector, tackling
               corruption through the reinforcement of the judicial system, improving public
               administration and State revenue’s management, as well as the supply of basic
               services to the population, and commending its commitment to the implementation
               of its national priorities,
                    Welcoming the establishment of the Peace and Stability Commission by the
               National Assembly, which constitutes a concrete step towards the establishment of a
               nationally owned reconciliation process, while recognizing the need for UNIOGBIS
               to support national efforts to maintain constitutional order and to promote a multi
               layered national dialogue towards peace and reconciliation,
                     Emphasizing the need for respect of democratic principles and stressing the
               importance of national reconciliation, inclusive dialogue and good governance,
               essential for the attainment of lasting peace in Guinea -Bissau, further stressing the
               importance of including all Bissau-Guineans in this process at national and local
               levels, while upholding the principles of separation of powers, rule of law, justice
               and combating impunity, and encouraging all stakeholders to engage in the process,

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                    Stressing that the consolidation of peace and stability in Guinea -Bissau can
               only result from a consensual, inclusive and nationally owned process, respec t for
               constitutional order, priority reforms in the defence, security and justice sectors, the
               promotion of the rule of law, the protection of human rights, the promotion of
               socioeconomic development and the fight against impunity and drug trafficking,
                    Underscoring the importance of the Government of Guinea-Bissau, with the
               support of UNIOGBIS and international partners, to continue developing national
               security and rule of law institutions that are transparent, accountable and
               professional,
                     Stressing that all stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau should work to ensure short,
               medium and long-term stability through clear commitment and genuine inclusive
               political dialogue aimed at creating conditions conducive to finding viable and
               sustainable solutions to the country’s social, economic, political and military
               problems, which would facilitate the implementation of key reforms and the
               strengthening of State institutions,
                     Noting efforts of the government to gain effective civilian control and
               oversight over the defence and security forces, as failure to do so could adversely
               affect the effective functioning of State institutions, as a result of collusion between
               some political actors and the military leadership,
                      Commending the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States
               (ECOWAS) in helping to sustain peace, security and development and to support the
               security sector reform (SSR) process in Guinea-Bissau namely through the activities
               of its Mission (ECOMIB),
                     Welcoming the continued contribution of ECOMIB in ensuring an environment
               that enables the implementation of critical reforms in the defence and security sector
               and encouraging the international community to support the continuation of such
               efforts,
                     Reiterating its call on the Government of Guinea-Bissau to conduct
               transparent, independent and credible investigations into all alleged human rights
               violations and abuses, in accordance with international standards, and to hold those
               responsible accountable for their actions,
                     Reiterating its concern at the threat posed by drug trafficking and related
               transnational organized crime to peace and stability; and, in this regard, welcoming
               the efforts of the Government of Guinea-Bissau to update the three-year national
               plan for combating drug trafficking and organized crime prepared in June 2011, and
               to define new priority areas accordingly,
                     Re-emphasizing the need to tackle the problem of drug trafficking in the
               countries of origin, transit and final destination on a basis of a common and shared
               responsibility, to tackle the world drug problem and related criminal activities; and,
               in this regard, stressing the need for increased coherence, coordination and
               efficiency among relevant partners to enhance their collective efforts, in particular
               through sharing of information,
                    Reiterating the importance and urgency of the continued evaluation capacity
               and support provided by the relevant United Nations (UN) entities and international,
               regional, subregional and bilateral partners for the long -term security and
               development of Guinea-Bissau, particularly towards the implementation of security


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           and justice sectors reforms, the fight against drug trafficking, transnational
           organized crime and human trafficking, as well as the creation of an enabling
           environment for good governance and inclusive and sustainable social development,
           and in this regard, commending the important work of the United Nations Office on
           Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with relevant UN entities in Guinea -
           Bissau and the subregion, and encouraging enhanced cooperation between UNODC
           and UNIOGBIS,
                 Underlining that any lasting solution to instability in Guinea-Bissau should
           include concrete actions to fight impunity and ensure that those responsible for
           politically motivated assassinations and other serious crimes such as breaches of
           constitutional order and drug trafficking-related activities are brought to justice,
           including through national judicial mechanisms,
                  Emphasizing the important role of women in prevention and resolution of
           conflicts and in peacebuilding, as recognized in resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820
           (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013) and 2122 (2013),
           welcoming the cooperation between UNIOGBIS, National authorities and civil
           society organizations to increase women’s participation in Guinea-Bissau and
           underlining that a gender perspective must continue to inform the implementation of
           all relevant aspects of the mandate of UNIOGBIS,
                Welcoming the establishment of a national technical commission with a focus
           on responsible extraction and exploitation of natural resources for inclusive growth
           and development,
                 Reaffirming that Guinea-Bissau’s partners should continue to actively and
           closely coordinate their actions in support of the Government’s efforts to address t he
           country’s political, security and development challenges, and in this regard,
           welcoming the coordinated support provided by the country’s partners, namely those
           in the UN system, the European Union, the World Bank, the African Union, the
           Economic Community of West African States, the Community of Portuguese
           Countries and the African Development Bank, to the Government to organize the
           International Donor Conference for Guinea-Bissau on 25 March 2015 in Brussels
           and taking note of the 9 February final communiqué of the Preparatory Meeting on
           Guinea-Bissau International Donors’ Conference in Accra, Ghana,
                Taking note of the statement made by the Chair of the Guinea-Bissau
           Configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on 5 February 2015 and
           welcoming the continued engagement of the PBC with Guinea-Bissau,
                 Emphasizing the importance of preventing the further spread of the Ebola
           Virus Disease, including to Guinea-Bissau and the need for ongoing preparedness
           efforts to build domestic capacity to fight further transmission of the Disease,
                Reaffirming its full commitment to the consolidation of peace and stability in
           Guinea-Bissau,
                1.   Decides to extend the mandate of UNIOGBIS for a period of 12 months
           beginning on 1 March 2015 until 29 February 2016;
                2.    Expresses its strong support for the key role of the Special
           Representative of the Secretary-General for Guinea-Bissau, and requests
           UNIOGBIS, including through the use of the good offices and political support of
           the Special Representative, to focus, in particular, on the following priorities:


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                     (a) Support an inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation
               process to strengthen democratic governance and work towards consensus on key
               political issues particularly with regards to the implementation of necessary urgent
               reforms;
                     (b) Provide strategic and technical advice and support to national authorities
               and relevant stakeholders, including in coordination with ECOWAS/ECOMIB and
               other international partners, in implementing the national security se ctor reform and
               rule of law strategies, as well as developing civilian and military justice systems
               that are compliant with international standards;
                    (c) Support the Government of Guinea-Bissau towards the mobilization,
               harmonization and coordination of international assistance, including for the
               implementation of the national security sector reform and rule of law strategies, and
               enhancing cooperation with the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, the Community of
               Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), the European Union (EU) and other
               partners in support of the maintenance of constitutional order and the stabilization
               of Guinea-Bissau;
                    3.    Also affirms that UNIOGBIS and the Special Representative will
               continue to lead international efforts in the following priority a reas:
                     (a) Provide support to the Government of Guinea-Bissau in strengthening
               democratic institutions and enhancing the capacity of state organs to function
               effectively and constitutionally;
                    (b) Provide strategic and technical advice and support for the establishment
               of effective and efficient law enforcement and criminal justice and penitentiary
               systems, capable of maintaining public security and combating impunity, while
               respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms;
                     (c) Assisting national authorities in the promotion and protection of human
               rights as well as undertaking human rights monitoring and reporting activities;
                     (d) Provide strategic and technical advice and support to the Government of
               Guinea-Bissau to combat drug trafficking and transnatio nal organized crime, in
               close cooperation with UNODC;
                    (e) Provide support to the Government of Guinea-Bissau to incorporate a
               gender perspective into peacebuilding, in line with Security Council resolutions
               1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008); as well as impleme ntation of the National Action Plan
               on Gender in order to ensure the involvement, representation and participation of
               women at all levels through inter alia the provision of gender advisers;
                    (f) Work with the Peacebuilding Commission in support of Guinea -Bissau’s
               peacebuilding priorities;
                     4.   Calls upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau and all stakeholders,
               including the military, political parties, and civil society to work together to
               consolidate progress made so far, and to address the root causes of instability with
               particular attention to political-military dynamics, ineffective state institutions and
               rule of law, impunity and human rights violations and abuses, poverty and lack of
               access to basic services;
                    5.   Reiterates its demand to the security and defence services to submit
               themselves fully to civilian control;


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                 6.   Takes note of the evolving human rights situation in the country and
           urges the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to take all necessary measures to protect
           human rights, put an end to impunity, initiate investigations to identify the
           perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses, including those against women
           and children; and bring them to justice and take action to protect witnesses in order
           to ensure due process;
                 7.   Welcomes the joint efforts by international partners, in particular the UN,
           AU, ECOWAS, the EU and CPLP, to enhance cooperation in support of the
           government in Guinea-Bissau and encourages them to continue to work together
           towards the country’s stabilization in accordance with the priority structural reforms
           established by the government;
                8.    Recognizes the commencement of the implementation of defence and
           security sector reforms and encourages the continuation of such efforts as a crucial
           element for long-term stability in Guinea-Bissau and further encourages
           coordinated action by all relevant subregional, regional and international partners of
           Guinea-Bissau in this field in order to obtain expeditious and positive results;
                 9.    Recognizes the important role of ECOMIB in securing the state
           institutions and in supporting SSR, supports its continuation, in accordance with the
           expressed will of the authorities of Guinea-Bissau and encourages the support of the
           international community to it, as requested by the Heads of State o f ECOWAS in its
           46th Ordinary Summit;
                10. Calls upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to continue to actively
           reform and strengthen the judicial system, while ensuring the separation of powers
           and access to justice for all citizens;
                 11. Calls upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to review, adopt and
           implement national legislations and mechanisms to more effectively combat
           transnational organized crime, in particular drug trafficking and money-laundering,
           and in this context, to provide additional support to the Transnational Crime Unit
           (TCU) established under the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI) and the
           Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa
           (GIABA); and urges the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to demonstrate full
           commitment to combating drug trafficking;
                  12. Encourages members of the international community to enhance
           cooperation with Guinea-Bissau, in order to enable it to ensure control of air traffic
           and surveillance of maritime security within its jurisdiction, in pa rticular to fight
           drug trafficking and organized crime, as well as illegal fishing in Guinea -Bissau’s
           territorial waters and exclusive economic zone and other cases of illegal exploitation
           of natural resources;
                 13. Encourages international bilateral and multilateral partners to continue
           their technical support to Guinea-Bissau in strengthening efforts to tackle
           transnational organized crime including illicit activities, such as money-laundering
           and drug trafficking, calls upon them to increase their support to WACI and the
           TCU to fight transnational organized crime and drug trafficking, which threaten
           security and stability in Guinea-Bissau and in the subregion and further encourages
           them to contribute to support the presence of UNODC in Guinea -Bissau and to the
           UNIOGBIS Trust Fund for immediate, medium and longer-term priorities, including
           for post-election reforms;


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                     14. Stresses the importance of combating drug trafficking to achieve political
               and economic stability in Guinea-Bissau, requests the Secretary-General to ensure
               the relevant capacity within UNIOGBIS, continuing to provide an anti -drug
               component, including appropriate expertise, and further requests the Special
               Representative of the Secretary-General to increase efforts to achieve greater
               coherence, coordination and efficiency among relevant UN agencies, funds and
               programmes in the country to maximize their collective effectiveness, in particular
               through provision by these agencies, funds and programs of relevant information to
               the Special Representative on individuals, groups, undertakings and entities
               associated with drug trafficking that contribute to creating a threat to the peace,
               stability and security of Guinea-Bissau and the subregion;
                     15. Commends the good offices role of the Special Representatives of the
               Secretary-General to support the Government of Guinea-Bissau, and invites the
               Secretary-General to reinforce UNIOGBIS’ capacities in this regard and to continue
               strengthening the coordination for international support;
                     16. Welcomes the convening of an international donor conference in Brussels
               in March 2015 and strongly encourages the international community to support
               Guinea-Bissau in mobilizing resources to implement Government priorities and start
               the long-term work of stabilizing the country in order to move it towards sustainable
               development and also encourages UNIOGBIS to assist in the coordination of
               international assistance to the Government of Guinea-Bissau in its fight against
               poverty;
                    17. Welcomes Guinea-Bissau’s steps in building domestic capacity to prevent
               transmission of the Ebola Virus disease, and encourages the continuation of efforts
               aimed at further developing national capacities and practices for prevention of and
               response to the disease;
                     18. Requests the Secretary-General submit to the Council regular reports
               every six months on the implementation of this resolution and submit a report
               within six months to the Committee established pursuant to its resolution 2048
               (2012) on the progress made with regards to the stabilization of the country and
               restoration of constitutional order and recommendations on the continuation of the
               sanctions regime in the post-election environment, in line with paragraph 12 of
               resolution 2048 (2012);
                     19. Decides to review the sanctions measures established pursuant to
               resolution 2048 (2012) seven months from the adoption of this resolution;
                    20.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




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