Security Council resolution 1497 (2003) [on establishment of the Multinational Force in Liberia]
Symbol: S/RES/1497(2003)
Date: 2003-08-01
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/58 [89] LIBERIA SITUATION
Subjects: Multinational Force in Liberia|Stabilization Force|UN Mission in Sierra Leone|Economic Community of West African States|UN. Special Representative for Liberia|Joint Verification Team (Liberia)|Joint Monitoring Committee (Liberia)|Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy|African Union|Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998)|Algiers Declaration (1999)|Lomé Declaration (2000)|Charter of the United Nations (1945). Chapter VII|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|CEASEFIRES|INTERNAL SECURITY|LIBERIA|LIBERIA SITUATION|DISARMAMENT|MILITARY DEMOBILIZATION|HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE|LOGISTICS|RAPID DEPLOYMENT FORCES|TROOP-CONTRIBUTING STATES|BOUNDARIES|REGIONAL CONFLICTS|FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT|RELIEF PERSONNEL|INTERIM GOVERNMENTS
Votes in favour: 12
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 3
Voting record:
country: ANGOLA
vote: yes
country: BULGARIA
vote: yes
country: CAMEROON
vote: yes
country: CHILE
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: abstention
country: GERMANY
vote: abstention
country: GUINEA
vote: yes
country: MEXICO
vote: abstention
country: PAKISTAN
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SPAIN
vote: yes
country: SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                    S/RES/1497 (2003)
               Security Council                                                Distr.: General
                                                                               1 August 2003




               Resolution 1497 (2003)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 4803rd meeting, on
               1 August 2003

                    The Security Council,
                    Deeply concerned over the conflict in Liberia and its effects on the
               humanitarian situation, including the tragic loss of countless innocent lives, in that
               country, and its destabilizing effect on the region,
                    Stressing the need to create a secure environment that enables respect for
               human rights, including the well-being and rehabilitation of children, protects the
               well-being of civilians, and supports the mission of humanitarian workers,
                    Reminding the parties of their obligations under the Liberian ceasefire
               agreement, signed in Accra, 17 June 2003,
                     Recalling that paragraph 4 of resolution 1343 (2001) demanded that all States
               take action to prevent armed groups and individuals and groups from using their
               territory to prepare and commit attacks on neighbouring countries and refrain from
               any action that might contribute to further destabilization on the borders between
               Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone,
                     Commending the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in
               particular its Chairman, President Kufuor of Ghana, for its leadership role in
               facilitating the achievement of the aforementioned ceasefire agreement, and
               recognizing the critically important role it has played and necessarily will continue
               to play in the Liberia peace process, consistent with Chapter VIII of the Charter of
               the United Nations,
                     Commending also Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo for his efforts to
               bring peace to Liberia,
                    Recalling further the 30 June 2003 request of the Secretary-General to the
               Security Council to authorize the deployment of a Multinational Force to Liberia,
                    Determining that the situation in Liberia constitutes a threat to international
               peace and security, to stability in the West Africa subregion, and to the peace
               process for Liberia,
                    Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,



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S/RES/1497 (2003)


                     1.    Authorizes Member States to establish a Multinational Force in Liberia to
               support the implementation of the 17 June 2003 ceasefire agreement, including
               establishing conditions for initial stages of disarmament, demobilization and
               reintegration activities, to help establish and maintain security in the period after the
               departure of the current President and the installation of a successor authority,
               taking into account the agreements to be reached by the Liberian parties, and to
               secure the environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and to prepare
               for the introduction of a longer-term United Nations stabilization force to relieve the
               Multinational Force;
                     2.    Declares its readiness to establish such a follow-on United Nations
               stabilization force to support the transitional government and to assist in the
               implementation of a comprehensive peace agreement for Liberia and requests the
               Secretary-General to submit to the Council recommendations for the size, structure,
               and mandate of this force, preferably by 15 August 2003, and subsequent
               deployment of the United Nations force no later than 1 October 2003;
                     3.    Authorizes UNAMSIL to extend the necessary logistical support, for a
               limited period of up to 30 days, to the forward ECOWAS elements of the
               Multinational Force, without prejudicing UNAMSIL’s operational capability with
               respect to its mandate in Sierra Leone;
                    4.    Requests the Secretary-General, pending a decision by the Security
               Council on the establishment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Liberia,
               to take the necessary steps, including the necessary logistical support to the
               ECOWAS elements of the Multinational Force, and pre-positioning critical logistical
               and personnel requirements to facilitate the rapid deployment of the envisaged
               operation;
                    5.     Authorizes the Member States participating in the Multinational Force in
               Liberia to take all necessary measures to fulfil its mandate;
                    6.    Calls upon Member States to contribute personnel, equipment, and other
               resources to the Multinational Force; and stresses that the expenses of the
               Multinational Force will be borne by the participating Member States and other
               voluntary contributions;
                     7.   Decides that current or former officials or personnel from a contributing
               State, which is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,
               shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of that contributing State for all alleged
               acts or omissions arising out of or related to the Multinational Force or United
               Nations stabilization force in Liberia, unless such exclusive jurisdiction has been
               expressly waived by that contributing State;
                     8.   Decides that the measures imposed by paragraphs 5 (a) and 5 (b) of
               resolution 1343 (2001) shall not apply to supplies of arms and related materiel and
               technical training and assistance intended solely for support of and use by the
               Multinational Force;
                     9.   Demands that all States in the region refrain from any action that might
               contribute to instability in Liberia or on the borders between Liberia, Guinea, Sierra
               Leone and Côte d’Ivoire;




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                                                                                       S/RES/1497 (2003)


     10. Calls on the Liberian parties to cooperate with the Joint Verification
Team and Joint Monitoring Commission as established under the 17 June 2003
ceasefire agreement;
      11. Further calls on all Liberian parties and Member States to cooperate
fully with the Multinational Force in Liberia in the execution of its mandate and to
respect the security and freedom of movement of the Multinational Force, as well as
to ensure the safe and unimpeded access of international humanitarian personnel to
populations in need in Liberia;
      12. Stresses the urgent need for all Liberian parties who are signatories to the
17 June ceasefire agreement, in particular the LURD and MODEL leadership,
immediately and scrupulously to uphold the 17 June ceasefire agreement, to cease
using violent means and to agree as soon as possible to an all-inclusive political
framework for a transitional government until such a time when free and fair
elections can be held and notes that critical to this endeavour is the fulfilment of the
commitment to depart from Liberia made by President Charles Taylor;
     13. Urges the LURD and MODEL to refrain from any attempt to seize power
by force, bearing in mind the position of the African Union on unconstitutional
changes of government as stated in the 1999 Algiers Decision and the 2000 Lomé
Declaration;
      14. Decides to review the implementation of this resolution within 30 days of
adoption to consider the report and recommendations of the Secretary-General
called for in paragraph 2 and consider further steps that might be necessary;
     15. Requests that the Secretary-General through his Special Representative to
report to the Council periodically on the situation in Liberia in relation to the
implementation of this resolution, including information on implementation by the
Multinational Force of its mandate;
     16.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




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