Security Council resolution 2239 (2015) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) until 30 Sept. 2016]
Symbol: S/RES/2239 (2015)
Date: 2015-09-17
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/70 [89] LIBERIA SITUATION
S/70 [90] UN MISSION IN LIBERIA
Subjects: UN Mission in Liberia|UN. Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 1521 (2003) concerning Liberia|UN. Panel of Experts Established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1961 (2010)|UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire|Charter of the United Nations (1945). Chapter VII|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|INTERNAL SECURITY|POLITICAL CONDITIONS|LIBERIA|LIBERIA SITUATION|GOVERNANCE|RULE OF LAW|SECURITY SECTOR REFORM|RECONCILIATION|GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE|CIVILIAN PERSONS|HUMAN RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT|INFORMATION DISSEMINATION|RADIO|MILITARY PERSONNEL|HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMED CONFLICTS|REGIONAL COOPERATION|CÔTE D'IVOIRE|INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION|DISARMAMENT|REPATRIATION|REFUGEES
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/2239 (2015)
               Security Council                                                  Distr.: General
                                                                                 17 September 2015




               Resolution 2239 (2015)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 7525th meeting, on
               17 September 2015

                    The Security Council,
                     Recalling its previous resolutions, in particular 1509 (2003), 2066 (2012),
               2116 (2013), 2177 (2014), 2190 (2014), 2215 (2015) and 2237 (2015) concerning
               the situation in Liberia, as well as 2162 (2014) and 2226 (2015) on the situation in
               Côte d’Ivoire,
                     Affirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial
               integrity and unity of Liberia and recalling the principles of good -neighbourliness,
               non-interference and regional cooperation,
                     Affirming that the Government of Liberia bears primary responsibility for
               ensuring peace, stability and the protection of the civilian population in Liberia and
               for reforming the security sector, particularly the Liberia National Police (LNP) and
               the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN),
                    Stressing that lasting stability in Liberia will require the Government of
               Liberia to sustain well-functioning and accountable government institutions,
               especially in the security and justice sectors, to build the confidence of all Liberians
               and urging the Government of Liberia to demonstrate substantive progress in the
               reform, restructuring and effective functioning of the security and justice sectors to
               provide for the protection of all Liberians,
                      Welcoming the overall progress towards restoring peace, security and stability
               in Liberia, commending the enduring commitment of the people and Government of
               Liberia to peace and to developing democratic processes and institutions and
               initiating important reform efforts, recognizing the effective response by the
               Government of Liberia, including with support from the international community, to
               the Ebola epidemic in Liberia and, in this regard, the resilience of the people and
               Government of Liberia and its security institutions and calling on all Liberian
               stakeholders to intensify momentum towards achieving greater social cohesion,
                     Looking forward to a comprehensive, inclusive constitutional review process
               as well as the implementation of the National Reconciliation Roadmap, urging
               efforts to strengthen the Independent National Commission on Human Rights,
               which could play a key role as a publicly accessible human rights institution and as
               a mechanism to monitor and follow-up on the implementation of the

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               recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and stressing that
               the responsibility for the preparation, security and conduct of free, fair and
               transparent 2017 presidential elections rests with the Liberian authorities,
                    Noting with concern the potential for conflict over Liberia’s natural resources
               and disputes related to land ownership and also noting that issues related to
               corruption continue to threaten to undermine stability and the effectiveness of
               government institutions,
                     Commending the cooperation between, and significant efforts of, the
               Government of Liberia and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to plan
               and prepare for the 30 June 2016 security transition to the Liberian authorities,
               expressing concern that the Government has not provided predictable and
               sustainable funding to shoulder the costs of deploying and sustaining its security
               personnel and resources throughout the country, including to operate and maintain
               the LNP and BIN outside of Monrovia, and welcoming the commencement of arms
               marking by the Armed Forces of Liberia,
                     Commending the continued efforts of the Government of Liberia to strengthen
               security cooperation in the subregion, notably with the governments of Guinea, Sierra
               Leone and Côte d’Ivoire, and recognizing that the instability in western Côte d’Ivoire
               continues to pose cross-border security challenges for Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire,
                    Expressing appreciation for the continued assistance provided by the people
               and Government of Liberia to Ivorian refugees in eastern Liberia and towards their
               voluntary repatriation to Côte d’Ivoire,
                    Extolling the continued contribution, commitment and resolve of United
               Nations personnel, as well as of the troop- and police-contributing countries of
               UNMIL, to assist in consolidating peace and stability in Liberia,
                     Expressing appreciation to the international community, including the
               Economic Community of West African States, African Union and Mano River
               Union, for their support to consolidate peace, security and stability in Liberia,
               welcoming, in particular, the contributions of bilateral partners and multilateral
               organizations, as well as the Peacebuilding Commission, to support Liberia’s efforts
               on security sector reform (SSR), rule of law and national reconciliation, as well as
               in the post-Ebola recovery period, strongly encouraging the continued contributions
               of the international community in this regard, recognizing that key peacebuilding
               priorities must be fully integrated in the post-Ebola recovery efforts, including
               revitalizing socioeconomic development and emphasizing the need for coherence
               between, and integration of, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and development to
               achieve an effective response to post-conflict situations,
                    Recognizing the significant challenges that remain across all sectors, including
               continuing problems with violent crime, in particular the high rates of sexual and
               gender-based violence, especially involving children, recalling its resolutions 1325
               (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), and 2106 (2013) on
               women, peace, and security, welcoming the renewed efforts by the Government of
               Liberia to promote and protect human rights, in particular of women and children
               and emphasizing that persistent barriers to full implementation of resolution 1325
               (2000) will only be dismantled through dedicated commitment to women’s
               empowerment, participation, and human rights, and through concerted leadership,




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           consistent information and action, and support, to build women’s engagement in all
           levels of decision-making,
                Taking note of the 13 August 2015 report of the Secretary-General
           (S/2015/620) and the recommendations contained therein on the adjustments to the
           mandate and composition of UNMIL in line with the security transition,
                 Determining that the situation in Liberia continues to constitute a threat to
           international peace and security in the region,
                Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

           Governance, Rule of Law, Security Sector Reform and National Reconciliation
                 1.    Emphasizes that the Government of Liberia bears primary and ultimate
           responsibility for security and the protection of its population and urges the
           Government to prioritize the effective and rapid development of the security
           agencies, especially the LNP, which is the priority law enforcement agency tasked
           with civilian policing responsibilities, including through the timely provision of
           sufficient financial resources and other support, adequate training and development
           of senior management;
                 2.    Encourages the Government of Liberia to prioritize national reconciliation
           and economic recovery, to combat corruption and to promote efficiency and good
           governance, in particular by continuing to strengthen transparency and accountability,
           including by managing effectively Liberia’s natural resources, emphasizes the
           importance of pursuing a national reconciliation and social cohesion strategy through
           concrete measures to promote national healing, justice and reconciliation at all levels
           and involving all Liberian stakeholders and recognizes the efforts of the Government
           of Liberia to support enhancing the participation of women in conflict prevention,
           conflict resolution and peacebuilding, including in decision-making roles in postconflict governance institutions and the broad range of reform efforts;
                3.    Emphasizes the need for continued progress by the Liberian authorities
           on constitutional and institutional reforms, especially of the ru le of law and security
           sectors, and the national reconciliation processes, particularly in light of the impact
           of the Ebola outbreak on communities and the need to intensify the longer -term
           recovery of Liberia and, in this regard, requests the Special Representative of the
           Secretary-General to continue to assist such efforts through the use of good offices
           and political support;
                  4.   Urges the Government of Liberia to intensify its efforts towards achieving
           progress on the transition of security responsibilities from UNMIL to the national
           authorities, particularly with regard to prioritizing and resourcing the critical gaps to
           facilitate a successful transition, improving the capacity and capability of the LNP
           and BIN, as well as the justice sector, including courts and prisons, enabling the
           promotion of human rights and reconciliation, effective oversight, professionalism,
           transparency and accountability across all security institutions and strengthening
           democratic institutions and extension of state authority and services throughout the
           country for the benefit of all Liberians;
                 5.   Affirms its expectation that the Government of Liberia will assume fully
           its complete security responsibilities from UNMIL no later than 30 June 2016 and
           encourages Member States and multilateral organizations to continue to provide



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               financial, technical and other assistance to the Government of Liberia in this regard,
               including for the long-term support necessary for professionalizing and sustaining
               Liberia’s security institutions and infrastructure;
                     6.   Calls on the Government of Liberia to accelerate its efforts to enhance
               the capacity of its security sector in coordination with the continued reconfiguration
               of UNMIL, especially the leadership, coordination, monitoring and resourc es,
               oversight mechanisms, early passage of the draft Police and BIN Acts and further
               reform of the promotion and manpower policies, with a view to decentralizing the
               national security institutions, particularly the LNP, to provide security for all people
               throughout Liberia and urges the Government of Liberia to accelerate efforts to
               implement measures on the proper management of arms and ammunition, including
               enacting the appropriate domestic laws, the effective monitoring and management of
               Liberia’s border regions and the registering and tracking of arms and material used
               and imported by its security forces;
                     7.    Underscores the importance of the Government of Liberia continuing to
               develop national security and rule of law institutions that are fully and ind ependently
               operational, and to this end, encourages accelerated coordinated progress on the
               implementation of the Security and Justice Development Plans and the National
               Human Rights Action Plan and urges the effective, transparent and efficient
               management by the Government of Liberia of assistance, including from bilateral and
               multilateral partners, to support the reform of the justice and security sectors;
                     8.   Expresses its continued concern that women and girls in Liberia continue
               to face a high incidence of sexual and gender-based violence, reiterates its call on
               the Government of Liberia to continue to combat sexual violence, particularly
               against children, and gender-based violence and to combat impunity for perpetrators
               of such crimes and to provide redress, support and protection to victims, including
               through public information campaigns and by continuing to strengthen national
               police capacity in this area and to raise awareness of existing national legislation on
               sexual violence and encourages the Government to reinforce its commitment in this
               regard, including by funding the implementation of its national action plan on
               sexual and gender-based violence and improving women and girls’ access to justice;

               UNMIL mandate
                    9.    Decides to extend the mandate of UNMIL until 30 September 2016;
                    10.   Decides that the mandate of UNMIL shall be the following:
                    (a)   Protection of Civilians
                    (i) To protect, without prejudice to the primary responsibility of the Liberian
                    authorities, the civilian population from threat of physical violence, within its
                    capabilities and areas of deployment;
                    (b)   Reform of Justice and Security Institutions
                    (i) To assist the Government of Liberia in implementing and in close
                    coordination with bilateral and multilateral partners, as approp riate, its
                    national strategy on Security Sector Reform (SSR);
                    (ii) To advise the Government of Liberia on SSR and the organization of the
                    LNP and BIN, as well as on the justice and corrections sector, with a particular



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                focus on developing their leadership, internal management and accountability
                mechanisms;
                (iii) To assist the Government of Liberia to coordinate these efforts with all
                partners, including bilateral and multilateral donors;
                (c)   Human Rights Promotion and Protection
                (i) To carry out promotion, protection and monitoring activities of human
                rights in Liberia, with special attention to violations and abuses committed
                against children and women;
                (ii) To support the strengthening of efforts by the Government of Liberia to
                combat sexual- and gender-based violence, including its efforts to combat
                impunity for perpetrators of such crimes;
                (d)   Protection of United Nations personnel
                (i) To protect the United Nations personnel, installations and equipment and
                ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations and
                associated personnel;
                 11. Decides that UNMIL, in accordance with paragraphs 4, 5, 6 and 10 (b)
           above, shall put renewed focus on supporting the Government of Liberia to achieve
           a successful transition of complete security responsibility to the Liberian authorities
           by strengthening the capacity of the relevant security agencies to manage existing
           personnel and to improve training programs to expedite their readiness to assume
           security responsibilities throughout Liberia and requests UNMIL to continue to
           communicate, including through UNMIL Radio, with the people and Government of
           Liberia to raise awareness and understanding about its mandate and activities in line
           with the security transition;
                12. Requests UNMIL to ensure that any support provided to non-United
           Nations security forces is provided in strict compliance with the Human Rights Due
           Diligence Policy on United Nations Support to non-United Nations Security Forces
           (S/2013/110);
                 13. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that UNMIL has the requisite
           qualified specialist advisers with the professional skills and experience appropriate
           to this transition phase in order to enhance mentoring with the aim of increasing the
           capacity of the Government, particularly the LNP and BIN, to accelerate the
           implementation of sustainable rule of law, justice, governance and SSR programs,
           including mechanisms to hold perpetrators of sexual and gender -based violence
           accountable;
                 14. Encourages UNMIL, within its capabilities and areas of deployment and
           without prejudice to its mandate, to continue to assist the Government of Liberia,
           the Committee established pursuant to paragraph 21 of resolution 1521 (2003) and
           the Panel of Experts to carry out its tasks, in this regard, as set forth in previous
           resolutions, including its resolution 2237 (2015);

           Force structure
                15. Decides to decrease UNMIL’s authorized military strength from 3,590 to
           1,240 military personnel, which includes one infantry battalion and re lated enablers,
           by 30 June 2016 and to decrease UNMIL’s authorized police strength from 1,515 to


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               606 police personnel, which includes three formed police units, as well as
               immigration and police advisers, by 30 June 2016;
                     16. Requests UNMIL, from 1 July 2016, to support the Liberian security
               agencies to protect civilians in the event of a deterioration of the security situation
               that could risk a strategic reversal of peace and stability in the country, taking into
               account UNMIL’s reduced capabilities and areas of deployment;
                    17. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to streamline the activities of
               UNMIL across its civilian, police and military components and narrowing of the
               mandate decided in this resolution and further requests the Secretary-General to
               accelerate efforts to achieve the consolidation of the civilian, police and military
               presence of UNMIL in line with the security transition;
                     18. Affirms its intention, based on the Security Council’s review by
               15 December 2016 of Liberia’s overall capacity to ensure security and stability after
               the conclusion of the security transition on 30 June 2016 and security conditions on
               the ground, to consider the possible withdrawal of UNMIL and transition to a future
               United Nations presence to continue to assist the Government of Liberia to
               consolidate peace and, in this regard, requests the Secretary-General to conduct an
               assessment mission to Liberia in order to provide recommendations to the Security
               Council by 15 November 2016;

               Regional and inter-mission cooperation
                     19. Recognizes the importance of resuming fully and also enhancing the joint
               activities between the Governments of Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire as UNMIL and the
               United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) downsize, calls on the
               Governments of Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire to continue reinforcing their cooperation,
               particularly with respect to the border area, including through increased monitoring,
               information sharing, and coordinated actions, and in implementing the shared border
               strategy to, inter alia, support the disarmament and repatriation of armed elements on
               both sides of the border and the voluntary return of refugees in safety and dignity, as
               well as to address the root causes of conflict and tension, and in this regard, calls
               upon all United Nations entities in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, including all relevant
               components of UNOCI and UNMIL, within their respective mandates, capabilities
               and areas of deployment, as well as the two United Nations Country Teams, where
               relevant and appropriate, to intensify support to the Ivorian and Liberian authorities;
                     20. Affirms the importance of inter-mission cooperation arrangements as
               UNMIL and UNOCI downsize, reaffirms the inter-mission cooperation framework
               set out in its resolution 1609 (2005), recalls its endorsement in its resolution 2062
               (2012) of the recommendation of the Secretary-General to transfer three armed
               helicopters from UNMIL to UNOCI to be used in both Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia
               along and across their border and also recalls its decision in its resolution 2162
               (2014) that all UNOCI and UNMIL military utility helicopters shall be utilized in
               both Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia in order to facilitate rapid response and mobility,
               while not affecting the area of responsibility of either mi ssion;
                     21. Welcomes the full operationalization of the quick reaction force
               established by its resolution 2162 (2014) to implement UNOCI’s mandate as defined
               in paragraph 19 of its resolution 2226 (2015) and to support UNMIL as defined in




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           paragraph 33 of its resolution 2226 (2015) while recognizing that this unit will
           remain primarily a UNOCI asset;
                 22. Recalls its authorization, pursuant to its resolutions 2162 (2014) and
           2226 (2015), to the Secretary-General to deploy this unit to Liberia, subject to the
           consent of the troop contributing countries concerned and the Government of
           Liberia, in the event of a serious deterioration of the security situation on the ground
           in order to temporarily reinforce UNMIL with the sole purpose of implementing its
           mandate and further recalls its requests to the Secretary-General to inform the
           Security Council immediately of any deployment of this unit to Liberia and to
           obtain Security Council authorization for any such deployment for a period that
           exceeds 90 days;

           Reports of the Secretary-General
                  23. Requests the Secretary-General to keep it regularly informed of the
           situation in Liberia and the implementation of the mandate of UNMIL and to provide
           to it a midterm report no later than 28 February 2016 and a final report no later than
           15 August 2016 on the situation on the ground and implementation of this resolution;
                24.   Decides to remain seized of the matter.




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