Security Council resolution 2609 (2021) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until 15 May 2022]
Symbol: S/RES/2609 (2021)
Date: 2021-12-15
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/76 [217] UN INTERIM SECURITY FORCE FOR ABYEI
S/76 [160] SUDAN--POLITICAL CONDITIONS
S/76 [223] SOUTH SUDAN--POLITICAL CONDITIONS
S/ X Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan.
Subjects: UN Interim Security Force for Abyei|UN Interim Security Force for Abyei. Deputy Head of Mission|Joint Border Verification Monitoring Mechanism (Sudan and South Sudan)|Charter of the United Nations (1945). Chapter VII|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|DEMILITARIZED ZONES|PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|ABYEI (SUDAN)|SUDAN|SOUTH SUDAN
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: ESTONIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: INDIA
vote: yes
country: IRELAND
vote: yes
country: KENYA
vote: yes
country: MEXICO
vote: yes
country: NIGER
vote: yes
country: NORWAY
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
vote: yes
country: TUNISIA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: VIET NAM
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                     S/RES/2609 (2021)
               Security Council                                                   Distr.: General
                                                                                  15 December 2021




               Resolution 2609 (2021)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 8932nd meeting, on
               15 December 2021

                    The Security Council,
                     Reaffirming all previous resolutions and Presidential statements concerning the
               situation in Abyei and along the border between Sudan and South Sudan and
               underlining the importance of full compliance with and implementation of these,
                      Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and
               territorial integrity of Sudan and South Sudan, and to the purposes and the principles
               of the Charter of the United Nations, and recalling the importance of the principles of
               good neighbourliness, non-interference and regional cooperation,
                     Reiterating that the territorial boundaries of States shall not be altered by force,
               and that any territorial disputes shall be settled exclusively by peaceful means,
               affirming the priority it attaches to the full and urgent implementation of all
               outstanding issues from the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), underscoring
               that the future status of Abyei shall be resolved by negotiations between the parties
               in a manner consistent with the CPA and not by the unilateral actions of either party,
               and recalling prior agreements on the administration and security of the Abyei Area,
                    Welcoming continued cooperation between the Government of the Republic of
               the Sudan and Government of the Republic of South Sudan in support of peace,
               security and stability, including with regard to the Juba Peace Agreement and the
               high-level discussions between Sudan and South Sudan in August 2021, and the
               convening of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM) 8 –9 September 2021
               and 21 October 2021, and encouraging that such meetings and those of other joint
               mechanisms take place on a consistent basis,
                    Encouraging the African Union, the African Union High-Level Implementation
               Panel (AUHIP), and the United Nations Special Envoy of the Secretary -General for
               the Horn of Africa to intensify their mediation roles with the Governments of South
               Sudan and Sudan to encourage them to establish temporary administrative and
               security arrangements for Abyei and to achieve a political solution for the status o f
               Abyei, and commending the assistance provided to the parties by the Federal
               Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and the United Nations Interim Security Force for
               Abyei (UNISFA),
                   Acknowledging that over the course of the ten years since establishment of
               UNISFA, the mission has contributed towards the stabilization and demilitarization




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               of the Abyei Area and together with the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring
               Mechanism (JBVMM) played a stabilizing role along the borders between South
               Sudan and Sudan,
                     Expressing grave concern over recent developments in Gok Machar, South
               Sudan, including threats to the safety and security of peacekeepers which resulted in
               the death of a peacekeeper from Ethiopia on 14 September 2021, undermining the
               ability of UNISFA to support the JBVMM, stressing that the host states have the
               primary responsibility to ensure safety, security, and freedom of movement of United
               Nations personnel and assets per their obligations under the Status of Forces
               Agreements (SOFA), and urging South Sudan to intensify its outreach to the local
               community in Gok Machar to facilitate redeployment of UNISFA personnel to their
               previous locations,
                     Underlining that over the course of ten years the Government of Sudan and the
               Government of South Sudan have not made progress establishing joint institutions in
               Abyei, and encouraging Sudan and South Sudan to engage in substantive dialogue
               that can advance the political process for resolution of the Abyei dispute,
                     Expressing concern over crime in the Abyei Area, and further expressing
               concern that the delayed deployment of UN police to the level authorized by the
               Council prevents UNISFA from fulfilling its security mandate and holds the potential
               to create a security vacuum in Abyei, and further expressing concern about Sudan and
               South Sudan’s efforts to impede UNISFA from fully executing its mandate,
                     Commending the efforts of UNISFA in its attempts to carry out its mandate
               effectively, including by its ongoing facilitation of peaceful migration throughout t he
               Abyei Area, conflict prevention, mediation and deterrence, and expressing grave
               concern about the security threats and targeted attacks against United Nations
               peacekeepers in UNISFA, strongly underscoring the unacceptability of any attack on
               United Nations personnel, and reiterating that such attacks, which may constitute war
               crimes, should be swiftly and thoroughly investigated, and that those responsible
               should be held to account,
                    Noting the 17 September 2021 letter of the Secretary-General (S/2021/805),
               proposing detailed recommendations for the reconfiguration of the mission,
                     Bearing in mind that people in the Abyei Area continue to rely on humanitarian
               assistance, that access for humanitarian organizations to reach people in need remains
               of crucial importance, and that humanitarian actors continue to provide assistance to
               210,000 people in the Abyei Area, and further bearing in mind that support to
               livelihoods and resilience at the community level are critical to ending conflict driven
               by food insecurity,
                    Recalling resolutions 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on Women,
               Peace, and Security and emphasizing that persistent barriers to full implementation
               of these resolutions will only be dismantled through dedicated commitment to
               women’s empowerment, participation, and human rights, and through concerted
               leadership, consistent information and action, and support,
                    Recognizing that the current situation in Abyei and along the border between
               Sudan and South Sudan continues to constitute a threat to international peace and
               security,
                     1.    Decides to extend until 15 May 2022 the mandate of UNISFA as set out in
               paragraph 2 of resolution 1990 (2011) and acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of
               the United Nations, further decides to extend until 15 May 2022 the tasks of UNISFA
               as set out in paragraph 3 of resolution 1990 (2011);



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                 2.   Decides to extend until 15 May 2022 UNISFA’s mandate modification set
           forth in resolution 2024 (2011) and paragraph 1 of resolution 2075 (2012), which
           provides for UNISFA’s support to the JBVMM, and further decides that UNISFA shall
           continue to implement that mandate and tasks in accordance with resolution 2550
           (2020) and this resolution;
                3.    Determines that both parties should continue to demonstrate measurable
           progress on border demarcation, specifically by taking the measures listed below:
                (1) UNISFA and JBVMM Patrols: Achieve standing clearance and full
                freedom of movement for all air and ground patrols,
                (2) JBVMM Team Sites: Support operationalizing the team site in Abu
                Qussa/Wunkur, and calls upon South Sudan to resolve the challenges with
                JBVMM’s return to Gok Machar, South Sudan, and team sites Safaha/Kiir Adem
                and Sumayah/War Abar,
                (3) JPSM: Provide clear guidance to JBVMM by convening two meetings of
                the JPSM , and ensuring conclusions of meetings are widely disseminated,
                (4) Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ): Immediately withdraw from the
                SDBZ as both parties committed to do in the 28–29 October 2020 JPSM, and to
                provide notification of such withdrawal to UNISFA for verification,
                (5) Border Crossing Corridors: Operationalize the reopening of border
                crossing corridors per the decisions of the 28–29 October 2020 and
                8–9 September 2021 JPSM meetings, and together with UNISFA verify their
                functioning and free movement across the border,
                (6) Border Demarcation: Develop a detailed work plan and budget for
                demarcation discussions, including negotiations on the disputed areas wit hin the
                framework of the signed agreements, and hold two meetings of the Joint
                Demarcation Committee
                (7) National Monitors: Maintain deployment of national monitors to
                participate in JBVMM operational activities;
                4.   Decides to reduce the authorized troop ceiling to 3,250 until 15 May 2022
           and expresses its intention to keep under review the recommendations in the
           17 September 2021 letter of the Secretary-General (S/2021/805);
                 5.    Maintains the authorized police ceiling at 640 police personnel, including
           148 individual police officers and three formed police units, requests the United
           Nations to continue to take necessary steps regarding sequential deployment of
           additional police in order to meet the authorized police ceiling of 640, and expresses
           its intention to reduce the authorized police ceiling as the Abyei Police Service is
           gradually established and providing effective law enforcement throughout the Abyei
           Area;
                 6.  Expresses its serious concern that the Government of Sudan has not issued
           visas promptly to support personnel critical for the mandate of UNISFA, including
           police;
                7.    Calls upon the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to provide full
           support to UNISFA in the implementation of its mandate and deployment of UNISFA
           personnel, removing any obstacles that hinder the implementation of UNISFA’s
           mandate to protect civilians in Abyei, ensuring the mission’s freedom of movement,
           and facilitating UNISFA’s provision of food, medicine, and other suppl ies to its
           personnel;



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                     8.    Urges the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to facilitate basing
               arrangements for UNISFA in the Mission area including Athony airport, and provide
               necessary flight clearances, and notes that the utilization of Athony airport will reduce
               UNISFA’s transport costs and logistical challenges, facilitate MEDEVAC, official
               travel, and air cargo needs for the Mission and enhance safety and security for
               UNISFA personnel in line with resolution 2518 (2020), and further calls upon all
               parties to fully adhere to their obligations called for in its resolution 2518 (2020) and
               under the SOFAs;
                     9.   Requests the Secretary-General, Member States, and all parties to continue
               to take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety, security and freedom of
               movement of UNISFA’s personnel with unhindered and immediate access throughout
               Abyei, in line with resolution 2518 (2020), notes with concern the grave risks
               violations of the SOFAs can present to the safety and security of United Nations
               personnel serving in peacekeeping operations, and requests the Secretary -General to
               implement the provisions of resolution 2589 (2021) for establishing accountability
               for crimes against peacekeepers;
                     10. Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to appoint a civilian Deputy
               Head of Mission for UNISFA and add additional civilian staff within existing
               resources to further facilitate liaison between and engagement with the parties in a
               manner consistent with the Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the
               Administration and Security of the Abyei Area of June 2011, including agreement to
               establish the Abyei Police Service;
                    11. Urges continued progress towards establishing temporary administrative
               and security arrangements that are agreed to by the parties;
                     12. Encourages the African Union, AUHIP, and the Special Envoy of the
               Secretary-General to intensify coordinating efforts to establish temporary
               administrative and security arrangements for Abyei and facilitate the full
               implementation of the 2011 Agreement on the Temporary Arrangements for th e
               Administration and Security of the Abyei Area and the 2012 Cooperation Agreements
               between Sudan and South Sudan, to achieve a political solution to the status of Abyei,
               further encourages UNISFA to increase coordination with the African Union, AUHIP
               and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on reconciliation, community
               sensitization, and political peace processes, and reiterates its requests for the
               Secretary-General to consult with relevant parties on enhancing the role played by
               the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa to support the above mentioned efforts;
                     13. Urges renewed efforts to determine conclusively the SDBZ centreline on
               the ground, and reiterates that the centreline of the SDBZ in no way prejudices the
               current or future legal status of the border, ongoing negotiations on the disputed and
               claimed areas, and demarcation of the borders;
                     14. Underscores that UNISFA’s protection of civilians mandate as set out in
               paragraph 3 of resolution 1990 (2011) includes taking the necessary actions, without
               prejudice to the responsibilities of the relevant authorities, to protect civilians under
               imminent threat of physical violence, irrespective of the source of such violence, and
               in that regard underlines that peacekeepers are authorized to use all necessary means,
               which includes the use of force when required, in order to protect civilians under
               threat of physical violence, in accordance with mission mandates, the United Nations
               Charter and other applicable international law, and stresses the importance of
               continued and further engagement by senior mission leadership, with a view to
               ensuring that all mission components and all levels of the chain of command are
               properly informed of, trained for, and involved in the mission’s protection of civilians
               mandate and their relevant responsibilities; and commending UNISFA’s efforts in that
               regard;

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                 15. Condemns the intermittent presence of South Sudan security service
           personnel and the deployment of Sudan’s Oil Police in Diffra, in the Abyei Area, in
           violation of the 20 June 2011 Agreement, as well as any entry of armed militias into
           the territory, and reiterates its demands that immediately and without preconditions
           the Government of South Sudan fully redeploy its security service personnel from the
           Abyei Area and that the Government of Sudan redeploy the Oil Police in Diffra from
           the Abyei Area, and further reiterates, in accordance with relevant resolutions, in
           particular resolution 1990 (2011) and resolution 2046 (2012), that the Abyei Area
           shall be demilitarized from any forces, as well as armed elements of the local
           communities, other than UNISFA and the Abyei Police Service;
                16. Urges the two governments to take all necessary steps to ensure that Abyei
           is effectively demilitarized, including through disarmament programmes as
           necessary;
                 17. Reaffirms that UNISFA may undertake weapons confiscation and
           destruction in the Abyei Area as authorized under resolution 1990 (2011), consistent
           with its mandate and within its existing capabilities, in coordi nation with the
           signatories of the June 2011 Agreement on the Temporary Arrangements for the
           Administration and Security of the Abyei Area, the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee
           (AJOC), and the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities and consistent with the
           previous AJOC decision to establish the Area as a “weapons free area”, calls upon the
           Governments of Sudan and South Sudan, the AJOC, and the Misseriya and Ngok
           Dinka communities and all other groups to extend full cooperation to UNISFA in this
           regard;
                 18. Welcomes UNISFA initiatives to support community dialogue and efforts
           by the Misseriya, Ngok Dinka, and all other communities, such as local peace
           committees, to strengthen intercommunal relationships and facilitate stability and
           reconciliation in the Abyei Area, and invites UNISFA to coordinate with the Jubaappointed administration in Abyei, the Misseriya administration in Muglad, and the
           Khartoum-appointed administration, using appropriate civilian expertise, to maintain
           stability, foster intercommunal reconciliation, and facilitate the return of displaced
           persons to their villages and the delivery of services;
                 19. Requests UNISFA to collaborate with the United Nations Country Teams
           in Sudan and South Sudan, in consultation with the host governments and the local
           communities, to engage with the local communities on peacebuilding initiatives,
           including conflict prevention and mitigation and rule of law, welcomes the United
           Nations’ development of an integrated rule of law support strategy in close
           coordination with the host governments and communities, and strongly encourages
           all parties to cooperate with UNISFA for the establishment of the Abyei Police
           Services (APS);
                 20. Urges the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to take steps to
           implement and facilitate confidence-building measures among the respective
           communities in the Abyei Area, providing for the full, equal, and meaningful
           participation of women, regardless of area of origin, at all stages, including through
           reconciliation processes at the grass-roots level as well as through ongoing efforts of
           non-governmental organizations and by fully supporting UNISFA’s efforts in
           promoting community dialogue, further urges Sudan and South Sudan to consider the
           support of the UN and African Union to help facilitate dialogue amongst all parties
           in Abyei, and urges the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to take forward the
           joint investigation, announced in 2020, to hold perpetrators accountable for violence
           in the Kolem area of Abyei in January 2020, and hold accountable those responsible
           for violence in Mabok in April 2020 and Dunguop in May 2021;



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                    21. Expresses concern that women remain absent from the leadership of local
               peace committees, recognizes the Juba-appointed Chief Administrator’s public
               support for women’s empowerment, calls upon all parties to promote the full, equal,
               and meaningful participation of women, including at all levels of intercommunity
               dialogue and peacebuilding efforts, to ensure a credible, and legitimate process, and
               requests UNISFA to integrate women into peace discussions and to assist these efforts
               through, inter alia, the provision of gender advisers to Abyei where their expertise is
               urgently needed;
                     22. Welcomes UNISFA’s continued efforts, in close coordination with the
               Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities, to strengthen the capacities of Community
               Protection Committees in order to assist with management of law and order processes
               in Abyei, while ensuring the humane and dignified treatment of suspects and other
               detainees, and to continue engaging with both governments on this issue;
                     23. Calls upon all parties to cooperate fully with the findings and
               recommendations following the Abyei Area Joint Investigation and Inquiry
               Committee’s investigation into the killing of a UNISFA peacekeeper and the Ngok
               Dinka Paramount Chief, following the release of findings by the AU Commission,
               welcomes the 24 March 2015 AUPSC press statement requesting the AU Commission
               to engage the parties on the findings and recommendations, and looks forward to the
               release of the African Union Commission’s report on the killing of the Ngok Dinka
               chief, as agreed to by the traditional leaders, and for the report to be used as a basis
               for reconciliation between the communities, bearing in mind the need to pro mote
               stability and reconciliation in the Abyei Area;
                     24. Calls upon all Member States, in particular Sudan and South Sudan, to
               provide for the free, unhindered and expeditious movement, to and from Abyei and
               throughout the SDBZ, of all personnel, as well as equipment, provisions, supplies and
               other goods, including vehicles, aircraft, and spare parts, which are for the exclusive
               and official use of UNISFA;
                      25. Demands that all parties involved allow, in accordance with international
               law, including applicable international humanitarian law, all humanitarian personnel
               full, safe and unhindered access to civilians in need of assistance and all necessary
               facilities for their operations, consistent with United Nations guiding principles of
               humanitarian assistance, including humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and
               independence;
                   26. Welcomes the Abyei UN Joint Programme Initiative supported by the
               Sudan and South Sudan United Nations Country Teams;
                    27. Encourages the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan
               to continue to facilitate the deployment of the United Nations Mine Action Service
               (UNMAS) to ensure freedom of movement, as well as the identification and clearance
               of mines in the Abyei Area and SDBZ;
                     28. Strongly urges that all parties cease all forms of violence, human rights
               violations and abuses, violations of international humanitarian law, and violations of
               other international law, as applicable, committed against civilians, including women
               and children, and bring perpetrators of such abuses or violations to justice;
                     29. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that effective monitoring of
               human rights violations and abuses, including those involving sexual and gender -
               based violence and other violations and abuses committed against women and
               children is carried out, and reiterates its call upon the Government of Sudan and the
               Government of South Sudan to extend their full cooperation to the Secretary -General
               to this end, including by swiftly issuing visas to the concerned United Nati ons
               personnel;

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                 30. Requests the Secretary-General to implement the following activities in
           the planning and conduct of UNISFA’s operations within the limits of the mandate
           and area of operation and in line with existing United Nations guidelines and
           regulations:
                 (a) Strengthening the implementation of a mission-wide early warning and
           response strategy, as part of a coordinated approach to information gathering, incident
           tracking and analysis, monitoring, verification, early warning and dissemination, a nd
           response mechanisms, including response mechanisms to threats and attacks against
           civilians that may involve violations and abuses of human rights or violations of
           international humanitarian law, as well as to prepare for further potential attacks on
           United Nations personnel and facilities, and ensure gender-sensitive conflict analysis
           is mainstreamed across all early warning and conflict prevention efforts;
                (b) Encouraging the use of confidence-building, facilitation, mediation,
           community engagement, and strategic communications to support the mission’s
           protection, information gathering, and situational awareness activities;
                 (c) Prioritizing mission mobility and active patrolling to better execute its
           mandate in areas of emerging protection risks and emerging threats, including in
           remote locations, and prioritize deployment of forces with appropriate air and land
           assets, to support the mission’s protection, information gathering, and situational
           awareness activities;
                (d) Improving UNISFA’s peacekeeping-intelligence and analysis capacities,
           including surveillance and monitoring capacities, within the limits of its mandate,
               (e) Improving logistics in mission, in particular by taking all necessary
           measures to secure UNISFA’s logistical supply routes,
                (f) Implementing effective casualty and medical evacuation procedures,
           including the Standard Operating Procedure on Decentralized Casualty Evacuation,
           as well as deploying enhanced medical evacuation capacities,
                 (g) Taking active and effective measures to provide the planning and
           functioning of UNISFA’s safety and security facilities and arrangements,
                (h) Securing long-term rotation schemes for critical capabilities as well as
           exploring innovative options to promote partnerships between equipment, tro op- and
           police-contributing countries;
                (i) Ensuring that any support provided to non-United Nations security forces
           is provided in strict compliance with the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy,
           including the monitoring and reporting on how support is used and on the
           implementation of mitigating measures;
                 (j) Prioritizing mandated protection activities in decisions about the use of
           available capacity and resources within the mission, according to resolution 1894
           (2009);
                 (k) Strengthening its sexual and gender-based violence prevention and
           response activities in line with resolution 2467 (2019), including by assisting the
           parties with activities consistent with resolution 2467 (2019), and by ensuring that
           risks of sexual and gender-based violence are included in the Mission’s data collection
           and threat analysis and early warning systems by engaging in an ethical manner with
           survivors and victims of sexual and gender-based violence, and women’s
           organizations;
                (l) Implementing resolution 1325 (2000) and all resolutions addressing
           women, peace, and security, including by seeking to increase the number of women
           in UNISFA in line with resolution 2538 (2020), as well as to ensure the full, equal,

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               and meaningful participation of women in all aspects of operations, including by
               ensuring safe, enabling and gender-sensitive working environments for women in
               peacekeeping operations, taking fully into account gender considerations as a cross -
               cutting issue throughout its mandate, and reaffirming the importance of uniformed
               and civilian gender advisors, gender focal points in all mission components, gender
               expertise and capacity strengthening in executing the mission mandate in a gender -
               responsive manner;
                     (m) Taking fully into account child protection as a cross-cutting issue;
                    (n) Implementing youth, peace and security priorities under resolution 2250
               (2015), 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020);
                    (o) Implementing peacekeeping performance requirements under resolutions
               2378 (2017) and 2436 (2018),
                    (p) Implementing the United Nations zero-tolerance policy on serious
               misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual harassment, and all actions
               under resolution 2272 (2016), and to report to the Security Council if such cases of
               misconduct occur;
                     31. Requests troop- and police-contributing countries to fully implement
               relevant provisions of resolution 2538 (2020) and all other relevant resolutions on
               reducing barriers to and increasing women’s participation at all levels and in all
               positions in peacekeeping, including by ensuring safe, enabling and gender-sensitive
               working environments for women in peacekeeping operations;
                    32. Urges troop- and police-contributing countries to continue taking
               appropriate action to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, including vetting of all
               personnel, and pre-deployment and in-mission awareness training, and to ensure full
               accountability in cases of such conduct involving their personnel, including through
               timely survivor-centred investigations of all allegations of sexual exploitation and
               abuse, to hold perpetrators accountable, and to repatriate units when there is credible
               evidence of widespread or systemic sexual exploitation and abuse by those units,
               appropriate disciplinary measures, and reporting to the United Nations fully and
               promptly on actions undertaken;
                    33. Notes the Secretary-General’s efforts to ensure close cooperation among
               United Nations missions in the region, including UNISFA, the United Nations
               Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), and the United Nations
               Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), as well as his Special
               Envoy for the Horn of Africa;

               Reporting and Consultation
                    34. Requests the Secretary-General to provide integrated, evidence-based and
               data-driven analysis, strategic assessments and frank advice to the Security Council,
               using the data collected and analyzed through the Comprehensive Planning and
               Performance Assessment System (CPAS) and other strategic planning and
               performance measurement tools, taking into account performance of all uniformed
               and civilian personnel, to describe the mission’s impact, to facilitate as necessary a
               re-evaluation of the mission composition and mandate based on realities on the
               ground, and further, to continue to inform it of progress in implementing UNISFA’s
               mandate, in one written report, no later than 15 April 2022 and include reporting on:
                    • engagement by the African Union and AUHIP on political mediation of the
                      Abyei dispute and Sudan and South Sudan border issues, and recommendations
                      on the most appropriate framework, structure or organizational mandate for the



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            region to provide support to the parties that will enable further progress in these
            areas,
           • the efforts deployed by the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa to support the
             African Union and help the parties to establish temporary administrative and
             security arrangements for Abyei and to achieve a political solution to the status
             of Abyei,
           • progress in implementing any steps taken per paragraph 3,
           • progress with the increase in police, appointment of a civilian Deputy Head of
             Mission, usage of Athony airport, and the issuance of visas to support
             implementation of the mandate,
           • results of human rights monitoring as requested in paragraph 28 including
             information, analysis, and data on violations and abuses of human rights, and
             steps that have been taken in line with paragraph 29(l),
           • a summary of progress on the Abyei UN Joint Programme Initiative,
           • results of a joint consultation with the governments of Sudan, South Sudan, and
             relevant stakeholders, including the local community, to develop clear and
             realistic benchmarks and indicators for a responsible, successful and durable
             mission transition, which should prioritize the safety and security of civilians
             living in Abyei and account for the stability of the region,
           • a summary of actions taken to improve mission performance and address
             performance challenges including lapses in leadership, national caveats that
             negatively affect mandate implementation effectiveness, and demanding
             operational environments,
           • overall Mission performance, the Mission’s implementation of the Integrated
             Peacekeeping Performance and Accountability Framework (IPPAF) and CPAS;
             including information on undeclared caveats, declining to participate in or
             undertake patrols and their impact on the mission, and how the reported cases
             of under-performance are addressed;
            35.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




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