Security Council resolution 2171 (2014) [on prevention of armed conflicts]
Symbol: S/RES/2171 (2014)
Date: 2014-08-21
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/69 [10] INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Subjects: UN System|Charter of the United Nations (1945)|WAR PREVENTION|DISPUTE SETTLEMENT|REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS|COOPERATION BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS|MEDIATION|GOOD OFFICES|SPECIAL MISSIONS|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS|PEACEBUILDING
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: ARGENTINA
vote: yes
country: AUSTRALIA
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: LUXEMBOURG
vote: yes
country: NIGERIA
vote: yes
country: REPUBLIC OF KOREA
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: RWANDA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                    S/RES/2171 (2014)
               Security Council                                                Distr.: General
                                                                               21 August 2014




               Resolution 2171 (2014)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 7247th meeting, on
               21 August 2014

                    The Security Council,
                     Recalling all its previous resolutions and statements of its President o n
               prevention of armed conflict, preventive diplomacy, mediation and peaceful
               settlement of disputes, in particular resolutions 1366 (2001) and 1625 (2005), and
               the statements of its President of 22 February 1995 ( S/PRST/1995/9), 30 November
               1999 (S/PRST/1999/34), 20 July 2000 (S/PRST/2000/25), 13 May 2003
               (S/PRST/2003/5), 20 September 2005 (S/PRST/2005/42), 21 April 2009
               (S/PRST/2009/8), 22 September 2011 (S/PRST/2011/18), 15 April 2013
               (S/PRST/2013/4),
                    Recalling the determination of the peoples of the United Nations, to save
               succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to reaffirm faith in fundamental
               human rights,
                    Recalling all Purposes and Principles enshrined in the Charter of the United
               Nations,
                    Recalling the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the
               maintenance of international peace and security and acting in accordance with the
               Purposes and Principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
                    Reaffirming the Security Council’s continuing commitment to addressing the
               prevention of armed conflicts in all regions of the world,
                    Expressing its determination to enhance the effectiveness of the United
               Nations in preventing and ending armed conflicts, their escalation, spread when they
               occur, and their resurgence once they end,
                     Recalling that the prevention of conflict remains a primary responsibility of
               States, and further recalling their primary responsibility to protect civilians and to
               respect and ensure the human rights of all individuals within their territory and
               subject to their jurisdiction, as provided for by relevant international law, and
               further, reaffirming the responsibility of each individual State to protect its
               populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against
               humanity,



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                    Acknowledging the role that civil society can play in contributing to conflict
               prevention,
                     Reiterating the need for a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention and
               sustainable peace, which comprises operational and structural measures for the
               prevention of armed conflict and addresses its root causes, including through
               strengthening the rule of law at international and national levels and promoting
               sustained economic growth, poverty eradication, social development, sustainable
               development, national reconciliation, good governance, democracy, gender equality
               and respect for, and protection of, human rights,
                     Calling attention to the importance of early awareness and consideration of
               situations which may deteriorate into armed conflicts and emphasizing that the
               United Nations, including the Security Council, should heed early warning
               indications of potential conflict and ensure prompt and effective action to prevent,
               contain or end conflicts, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,
                    Underlining the overriding moral, political and humanitarian imperatives as
               well as the economic advantages of preventing the outbreak, continuation,
               escalation or relapse into conflict,
                     Deeply concerned by the high human cost and suffering caused by armed
               conflicts, as well as the material and economic costs to the countries directly
               affected, the wider region and international community, including through the
               inclusive rebuilding of states and societies in the aftermath of armed conflict, and
               recognizing that peace, security and development are mutually reinforcing,
               including in the prevention of armed conflict,
                     Affirming that a comprehensive conflict prevention strategy should include,
               inter alia, early warning, preventive diplomacy, mediation, preventive deployment,
               peacekeeping, practical disarmament and other measures to contribute to combating
               the proliferation and illicit trade of arms, accountability measures as well as
               inclusive post-conflict peace-building, and recognizing that these components are
               interdependent, complementary and non-sequential,
                    Emphasizing the critical role of peacebuilding and the Peacebuilding
               Commission in support of countries emerging from conflict, in particular through
               the mobilization of sustained international support to critical national capacity
               needs,
                     Stressing the essential role of the Secretary-General in the prevention of armed
               conflict, including through early warning,
                     Stressing also the importance of the Secretary-General’s efforts to enhance his
               role, in accordance with Article 99 of the Charter of the United Nations,
                     Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on “Preventive Diplomacy:
               Delivering Results” (S/2011/552) and the recommendations contained therein on
               steps to maximize the prospects of success in United Nations preventive diplomacy
               efforts,
                     Noting also that terrorism is an important element in an increasing number of
               conflict situations and that countering incitement to terrorism, motivated by
               extremism and intolerance, and addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of
               terrorism, can complement conflict prevention efforts,



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                 Stressing the importance of accountability in preventing future conflicts,
           avoiding the recurrence of serious violations of international law, including
           international humanitarian law and human rights law, and enabling sustainable
           peace, justice, truth and reconciliation and emphasizing in this context the
           responsibility of States to comply with their relevant obligations to end impunity
           and, to that end, to thoroughly investigate and prosecute persons responsible for
           genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, or other serious violations of
           international humanitarian law and international human rights law,
                 Stressing that the fight against impunity and to ensure accountability for
           genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other egregious crimes has been
           strengthened through the work on and prosecution of these crimes in the
           international criminal justice system, ad hoc and mixed tribunals as wel l as
           specialized chambers in national tribunals; and recognising in this regard the
           contribution of the International Criminal Court, in accordance with the principle of
           complementarity to national criminal jurisdictions as set out in the Rome Statute,
           towards holding accountable those responsible for such crimes; and reiterating its
           call on the importance of State cooperation with these courts and tribunals in
           accordance with the States’ respective obligations,
                 Reaffirming the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of
           conflicts and in peacebuilding and reiterating its call to increase the equal, full and
           meaningful, participation, representation and involvement of women in conflict
           prevention and mediation efforts in a mutually reinforcing manner in line with
           resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106
           (2013) and 2122 (2013),
                 1.    Expresses its determination to pursue the objective of prevention of
           armed conflict as an integral part of its primary responsibility for the maintenance
           of international peace and security;
                2.    Calls upon all States to intensify efforts to secure a world free of the
           scourge of war and conflict;
                 3.   Stresses that the prevention of conflicts remains a primary responsibility
           of States and actions undertaken within the framework of conflict prevention by the
           United Nations should support and complement, as appropriate, the conflict
           prevention roles of national governments;
                4.    Reaffirms the duty of all States to settle their international disputes by
           peaceful means, inter alia through negotiation, enquiry, good offices, mediation,
           conciliation, arbitration and judicial settlement, or other peaceful means of their
           own choice;
                5.   Recalls Chapter VI, in particular Articles 33 and 34 of the Charter of the
           United Nations, and reaffirms its commitment to the settlement of disputes by
           peaceful means and the promotion of necessary preventive action in response to
           disputes or situations, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the
           maintenance of international peace and security;
                 6.    Recognizes that some of the tools in Chapter VI of the Charter of the
           United Nations, which can be used for conflict prevention, have not been fully
           utilized, including negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial
           settlement and resort to regional and subregional organizations and arrangements, as



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               well as the good offices of the Secretary-General, and stresses its determination to
               make and call for the greater and more effective use of such tools;
                     7.  Acknowledges the important role the following can play in contributing
               to the prevention of the outbreak, escalation, continuation and recurrence of
               conflict;
                    – United Nations regional offices;
                    – Special Political Missions;
                    – peacekeeping operations;
                    – the Peacebuilding Commission;
               as well as regional and subregional organizations and arrangements;
                     8.   Acknowledges also that sanctions imposed under relevant provisions of
               the Charter of the United Nations are an important tool in the maintenance and
               restoration of international peace and security and can contribute to create
               conditions conducive to the peaceful resolution of situations that threaten or breach
               international peace and security, and support conflict prevention;
                     9.    Encourages the Secretary-General to continue enhancing the use of his
               good offices, dispatching Representatives, Special Envoys and mediators, to hel p to
               facilitate durable, inclusive and comprehensive settlements and further encourages
               the Secretary-General to continue his early engagement in the prevention of
               potential conflicts;
                     10. Encourages field-based Special Political Missions and Peacekeeping
               Operations to enhance their assessment and analysis capabilities to prevent relapse
               into conflict within their existing mandates;
                     11. Recognizes that mediation is an important means for the pacific
               settlement of disputes, including wherever possible pr eventively and before disputes
               evolve into violence and appreciates the efforts of the Secretary-General to continue
               to strengthen United Nations mediation support capacities, including the Mediation
               Support Unit as a provider of mediation support to the U nited Nations system, in
               accordance with agreed mandates;
                     12. Expresses its willingness to give prompt consideration to early warning
               cases brought to its attention by the Secretary-General, including to the dispatch, in
               appropriate circumstances, of preventive political missions and encourages the
               Secretary-General to bring to its attention any matter which in his opinion may
               threaten the maintenance of international peace and security, in accordance with
               Article 99 of the Charter of the United Nations;
                     13. Acknowledges that serious abuses and violations of international human
               rights or humanitarian law, including sexual and gender-based violence, can be an
               early indication of a descent into conflict or escalation of conflict, as well as a
               consequence thereof; and calls on States which have not already done so to consider
               ratifying the instruments of international humanitarian, human rights and refugee
               law, and to take appropriate steps to implement these instruments domestically,
               which could contribute to timely prevention of conflicts;
                    14. Encourages the Secretary-General to continue to refer to the Council
               information and analyses which he believes could contribute to the prevention of


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           armed conflict, including on cases of serious violations of inter national law,
           including international humanitarian law and human rights law, and on potential
           conflict situations arising, inter alia, from ethnic, religious and territorial disputes,
           poverty and lack of development;
                15. Expresses its commitment to take early and effective action to prevent
           armed conflict and to that end to employ all appropriate means at its disposal, in
           accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations;
                 16. Recalls the important role of the Secretary-General’s Special Advisers on
           the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect, whose functions
           include acting as an early warning mechanism to prevent potential situations that
           could result in genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing,
           as well as the important role the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in
           Conflict and the Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict can play in
           contributing to conflict prevention; calls upon States to recommit to prevent and
           fight against genocide, and other serious crimes under international law, and
           reaffirms paragraphs 138 and 139 of the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document
           (A/60/L.1) on the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes,
           ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity;
                 17. Recognizes the important role the Office of the United Nations High
           Commissioner for Human Rights and the Office of the Special Adviser on the
           Prevention of Genocide can play in conflict prevention and also recognizes the role
           their briefings on human rights violations and hate speech play in contributing to
           early awareness of potential conflict;
                 18. Emphasizes the important role that women and civil society, including
           women’s organizations and formal and informal community leaders, can play in
           exerting influence over parties to armed conflict; reiterates the continuing need to
           increase success in preventing conflict by increasing the participation of women at
           all stages of mediation and post-conflict resolution and by increasing the
           consideration of gender-related issues in all discussions pertinent to conflict
           prevention;
                 19. Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General and his Special Envoys
           and Special Representatives to United Nations missions, as part of their regular
           briefings, to update the Council on progress in inviting women to participate,
           including through consultations with civil society, including women’s organizations,
           in discussions pertinent to the prevention and resolutio n of conflict, the maintenance
           of peace and security and post-conflict peacebuilding;
                 20. Expresses its commitment to consider and use the tools of the United
           Nations system to ensure that early warning of potential conflicts translates into
           early, concrete preventive action, including towards the goal of protecting civilians,
           by or in coordination with the most appropriate United Nations or regional actor; in
           accordance with the Charter of the United Nations;
                 21. Encourages the peaceful settlement of local disputes through regional
           arrangements in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter, acknowledges the
           efforts undertaken to strengthen operational and institutional cooperation between
           the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations ai med at conflict
           prevention and in this regard reiterates the need to continue strengthening strategic
           dialogue, partnerships, and more regular exchanges of views and information at the


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               working level, with the aim of building national and regional capacitie s in relation
               to preventive diplomacy;
                    22. Calls for enhanced cooperation and capacity building with regional and
               subregional organizations and arrangements to help to prevent armed conflicts, their
               spread and impact, including through cooperation in ear ly warning mechanisms as
               well as to help facilitate preventive action; consistent with Chapter VIII of the
               Charter of the United Nations;
                     23. Reiterates its support for the work of the Peacebuilding Commission and
               expresses its continued willingness to make use of the advisory, advocacy and
               resource mobilization roles of the Peacebuilding Commission in peacebuilding
               activities;
                    24. Reaffirms its willingness to strengthen its relationship with civil society,
               including, as appropriate, through, inter alia, meetings in an informal and flexible
               manner with civil society, to exchange analyses and perspectives on the issue of the
               prevention of armed conflict;
                     25. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Council on
               actions taken by him to promote and strengthen conflict prevention tools within the
               United Nations system, including through co-operation with regional and
               subregional organizations, by August 31, 2015;
                    26.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




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