Security Council resolution 2709 (2023) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) until 15 Nov. 2024]
Symbol: S/RES/2709 (2023)
Date: 2023-11-15
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/78 [227] UN MULTIDIMENSIONAL INTEGRATED STABILIZATION MISSION IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
S/78 [181] CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC SITUATION
S/ X The situation in the Central African Republic.
Subjects: UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic|Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic (2019)|Charter of the United Nations (1945). Chapter VII|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|PEACE AGREEMENTS|INTERNAL SECURITY|CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Votes in favour: 14
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 1
Voting record:
country: ALBANIA
vote: yes
country: BRAZIL
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: ECUADOR
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GABON
vote: yes
country: GHANA
vote: yes
country: JAPAN
vote: yes
country: MALTA
vote: yes
country: MOZAMBIQUE
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: abstention
country: SWITZERLAND
vote: yes
country: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                   S/RES/2709 (2023)
               Security Council                                                 Distr.: General
                                                                                15 November 2023




               Resolution 2709 (2023)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 9476th meeting, on
               15 November 2023
                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling all of its previous resolutions, statements of its President, and press
               statements on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR),
                      Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and
               territorial integrity of the CAR, and recalling the importance of the principles of
               non-interference, good-neighbourliness and regional cooperation,
                     Reaffirming the basic principles of peacekeeping, such as consent of the parties,
               impartiality, and non-use of force, except in self-defence and defence of the mandate,
               recognising that the mandate of each peacekeeping mission is specific to the need and
               situation of the country concerned, underlining that the mandates that it authorises
               are consistent with the basic principles, reiterating that the Security Council expects
               full delivery of the mandates it authorises, and recalling in this regard its resolution
               2436 (2018),
                     Recalling that the CAR authorities have the primary responsibility to protect all
               populations in the CAR, including from international crimes, recognising the
               persistent security challenge threatening civilians, also underlining the progress made
               to restore State authority in all parts of the country, including MINUSCA’s assistance,
               to overcome the threats posed by armed groups,
                    Emphasising that any sustainable solution to the crisis in the CAR should be
               CAR-owned, including the political process, and should prioritise reconciliation of
               the Central African people, through an inclusive process that involves men and
               women of all social, economic, political, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including
               those displaced by the crisis,
                     Recalling the signing of the Political Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in
               the CAR by the CAR authorities and fourteen armed groups in Bangui on 6 February
               2019 (“the APPR”), after the peace talks that took place in Khartoum, Sudan, within
               the framework of the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the CAR and
               under the auspices of the African Union (AU), stressing its centrality and the need for
               further progress in its implementation, and reaffirming that implementation of the
               APPR remains the only mechanism for achieving lasting peace and stability in the
               CAR and the only framework for dialogue with armed groups that have renounced
               violence, welcoming the dissolution, disarmament and demobilization of six armed
               groups and of the wings of two other armed groups out of fourteen signatories of the
               Political Agreement,


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                    Condemning in the strongest terms violations of the APPR and violence
               perpetrated by all parties to the conflict, particularly armed groups, throughout the
               country, including through the increased use of explosive ordnance, violence aiming
               at obstructing the electoral process, incitement to violence and hatred targeting
               specifically persons belonging to certain ethnic and religious communities resulting
               in deaths, injuries and displacements, violations of international humanitarian law
               and human rights violations and abuses, including those committed against children
               and those involving conflict-related sexual violence,
                    Underlining that ongoing violence by armed groups operating in the CAR
               continues to pose a threat to the security situation and political stability in the country,
               condemning in this regard all attacks on civilians, peacekeepers, UN personnel,
               national security and defence forces, and humanitarian actors, urging all armed
               groups to cease immediately all forms of violence and all those signatories to the
               APPR to respect their commitments in full,
                     Taking note of the 2022 MINUSCA annual report to the Security Council on
               violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian
               law committed in the CAR,
                     Stressing the urgent and imperative need to end impunity in the CAR, noting the
               ongoing work of the Special Criminal Court, welcoming the first final judgement of
               the appeals chamber of the Special Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and
               war crimes, and calling on the CAR authorities to swiftly investigate allegations of
               crimes and to bring to justice perpetrators of violations of international humanitarian
               law and of violations and abuses of human rights,
                     Noting that a sustainable solution to the crisis in the CAR and the elimination
               of the threat posed by armed groups requires an integrated regional strategy and a
               strong political commitment from the CAR authorities and regional countries, also
               noting the importance of addressing the root causes of conflict, including illicit
               exploitation and trade of natural resources, as well as attempts to unconstitutionally
               seize power, and to put an end to the recurring cycles of violence, as indicated in the
               APPR,
                     Welcoming the strategic review meeting convened on 23 October 2023 by
               President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and his continued engagement with regional
               and international partners of the peace process, following the roadmap adopted by the
               International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in Luanda on
               16 September 2021 under the leadership of Angola and Rwanda (‘the roadmap’),
               noting the government’s ongoing efforts and Prime Minister Félix Moloua’s
               leadership to coordinate the implementation of the APPR throu gh ICGLR road map
               (“the peace process”), welcoming the national ownership of the peace process, and
               efforts of the CAR Government to decentralize it, urging all parties to the conflict in
               the CAR to respect the ceasefire announced on 15 October 2021, expre ssing concern
               that some armed groups signatories to the APPR continue to disregard their
               commitments and underscoring the need for neighbouring states, regional
               organisations and all international partners to support the implementation of the
               APPR via the roadmap and to continue coordinating their actions with the CAR
               Government to bring lasting peace and stability to the CAR,
                     Underlining the continued and crucial need to support national efforts towards
               the extension of State authority and the reform of the security sector (SSR) which
               contributes to security and justice to all through independent, accountable and
               functioning justice and security institutions, which take into account women’s full,
               equal, and meaningful participation, as well as capacity building of security
               institutions in the CAR to assume full responsibility of its security,


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                 Underlining that lasting peace and security in the CAR will not be achieved
           without a combination of political, security, peacebuilding and sustainable
           development efforts benefitting all regions of the CAR, as well as the full, effective
           and inclusive implementation of the APPR and the full, equal and meaningful
           participation of women and youth,
                 Welcoming the work carried out by MINUSCA, the European Union Trainin g
           Mission in the CAR (EUTM-RCA) and the European Union Advisory Mission in the
           CAR (EUAM-RCA), and further underlining the support of CAR’s other international
           and regional partners, including France, the Russian Federation, the United States,
           the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Rwanda, to train and enhance the
           capacities of the CAR defence and security forces, and encouraging coherence,
           transparency and effective coordination of international support to the CAR,
                 Condemning cross-border criminal activities by all parties, particularly armed
           groups, such as arms trafficking, illicit trade, illegal exploitation, and trafficking of
           natural resources, including gold, diamonds, timber, and wildlife, as well as the illicit
           transfer, destabilising accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, that
           threaten the peace and stability of the CAR, also condemning the use of mercenaries
           and violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses perpetrated
           by them, encouraging the Government of CAR to work with neighbouring countries
           to secure its borders and other entry points to prevent the cross -border flows of armed
           combatants, arms and conflict minerals, stressing the need for CAR authorities to
           finalise and implement, in cooperation with relevant partners, a strategy to tackle the
           illegal exploitation and smuggling of natural resources, welcoming the adoption of a
           national policy for border management, and encouraging the government of CAR and
           neighbouring countries to work together to secure their borders and encouraging
           international partners to support the tripartite force of the CAR, Chad and Sudan for
           the surveillance of joint borders,
                 Taking note of the upcoming local elections in 2024 and early 2025 and
           underlining the primary responsibility of the CAR authorities in organising those
           elections, recalling the necessity to conduct the electoral process in accordance with
           the Constitution of 30 August 2023, stressing that only inclusive, free and fair
           elections, carried out in a transparent, credible, peaceful and timely manner,
           undisturbed by disinformation and other forms of manipulation of information, can
           bring lasting stability to the CAR, including through the full, equal, meaningful and
           safe participation of women, youth and internally displaced persons and refugees, in
           accordance with the Constitution of the CAR, acknowledging the challenges faced by
           the CAR authorities in organising those elections and encouraging international
           partners to support their efforts, including by providing financial and technical
           support towards the process,
                Recalling its resolutions on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, on
           Women, Peace and Security, on Youth, Peace and Security, and on Children and
           Armed Conflict, welcoming the government’s development of interministerial plans
           to implement the Child Protection Code, taking note of the Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Central African Republic of 15 October
           2021 (S/2021/882), remaining concerned by the number of violations of international
           humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights against children, calling
           upon all the parties in the CAR to engage with the Special Representative on Children
           and Armed Conflict and the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict,
           welcoming the decision by the CAR government to create a strategic committee to
           prevent and respond to gender-based violence linked to conflict, and urging the
           government and other signatories of the APPR to work with the United Nations to
           support the implementation of the national plan to prevent and eliminate the six grave


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               violations against children recognised by the Special Representative on Children and
               Armed Conflict,
                     Expressing serious concern about the dire and deteriorating humanitarian
               situation in the CAR, and the consequences of the security situation on humanitarian
               access, expressing concern about the impact of the crisis in the Sudan and the violence
               in southern Chad on the humanitarian and security situation, particularly in the border
               area, condemning in the strongest terms attacks by armed groups against civilian
               population, humanitarian and medical personnel and obstruction to humanitarian
               access, and emphasising the current humanitarian needs of more than half of the
               population of the country, including civilians under threat from violence, as well as
               the alarming situation of IDPs and refugees, recognising the increasing threat
               resulting from the use of explosive ordnance by armed groups and its impact on
               civilians, including children, as well as peacekeepers, humanitarian personnel and
               CAR defence and security forces, and welcoming the collaboration between
               MINUSCA, UN agencies, the African Union, the World Bank, technical and financial
               partners of the CAR and NGOs to support development and humanit arian efforts in
               the CAR,
                   Recalling the UN guiding principles of humanitarian emergency assistance and
               humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence,
                     Recognising the adverse effects of climate change, ecological changes and
               natural disasters, among other factors, on the stability of the Central African region,
               including through drought, desertification, land degradation, food insecurity, and
               energy access, and stressing the need for comprehensive risk assessment by the
               United Nations relating to these factors and for long-term strategies by governments
               of the Central African region and the United Nations to support stabilisation and build
               resilience,
                     Condemning in the strongest terms all attacks, provocations and incitemen t to
               hatred and violence against MINUSCA and other international forces by armed
               groups and other perpetrators, as well as disinformation campaigns, underlining that
               attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes, reminding all parties of
               their obligations under international humanitarian law and urging the CAR authorities
               to work with MINUSCA to enhance the safety and security of MINUSCA’s personnel
               and to take all possible measures to ensure the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators,
               including in line with resolution 2518 (2020) and 2589 (2021),
                     Recognising the importance of effective strategic communications to the
               implementation of MINUSCA’s mandate, particularly the protection of civilians and
               the support to the peace process, and to the safety and security of its personnel, and
               emphasizing the need to continue to enhance MINUSCA’s capabilities in this regard,
                    Recalling peacekeeping performance requirements under resolutions 2378
               (2017) and 2436 (2018),
                    Taking note of the Report of the Secretary-General of 14 October 2023
               (S/2023/769),
                     Determining that the situation in the CAR continues to constitute a threat to
               international peace and security in the region,
                    Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

               Political process, including the implementation of the APPR, and extension of
               State authority
                    1.  Welcomes efforts of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and his
               government to promote lasting peace and stability in the CAR through a

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           comprehensive and reinvigorated political and peace process, which includes respect
           for the ceasefire, an inclusive Republican Dialogue, and implementation of the APPR;
                2.     Urges all parties to the conflict in the CAR to respect the ceasefire, urges
           the signatory armed groups to respect their commitment and calls on the CAR
           authorities and other signatories to fully implement the APPR in good faith and
           without delay in order to meet the aspirations of the people of the CAR to peace,
           security, justice, reconciliation, inclusivity and development, and to resolve their
           disputes peacefully, including through the follow-up and dispute resolution
           mechanisms of the APPR, and ensure full, equal and meaningful participation of
           women and youth in such mechanisms;
                 3.    Demands that all forms of violence against civilians, United Nations
           peacekeepers and humanitarian personnel, destabilising activities, incitement to
           hatred and violence, disinformation campaigns including through social media,
           restrictions on freedom of movement and obstruction of the electoral process cease
           immediately and that armed groups lay down their arms and permanently disband in
           line with their commitments under the APPR;
                 4.    Strongly condemns all violations of international humanitarian law
           committed in the CAR, including attacks on the civilian population, MINUSCA
           peacekeepers and humanitarian actors, as well as human rights abuses and genderbased violence, recalls that individuals or entities that undermine peace and stability
           in the CAR could be listed for targeted measures pursuant to resolution 2693 (2023),
           and expresses its readiness to consider such measures for individuals or entities that
           violate the ceasefire;
                 5.   Welcomes the continued engagement of the region in support of the peace
           process, including through the roadmap, calls on neighbouring states, regional
           organisations and all international partners to support the peace process, in a manner
           that is coherent and coordinated with the good offices of MINUSCA, including
           through financial support and strengthened partnerships, and emphasises the
           important role of the guarantors and facilitators of the APPR, including the AU, the
           ECCAS, and neighbouring states, using their influence to enhance adherence by
           armed groups to their commitments;
                 6.    Calls on the CAR authorities and the authorities of neighbouring countries
           to cooperate at the regional level to investigate and combat transnational criminal
           networks and armed groups involved in arms trafficking and in the illegal exploitation
           of natural resources, calls for the reactivation and regular follow-up of bilateral joint
           commissions between the CAR and neighbouring countries to address cross -border
           issues, including issues related to arms trafficking, and take agreed next steps to
           secure common borders;
                 7.   Encourages the CAR authorities to cement and broaden national
           awareness and ownership of the peace and reconciliation process including its
           extension at the local level, recalls in this regard the crucial role of political parties,
           including the opposition, civil society and faith-based organisations and the full,
           equal and meaningful participation of women and youth in this process, and
           encourages the CAR authorities to continue their efforts towards implementing the
           recommendations of the Republican dialogue and to urgently implement a genuinely
           inclusive process to support reconciliation in the CAR by addressing the root causes
           of the conflict, including local grievances and marginalization, and the cohesion of
           all the components of society over the whole territory of the CAR, and issues related
           to transhumance and the illegal exploitation of natural resources, including through
           national and local electoral processes and implementation of political reforms,
           provided under the APPR and support the implementation of the Truth, Justice,
           Reparation and Reconciliation Commission mandate;

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                     8.    Urges the CAR authorities and all national stakeholders to ensure the
               preparation of inclusive, free and fair local elections in 2024 and 2025, carr ied out in
               a transparent, credible, peaceful and timely manner, in accordance with the
               Constitution of the CAR of 30 August 2023 and the decisions of the Constitutional
               Court, with the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women as voters and
               candidates, including by meeting the quota of at least 35 percent of women as required
               by the law of the CAR and by addressing risks of harm, including threats, violence
               and hate speech, and ensuring necessary protection for women in these roles,
               encourages the meaningful participation of youth, calls on all parties to refrain from
               incitement to hatred and violence, including through social media platforms,
               encourages the CAR authorities to align the electoral code with the new Constitution
               of 30 August 2023 and to update the voter list to include internally displaced persons,
               refugees, and returnees, as well as newly eligible voters, further encourages the CAR
               authorities to allow political space for the role, rights and responsibilities of legally
               constituted political parties, including opposition parties, and also ensure secure
               conditions for the conduct of elections and unrestricted access to the polls, including
               through cooperation with MINUSCA, consistent with the Mission’s role regarding
               the protection of civilians, and encourages the international community to provide
               adequate support, including technical and financial support as well as observers to
               the upcoming elections;
                     9.   Calls upon all parties to respect the civilian and humanitarian character of
               camps and settlements for IDPs and refugees, as such, also calls upon the CAR
               authorities to ensure that national policies and legislative frameworks adequately
               protect the human rights of all displaced persons, including freedom of movement,
               create conditions conducive to durable solutions for IDPs and refugees on an
               informed basis, including their voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return, local
               integration or resettlement, and provide for their participation in the elections;
                     10. Urges the CAR authorities to continue addressing the presence and activity
               of armed groups in the CAR by implementing a comprehensive strategy that
               prioritises dialogue, in line with the APPR via the roadmap, and to pursue their efforts
               towards urgent implementation of an inclusive, gender-sensitive and effective DDR
               process, and incentives, as well as repatriation (DDRR) in the case of foreign fighters,
               including children formerly associated with armed f orces and groups, as well as
               continuing the implementation of community violence reduction projects, expresses
               concern about the parallel recruitment of disarmed fighters by defence and security
               forces for combat operations against armed groups which under mines the DDRR
               process; calls upon the CAR authorities to ensure that all demobilised combatants,
               including women and youth, are provided security, as appropriate, throughout the
               DDRR process and to regularise the status of those combatants who have disarm ed
               outside of the national programme, recognising that repatriations of Lord’s Resistance
               Army combatants mark the first such repatriation effort from any country;
                     11. Calls on the CAR authorities to continue implementing the National
               Security Policy, the National Strategy on SSR and to implement the National Defence
               Plan upon completion of its revision, including with the support of the international
               community, in order to put in place professional, ethnically representative, regionally
               balanced, taking into account the recruitment of women, and appropriately trained
               and equipped national defence and security forces, including through the adoption
               and implementation of appropriate vetting procedures of all defence and security
               personnel, including human rights vetting, as well as measures to absorb disarmed
               and demobilised elements of armed groups meeting rigorous eligibility and vetting
               criteria;
                    12. Calls on the CAR authorities to ensure that redeployments of defence and
               security forces are sustainable, do not pose a risk to the stabilisation of the country,

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           civilians, humanitarians or the political process, and urges the CAR authorities to
           accelerate efforts to bring all elements of the CAR armed forces under a single,
           unified chain of command to ensure effective oversight, command and control,
           including appropriate national vetting and training systems, and to provide
           appropriate budgetary support and continue to implement a comprehensive national
           security strategy that is consistent with the peace process, including the APPR;
                 13. Expresses serious concerns about repeated allegations of violations of
           international human rights law and international humanitarian law by some e lements
           of the CAR defence and security forces, welcomes the measures announced by the
           Government of the CAR to hold accountable those responsible for such violations,
           including the work of the Special Criminal Court, and calls on international partners
           to insist on respect for international human rights law, international humanitarian law
           and international refugee law and accountability as a necessary condition when
           partnering with the CAR defence and security forces;
                 14. Calls on the CAR authorities to ensure that all security actors in country
           at the invitation of the government de-conflict their training and operational activities;
                 15. Calls on the CAR authorities to pursue their efforts, as a matter of priority,
           to strengthen justice institutions at national and local levels as part of the extension
           of State authority in order to fight impunity and to contribute to stabilisation and
           reconciliation, including through the restoration of the administration of the judiciary,
           criminal justice and penitentiary systems throughout the country, the demilitarisation
           of the prisons, the establishment of transitional justice mechanisms, based on a
           victim-centred approach, including the full operationalisation of the Truth, Justice,
           Reparation and Reconciliation Commission, which should be able to work in a
           neutral, impartial, transparent and independent manner, calls for the continued
           support of international partners to ensure that the Central African criminal justice
           system and the Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission, remain
           operational and are able to work in an independent, neutral and transparent manner,
           and for the continued support of international partners to the Special Criminal Court;
                 16. Welcomes the improved cooperation between MINUSCA and Central
           African Armed Forces (FACA) in conducting joint operations, enhancing
           disarmament, demobilization, repatriation and reintegration operations, and
           facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance and supporting operations in
           strategic border area to enable border management in the CAR, encourages the CAR
           authorities to continue their efforts to restore the effective authority of the State over
           the whole territory of the CAR, including by redeploying and strengthening State
           administration and providing basic services in the provinces, ensuring the timely
           payment of salaries to civil servants and defence and security forces, and by swiftly
           establishing and promulgating the implementing regulations for the law on
           decentralisation, with the objective of ensuring stable, accountable, inclusive and
           transparent governance;
                 17. Stresses in this context the valuable role of the Peacebuilding Commission
           (PBC) in offering strategic advice, providing observations for the Security Council’s
           consideration, and fostering a more coherent, coordinated and integrated approach to
           international peacebuilding efforts, welcomes the active role of the Kingdom of
           Morocco, and encourages continued coordination with the PBC, the United Nations
           Peacebuilding Fund and other relevant international organisations and institutions in
           support of CAR’s long term peace building needs, including for support to the peace
           process, consistent with the APPR;




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               Economic recovery and development
                     18. Encourages the CAR authorities, with the support of the international
               community, in particular with International Financial Institutions leading
               international efforts, to improve public financial management and accountability in a
               manner that allows it to meet the expenses related to th e functioning of the State,
               implement early recovery plans, and revitalise the economy, and that fosters national
               ownership;
                     19. Encourages the CAR authorities to ensure the effective implementation of
               the CAR’s National Development Plan for 2024-2028 and relevant partners to support
               the efforts of the CAR authorities to lay the foundation for durable peace in the CAR
               and sustainable development of all regions of the country, to overcome persisting
               socio-economic challenges, to boost peace dividends for the population and
               development projects, including critical investments in infrastructure, which would
               address logistical challenges in the country and strengthen the CAR authorities’ and
               MINUSCA’s mobility and ability to provide security and protect civili ans, to combat
               poverty and to help the population of the CAR build sustainable livelihoods,
               underlines that these efforts could be conducive to ending the cycle of violence;

               Human rights, including child protection and sexual violence in conflict
                     20. Welcomes the recent adoption of the National Human Rights Policy and
               reiterates the urgent and imperative need to hold accountable all those responsible
               for violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human
               rights irrespective of their status or political affiliation, reiterates that some of those
               acts may amount to crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
               (ICC), to which the CAR is a State party, and recalls that committing acts of
               incitement to violence, in particular on an ethnic or religious basis, and then engaging
               in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the
               CAR could be a basis for sanctions designations pursuant to resolution 2693 (2023);
                     21. Recalls the decision made by the Prosecutor of the ICC on 24 September
               2014 to open, following the request of the national authorities, an investigation into
               alleged crimes committed since 2012 and the ongoing cooperation of the CAR
               authorities in this regard;
                     22. Strongly condemns all attacks on and use for military purposes of schools,
               medical centres, humanitarian premises, and other civilian infrastructure in violation
               of international law, as well as the commandeering of assets belonging to the UN or
               humanitarian actors;
                      23. Urges all parties to armed conflict in the CAR, particularly armed groups,
               to end all violations and abuses committed against children, in violation of applicable
               international law, including those involving their recruitment and use, rape and sexual
               violence, killing and maiming, abductions and attacks on schools and hospitals,
               noting that most cases were attributed to armed groups, further calls upon the CAR
               authorities to respect their obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention
               on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict that they
               ratified on 21 September 2017, and to consider those children who are associated with
               or have been released or otherwise separated from armed forces and armed groups
               primarily as victims as per the Paris Principles endorsed by the CAR, welcomes the
               adoption of the child protection code, underlining the importance of the full
               implementation of the child protection code, and calls upon the CAR authorities to
               swiftly investigate alleged violations and abuses in order to fight against impunity of
               those responsible, to ensure that those responsible for such violations and abuses are
               excluded from the security sector and that all victims have access to justice as well


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           as to medical and psychosocial support services, calls for the full and immediate
           implementation of action plans signed by some armed groups and for other armed
           groups to sign such action plans, reiterates its demands that all parties protect and
           consider as victims those children who have been released or otherwise separated
           from armed forces and armed groups, in particular by e stablishing standard operating
           procedures for the rapid handover of these children to relevant civilian child
           protection actors, recalls that the APPR contains several child protection provisions
           and urges the signatories to it to reinforce their efforts to implement those, and
           emphasises the need to pay particular attention to the protection, release and
           reintegration of all children associated with armed forces and armed groups, recalling
           the 2020 Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Confl ict
           Conclusions on children and armed conflict in the Central African Republic
           (S/AC.51/2020/3) and urging their full and swift implementation;
                 24. Calls upon all parties to armed conflict in the CAR, including armed
           groups, to end sexual and gender-based violence, further calls upon the CAR
           authorities to swiftly investigate alleged abuses and prosecute alleged perpetrators in
           order to fight against impunity of those responsible for such acts, and to take concrete,
           specific and time-bound steps towards implementing the UN and government of CAR
           joint communiqué to prevent and respond to sexual violence in conflict and to ensure
           that those responsible for such crimes are excluded from the security sector and
           prosecuted, and to facilitate immediate access for all survivors of sexual violence to
           available services, including mental health and psychosocial services, calls on the
           CAR authorities and international partners to su stain adequate support to the Mixed
           Unit for Rapid Intervention and Suppression of Sexual Violence against Women and
           Children (UMIRR);

           Humanitarian access and humanitarian appeal
                 25. Demands that all parties, including armed groups, allow and facilitate, in
           accordance with relevant provisions of international law and consistent with the
           humanitarian principles, the full, safe, rapid, immediate and unhindered access for
           the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance to populations in need, in particular to
           internally displaced persons, returnees and refugees;
                 26. Further demands that all parties respect and protect all medical personnel
           and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties, their means of
           transport and equipment, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities;
                 27. Strongly condemns the continued attacks as well as threats of attacks that
           are in contravention of international humanitarian law against schools and civilians
           connected with schools, including children and teachers, and urges all parties to
           armed conflict to immediately cease such attacks and threats of attacks and to refrain
           from actions that impede access to education;
                 28. Calls on Member States and international and regional organisations to
           respond swiftly to the humanitarian needs identified in the humanitarian response
           plan through increased contributions and to ensure that all pledges are honoured in
           full and in a timely manner;

           MINUSCA’s mandate
               29. Expresses its strong support to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Valentine Rugwabiza;
                30.   Decides to extend the mandate of MINUSCA until 15 November 2024;
                31. Decides that MINUSCA shall continue to comprise up to 14,400 military
           personnel, including 580 Military Observers and Military Staff Officers, and 3,020

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               police personnel, including 600 Individual Police Officers and 2,420 formed police
               unit personnel, as well as 108 corrections officers, and recalls its intention to keep
               this number under continuous review, taking into account progress on the security
               situation and the objective of transition and eventual drawdown of MINUSCA when
               conditions are met;
                     32. Decides that MINUSCA’s mandate is designed to advance a multiyear
               strategic vision to create the political, security and institutional conditions conducive
               to national reconciliation, and durable peace through implementation of the APPR
               and the elimination of the threat posed by armed groups through a comprehensive
               approach and proactive and robust posture without prejudice to the basic principles
               of peacekeeping;
                    33. Requests MINUSCA to improve its communication efforts to support the
               implementation of its mandate and enhance its protection, and raise awareness on its
               mandate and its role, as well as to underscore the role and responsibilities of the CAR
               authorities to protect civilians and implement the APPR;
                     34. Recalls that MINUSCA’s mandate should be implemented based on a
               prioritisation of tasks established in paragraphs 36 to 38 of this resolution, and, when
               relevant, in a sequenced manner, and further requests the Secretary-General to reflect
               this prioritisation in the deployment of the Mission and to alig n budgetary resources
               according to the prioritisation of mandate tasks as set out in this resolution, while
               ensuring appropriate resources for the implementation of the mandate;
                    35. Authorises MINUSCA to take all necessary means to carry out its mandate
               within its capabilities and areas of deployment;

               Priority tasks
                     36. Decides that the mandate of MINUSCA shall include the following
               priority tasks:
                    (a)     Protection of civilians
                    (i) To protect, in line with S/PRST/2018/18 of 21 September 2018, without
                    prejudice to the primary responsibility of the CAR authorities and the basic
                    principles of peacekeeping, the civilian population under threat of physical
                    violence;
                    (ii) To fully implement its protection of civilians strategy in coordination with
                    CAR authorities, the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), humanitarian and
                    human right organisations, and other relevant partners;
                    (iii) In support of the CAR authorities, to take active steps to anticipate, deter
                    and effectively respond to serious and credible threats to the civilian population
                    through a comprehensive and integrated approach and, in this regard:
                          – to ensure effective and dynamic protection of civilians under t hreat of
                            physical violence through a comprehensive and integrated approach,
                            including by anticipating, deterring, and stopping all threats of violence
                            against the populations, in consultation with local communities, and by
                            supporting and undertaking local mediation efforts to prevent escalation
                            of violence, in line with the basic principles of peacekeeping, and
                            outbreaks of violence between ethnic or religious rival groups;
                          – to enhance its interaction with civilians, to strengthen its early warning
                            mechanism, to increase its efforts to monitor and document violations of
                            international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights
                            and to strengthen local community engagement and empowerment;


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              – to maintain a proactive deployment and a mobile, flexible and robust
                posture, including by conducting active patrolling, in particular in high
                risk areas;
              – to mitigate the risk to civilians before, during and after any military or
                police operation, including by tracking, preventing, minimising, and
                addressing civilian harm resulting from the Mission’s operations, presence
                and activities, including in support of national security forces;
              – to work with the CAR authorities to identify and report threats to and
                attacks against civilians and implement existing prevention and response
                plans and strengthen civil-military cooperation, including joint planning;
              – to support the CAR authorities in the prevention, mitigation and response
                to the threat posed by explosive ordnance, including removal and
                destruction of mines and other explosive devices, and through capacity
                building of FACA, and in coordination with other UN agencies and
                international partners, including UNMAS;
           (iv) To provide specific protection and assistance for women and children
           affected by armed conflict, including through the deployment of protection
           advisers, child protection advisers, women protection advisers and civilian and
           uniformed gender advisers and focal points, as well as consultations with
           women’s organisations, and by adopting a gender-sensitive, survivor-centred
           approach in this regard, especially to provide the best assistance to survivors of
           sexual violence, and to support women’s participation in early warning
           mechanisms;
           (v) To take concrete measures to mitigate and avoid the use of schools by
           armed forces, as appropriate, and deter the use of schools by parties to the
           conflict, and to facilitate the continuation of education in situations of armed
           conflict;
           (vi) To support the implementation of the UN and Government of CAR joint
           communiqué to prevent and respond to sexual violence in conflict and to take
           into account these specific concerns throughout activities of all Mission
           components, in line with the UN Field Missions policy on Preventing and
           Responding to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, and to ensure, in cooperation
           with the SRSG for Sexual Violence in Conflict, that risks of sexual violence in
           conflict are included in the Mission’s data collection, threat analysis and ea rly
           warning system;
           (b) Support for the extension of State authority, the deployment of
           security forces, and the preservation of territorial integrity
           (i) To continue to support the CAR authorities in safeguarding State
           institutions and implementing its strategy for the extension of State authority,
           including through the implementation of relevant provisions of the APPR, for
           the establishment of interim security and administrative arrangements,
           including through decentralization, acceptable to the population and under CAR
           authorities’ oversight, which can create an environment conducive to the
           extension of state-provided basic social services and long-term socioeconomic
           opportunities, and through a prioritized division of labour with the U NCT and
           relevant partners, and address cross-border illicit trade in natural resources;
           (ii) To promote and support the rapid extension of State authority over the
           entire territory of the CAR, including by supporting, within available capacities
           and resources, the deployment of vetted and trained national security forces in
           priority areas, including through co-location, advising, mentoring and

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                    monitoring, in coordination with other partners, as part of the deployment of the
                    territorial administration and other rule of law authorities;
                    (iii) To provide at the request of the CAR authorities enhanced planning and
                    technical assistance and logistical support for the progressive redeployment of
                    vetted Central African Armed Forces (FACA) or Internal Security For ces (ISF),
                    engaged in joint operations with MINUSCA that include joint planning and
                    tactical cooperation, in order to support the implementation of MINUSCA’s
                    current mandated tasks, including to protect civilians, and to support national
                    authorities in the restoration and maintenance of public safety and the rule of
                    law, in accordance with MINUSCA’s mandate, paragraphs 12 and 13 of this
                    resolution and in strict compliance with the United Nations Human Rights Due
                    Diligence Policy (HRDDP), contingent on a determination by MINUSCA of the
                    recipients’ compliance with MINUSCA’s Status of Forces Agreement,
                    international human rights law and international humanitarian law, without
                    exacerbating the risks to the stabilisation of the country, civilians, the political
                    process, to UN peacekeepers, or the impartiality of the Mission, to ensure such
                    support be subject to appropriate oversight, and to review this logistical support
                    in one year to ensure its compliance with the benchmarks outlined in the
                    Secretary-General’s letter to the President of the Security Council of 15 May
                    2018 (S/2018/463);
                    (iv) To support a gradual handover of security of key officials, and static guard
                    duties of national institutions, to the CAR security forces, in coordination with
                    the CAR authorities, based on the risks on the ground and taking into account
                    the electoral context;
                    (c) Good offices and support to the peace process, including the
                    implementation of the ceasefire and the APPR
                    (i) To continue its role in support of the peace process, including through
                    political, technical and operational support to the implementation and
                    monitoring of the ceasefire and the APPR, to take active steps to support the
                    CAR authorities in the creation of conditions conducive to the full
                    implementation of the APPR via the roadmap and its subsequent timeline;
                    (ii) To continue to coordinate regional and international support and assistance
                    to the peace process, in consultation and coordination with the United Nations
                    Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) and regional organisations such
                    as ECCAS and ICGLR, stressing the importance in that regard of the
                    operationalisation of the road map through the implementation of the APPR v ia
                    the roadmap per the government’s timeline;
                    (iii) To ensure that the Mission’s political and security strategies promote a
                    coherent peace process, particularly in support of the APPR, that connects local
                    and national peace efforts with the ongoing efforts to monitor the ceasefire,
                    advance the DDRR process, the SSR process, support the fight against impunity,
                    and the restoration of State authority, and promote the participation of women
                    and gender equality;
                    (iv) To assist the CAR authorities’ efforts, at national and local levels, to
                    increase participation of political parties, civil society, women, survivors of
                    sexual violence, youth, faith-based organisations, and where and when possible,
                    IDPs and refugees to the peace process, including the APPR;
                    (v) To provide good offices and technical expertise in support of efforts to
                    address the root causes of conflict, including those referred to in paragraph 8 of
                    this resolution, in particular to advance national reconciliation and local conflict
                    resolution, working with relevant regional and local bodies and religious

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                leaders, while ensuring the full, equal and meaningful participation of women,
                including survivors of sexual violence, in line with the CAR national action plan
                on Women, Peace and Security, including through the support to local dialogue
                and community engagement;
                (vi) To support efforts of the CAR authorities to address transitional justice as
                part of the peace and reconciliation process, and marginalisation and local
                grievances, including through dialogue with the armed groups, civil society
                leaders including women and youth representatives, including survivors of
                sexual violence, and by assisting national, prefectoral and local authorities to
                foster confidence among communities;
                (vii) To provide technical expertise to the CAR authorities in its engagement
                with neighbouring countries, the ECCAS, the ICGLR and the AU, in
                consultation and coordination with the United Nations Regional Office for
                Central Africa (UNOCA) to resolve issues of common and bilateral interest and
                to promote their continued and full support for the APPR;
                (viii) To make more proactive use of strategic communications to support its
                protection of civilians’ strategy, in coordination with the CAR authorities, to
                help the local population better understand the mandate of the Mission, its
                activities, the APPR and the electoral process, and to build trust with the
                population of CAR, parties to the conflict, regional and other international
                actors and partners on the ground;
                (d) Facilitate the immediate, full, safe and unhindered delivery of
                humanitarian assistance
                      To improve coordination with all humanitarian actors, including United
                Nations agencies, and to facilitate, in accordance with relevant provisions of
                international law and consistent with the humanitarian principles, the creation
                of a secure environment for the immediate, full, safe and unhindered, civilian -
                led delivery of humanitarian assistance, and for the voluntary safe, dignified and
                sustainable return or local integration or resettlement of internally displaced
                persons or refugees in close coordination with humanitarian actors, while
                contributing to alleviate the consequences of the COVID -19 pandemic as
                requested in resolution 2532 (2020);
                (e)   Protection of the United Nations
                     To protect the United Nations personnel, installations, equipment and
                goods and ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations and
                associated personnel;

           Other tasks
                 37. Further authorises MINUSCA to pursue the following tasks of its
           mandate, working in close coordination with the United Nations Country Team,
           bearing in mind that these tasks as well as those in paragraph 36 above are mutually
           reinforcing:
                (a)   Promotion and protection of human rights
                (i) To monitor, help investigate, report annually and timely to the Security
                Council, and follow up on violations of international humanitarian law and on
                violations and abuses of human rights committed throughout the CAR;
                (ii) To monitor, help investigate and ensure reporting on violations and abuses
                committed against children and women, including rape and other forms of
                sexual violence in armed conflict, in connection with the UMIRR;

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                    (iii) To assist the CAR authorities in their efforts to protect and promote human
                    rights and prevent violations and abuses and to strengthen the capacity of civil
                    society organisations;
                    (b)   Republican Dialogue and 2024/2025 elections
                          To assist the CAR authorities in the follow-up of the recommendations of
                    the 2022 Republican Dialogue and the preparation and delivery of free, fair and
                    peaceful local elections of 2024 and 2025, in a transparent, credible, peaceful
                    and timely manner, as outlined in the preamble and in paragraph 8 of this
                    resolution, by providing good offices, including to encourage dialogue among
                    all political stakeholders, with the full, equal, meaningful participation of
                    women, youth, returnees, internally displaced persons and refugees, to mitigate
                    tensions throughout the electoral period, by also providing security, operational,
                    logistical and, as appropriate, technical support, in particular to facilitate access
                    to remote areas, and by coordinating with the UN Development Programme and
                    other international partners regarding international electoral assistance;
                    (c)   Security Sector Reform (SSR)
                    (i) To provide strategic and technical advice to the CAR authorities to
                    implement the National Strategy on SSR and the National Defence Plan, in close
                    coordination with EUTM-RCA, EUAM-RCA, and CAR’s other international
                    partners, including France, the Russian Federation, the United States, the
                    People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Rwanda, with the aim of
                    ensuring coherence of the SSR process, including through a clear delineation of
                    responsibilities between the FACA, the ISF and other uniformed entities, as well
                    as the democratic control of both defence and internal security forces;
                    (ii) To continue to support the CAR authorities in developing an approach to
                    the vetting of defence and security elements which prioritises human rights
                    vetting, in particular to fight impunity for violations of international and
                    domestic law and in the context of any integration of demobilised armed groups
                    elements into security sector institutions;
                    (iii) To take a leading role in supporting the CAR authorities in enhancing the
                    capacities of the ISF, particularly command and control structures and oversight
                    mechanisms and to coordinate the provision of technical assistance and training
                    between the international partners in the CAR, in particular with EUTM-RCA
                    and EUAM-RCA, in order to ensure a clear distribution of tasks in the field of
                    SSR;
                    (iv) To continue to support the CAR authorities in the training of police and
                    gendarmerie and in the selection, recruitment, and vetting of police and
                    gendarmerie elements, with the support of donors and the UNCT, taking into
                    account the need to recruit women at all levels, and in full compliance with the
                    United Nations HRDDP;
                    (d) Disarmament, Demobilisation, Reintegration (DDR) and Repatriation
                    (DDRR)
                    (i) To support the CAR authorities in implementing an inclusive, gendersensitive and progressive programme for the DDR and, in case of foreign
                    elements, repatriation, of members of armed groups, and, as appropriate, and in
                    consultation and coordination with international partners, support possible,
                    temporary, voluntary cantonment sites in support of community -based
                    socioeconomic reintegration, including through supporting the government to
                    provide security and appropriate protection to demobilised ex-combatants,
                    based on the Principles of DDRR and Integration into the Uniformed Corps,


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           signed at the Bangui Forum in May 2015 and guided by the revitalised 2019 UN
           Integrated DDRR Standards, while paying specific attention to the needs of
           children associated with armed forces and groups and women combatants, the
           need to ensure the separation of children from these forces and groups, and the
           need to prevent re-recruitment, and including gender-sensitive programmes;
           (ii) To support the CAR authorities and relevant civil society organisations in
           developing and implementing CVR programmes, including gender-sensitive
           programmes, for members of armed groups including those not eligible for
           participation in the national DDRR programme, in cooperation with
           development partners and together with communities of return in line with the
           priorities highlighted in the National Development Plan for 2024 –2028;
           (iii) To provide technical assistance to the CAR authorities in implementing a
           national plan for the integration of eligible demobilised members of armed
           groups into the security and defence forces, in line with the broader SSR
           process, the need to put in place professional, ethnically representative and
           regionally balanced national security and defence, and to provide technical
           advice to the CAR authorities in accelerating the implementation of the interim
           security arrangements provided for in the APPR, following vetting,
           disarmament, demobilisation and training;
           (iv) To coordinate the support provided by multilateral and bilateral partners,
           including the World Bank, the Africa, Development Bank and the Peacebuilding
           Commission, to the efforts of the CAR authorities on DDRR programs to
           reintegrate eligible and vetted former members of the armed groups into
           peaceful civilian life and to help ensure that these efforts will lead to sustainable
           socioeconomic reintegration;
           (e) Support for national and international justice, the fight against
           impunity, and the rule of law
           (i) To help reinforce the independence of the judiciary, build the capacities,
           and enhance the effectiveness of the national judicial system as well as the
           effectiveness and the accountability of the penitentiary system including
           through the provision of technical assistance to the CAR authorities to identify,
           investigate and prosecute those responsible for crimes involving violations of
           international humanitarian law and of violations and abuses of human rights
           committed throughout the CAR;
           (ii) To help build the capacities of the national human rights institution
           coordinating with the Independent Expert on human rights in the CAR as
           appropriate;
           Urgent temporary measures:
           (iii) To urgently and actively adopt, within the limits of its capacities and areas
           of deployment, at the formal request of the CAR authorities and in areas where
           national security forces are not present or operational, urgent temporary
           measures on an exceptional basis, without creating a precedent and without
           prejudice to the agreed principles of peacekeeping operations, which are limited
           in scope, time-bound and consistent with the objectives set out in paragraphs 36
           and 37 (e), to arrest and detain in order to maintain basic law and order and fight
           impunity and to pay particular attention in this regard to those engaging in or
           providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the
           CAR, including those violating the ceasefire or the APPR;




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                    Special Criminal Court (SCC):
                    (iv) To provide technical assistance, in partnership with other international
                    partners and the UNCT, and capacity building for the CAR authorities, to
                    facilitate the operationalisation and the functioning of the SCC, i n particular in
                    the areas of investigations, arrests, detention, criminal and forensic analysis,
                    evidence collection and storage, recruitment and selection of personnel, court
                    management, prosecution strategy and case development and the establishment
                    of a legal aid system, as appropriate, as well as to provide security for
                    magistrates, including at the premises and proceedings of the SCC, and take
                    measures for the protection of victims and witnesses, in line with the CAR’s
                    international humanitarian law and international human rights obligations;
                    (v) To assist in the coordination and mobilisation of increased bilateral and
                    multilateral support to the functioning of the SCC;
                    Rule of law:
                    (vi) To provide support and to coordinate international assistance to build the
                    capacities and enhance the effectiveness of the criminal justice system, within
                    the framework of the United Nations global focal point on rule of law, as well
                    as the effectiveness and the accountability of police and penitentiary system
                    with the support of the UNCT;
                    (vii) Without prejudice to the primary responsibility of the CAR authorities, to
                    support the restoration and maintenance of public safety and the rule of law,
                    including through apprehending and handing over to the CAR authoritie s,
                    consistent with international law, those in the country responsible for crimes
                    involving serious human rights violations and abuses and serious violations of
                    international humanitarian law, including those involving sexual violence in
                    conflict, so that they can be brought to justice, and through cooperation with
                    states of the region as well as the ICC in cases of crimes falling within its
                    jurisdiction following the decision made by the Prosecutor of the ICC on
                    24 September 2014 to open, following the request of national authorities, an
                    investigation into alleged crimes committed since 2012;

               Additional tasks
                    38.   Further authorises MINUSCA to carry out the following additional tasks:
                    (a) To assist the Committee established pursuant to paragraph 57 of resolution
               2127 (2013) and the Panel of Experts established by the same resolution;
                     (b) To monitor the implementation of the measures renewed and modified by
               paragraph 1 of resolution 2693 (2023), in cooperation with the Panel of Experts
               established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013), including by inspecting, as it deems
               necessary and when appropriate without notice, all arms and related materiel
               regardless of location, and advise the CAR authorities on efforts to keep armed groups
               from exploiting natural resources;
                     (c) To support the Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 2127
               (2013) in collecting information about acts of incitement to violence, in particular on
               an ethnic or religious basis, that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR
               in accordance with paragraph 32 (g) of resolution 2399 (2018) extended by
               paragraph 6 of resolution 2693 (2023);
                     (d) To ensure, with all relevant United Nations bodies, unhindered access and
               safety for the Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013), in
               particular to persons, documents and sites within their control in order for the Panel
               to execute its mandate;

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                 (e) To provide transport for relevant CAR authorities as appropriate and on a
           case by case basis and when the situation allows, as a means to promote and support
           the extension of the State authority over the entire territory;

           Mission effectiveness
                 39. Requests the Secretary-General to deploy and allocate personnel and
           expertise within MINUSCA to reflect the priorities identified by paragraph 36 to
           paragraph 38 of this resolution, and to continuously adjust this deployment according
           to the progresses made in the implementation of this mandate;
                 40. Reiterates its concern at the continuing lack of key capabilities for
           MINUSCA and the need to fill gaps, as well as the importance of current and future
           troop and police contributing countries (T/PCCs) providing troop s and police with
           adequate capabilities, equipment and predeployment training, including with regards
           to engineering capabilities and explosive ordnance threat mitigation, in order to
           enhance the mobility capacity of MINUSCA and its ability to operate effe ctively in
           an increasingly complex security environment;
                 41. Recognises that the effective implementation of peacekeeping mandates is
           the responsibility of all stakeholders and is contingent upon several critical factors,
           including well-defined, realistic, and achievable mandates, political will, leadership,
           strategic communications, performance and accountability at all levels, integration
           across components, adequate resources, policy, planning, and operational guidelines,
           and training and equipment, urges Member States to provide troops and police that
           have adequate capabilities and mindset, including regarding language skills,
           predeployment and, where appropriate, in situ training, and equipment, including
           enablers, specific to the operating environment, requests troop and police contributing
           countries to implement relevant provisions of resolution 2538 (2020) notes the
           potential adverse effects on mandate implementation of national caveats which have
           not been declared and accepted by the Secretary-General prior to deployment,
           highlights that lack of effective command and control, refusal to obey orders, failure
           to respond to attacks on civilians, declining to particip ate in or undertake patrols may
           adversely affect the shared responsibility for effective mandate implementation, and
           calls on Members State to declare all national caveats, prior to the contingent
           deployment, provide troops and police with the minimum of d eclared caveats, and to
           fully and effectively implement the provisions of the Memoranda of Understanding
           (MoU) signed with the United Nations;
                 42. Requests the Secretary-General, Member States, and the CAR authorities
           to continue to take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety, security and freedom
           of movement of MINUSCA’s personnel with unhindered and immediate access
           throughout the CAR, in line with resolution 2518 (2020), including by authorising
           night flights, notes with concern the grave risks violations of the Status of Force
           Agreement 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;
                  43. Requests the Secretary-General to fully implement the capacities and
           existing obligations mentioned in paragraph 43 of resolution 2659 (2022) in the
           planning and conduct of MINUSCA’s operations, including improving MINUSCA’s
           intelligence and analysis capacities and strengthening the implementation of a
           mission-wide early warning and response strategy and prioritizing enhanced mission
           mobility, and also to improve strategic communications and Mission air and ground
           transportation and logistics capacity and management;



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                    44. Encourages continued efforts to improve communication and coordination
               between CAR authorities and MINUSCA, including on the implementation of the
               Status of Forces Agreement and security coordination, and strengthen established
               coordination mechanisms;
                     45. Requests MINUSCA to continue implementing Youth, Peace and Security
               resolutions 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020);
                    46. Urges troop- and police-contributing countries to continue taking
               appropriate action to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, including vetting of all
               personnel, predeployment and in-mission awareness training, to ensure full
               accountability in cases of such conduct involving their personnel, including through
               timely investigations of all allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by troop - and
               police-contributing countries to hold perpetrators accountable, to repatriate units
               when there is credible evidence of widespread or systemic sexual exploitation and
               abuse by those units, and to report to the United Nations fully and promptly on actions
               undertaken, reiterates the need for MINUSCA to continue 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;
                     47. Requests MINUSCA to consider the environmental impacts of its
               operations when fulfilling its mandated tasks and, in this co ntext, to manage them as
               appropriate and in accordance with applicable and relevant General Assembly
               resolutions and United Nations rules and regulations;
                    48. Notes the United Nations Department of Operational Support’s
               Environment Strategy (phase II), which emphasises good stewardship of resources
               and a positive legacy of the mission, and identifies the goal of expanded renewable
               energy use in missions to enhance safety and security, save costs, offer efficiencies
               and benefit the mission;
                     49. Encourages the Secretary-General to implement and keep under
               continuous update the integrated strategic framework setting the United Nations’
               overall vision, joint priorities and internal division of labour to sustain peace in CAR,
               including enhanced coordination with donors, requests the Secretary-General to
               ensure an efficient division of tasks and complementarity of efforts between
               MINUSCA and the entities comprising the UNCT based on their mandates and
               comparative advantages as well as to continuously adjust their deployment according
               to the progress made in the implementation of MINUSCA’s mandate, while stressing
               the importance of adequate resources and capacity for the UNCT, underscores the
               critical nature of enhanced UNCT presence and activity in CAR to facilita te
               integration across the UN system and longer term peacebuilding and sustainable
               development, requests the framework to also include early, inclusive and integrated
               planning on transitions in line with resolution 2594 (2021) and calls on Member States
               and relevant organisations to consider providing the necessary voluntary funding to
               this end;

               Child protection
                     50. Requests MINUSCA to take fully into account child protection as a crosscutting issue throughout its mandate and to assist the CAR authorities in ensuring that
               the protection of children’s rights is taken into account, inter alia, in the DDRR and
               SSR processes, including through quality education provided in a safe environment
               in conflict areas, in order to end and prevent violations and abuses against children
               and continue to ensure the effectiveness of the monitoring and reporting mechanism
               on the children and armed conflict in the CAR and of the Child Pr otection Section of
               the MINUSCA;

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           Gender and Women Peace and Security
                 51. Requests MINUSCA to continue 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 this resolution, and
           to take fully into account gender mainstreaming as a cross-cutting issue throughout
           its mandate, prioritizing the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), resolution
           2538 (2020) and all resolutions addressing Women, Peace, and Security, and to assist
           the CAR authorities in ensuring the full, equal and meaningful participation,
           involvement and representation of women, including survivors of sexual violence, in
           all spheres and at all levels, including in the political and reconciliation process and
           the mechanisms established for the implementation of the APPR, stabilisation
           activities, transitional justice, the work of the SCC and of the Truth, Justice,
           Reparation and Reconciliation Commission, SSR and DDRR processes, the
           preparation and holding of the local elections through, inter alia, the provision of
           gender advisers, and requests troop- and police-contributing countries to implement
           relevant provisions of resolution 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;

           Weapon and ammunition management
                 52. Requests MINUSCA to actively seize, record, dispose of, and destroy, as
           appropriate, weapons and ammunitions of disarmed combatants and armed groups
           who refuse or fail to lay down their arms and present an imminent threat to civilians
           or the stability of the State, in keeping with its efforts to seize and collect arms and
           any related material the supply, sale or transfer of which violate the measures imposed
           by paragraph 2 of resolution 2693 (2023);
                 53. Underlines that the arms embargo measures established by resolution 2127
           (2013) and notification requirements set out in paragraph 1 of re solution 2648 (2022)
           no longer apply to sale or transfer of arms and related materiel and the provision of
           assistance, advice and training to the CAR security forces, as set out in paragraph 1
           of resolution 2693 (2023);
                 54. Requests MINUSCA to provide support to the CAR authorities in their
           efforts to achieve progress on the key benchmarks, established in the statement of its
           President of 9 April 2019 (S/PRST/2019/3) (“the key benchmarks”), and calls on
           other regional and international partners to provide coordinated support to the CAR
           authorities in these efforts, in line with resolutions 2693 (2023);

           MINUSCA Freedom of movement
                 55. Urges all parties in the CAR to cooperate fully with the deployment and
           activities of MINUSCA, in particular by ensuring its safety, security and freedom of
           movement with unhindered and immediate access throughout the territory of the
           CAR, including by air and at night, as per MINUSCA’s Status of Forces Agreement,
           to enable MINUSCA to carry out fully its mandate in a complex environment;
                 56. Calls upon Member States, especially those in the region, to ensure the
           free, unhindered and expeditious movement to and from the CAR of all personnel, as
           well as equipment, provisions, supplies and other goods, including vehicles and spare
           parts, which are for the exclusive and official use of MINUSCA;




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S/RES/2709 (2023)

               Reports by the Secretary-General
                     57. 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 analysed through the Comprehensive Planning and
               Performance Assessment System (CPAS) and other strategic planning and
               performance measurement tools 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, to ensure effectiveness of the mission, and further, requests the
               Secretary-General to review and report on a regular basis the conditions required for
               the transition, drawdown and withdrawal of MINUSCA, in a manner which does not
               prejudice overall efforts to support long term objectives for p eace and stability;
                     58. (a) Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council on
               15 February 2024, 15 June 2024 and 13 October 2024 on the progress in
               implementing MINUSCA’s mandate, as well as on the situation in the CAR, including
               on all elements set out in paragraph 58 (a) of resolution 2659 (2022);
                    (b) Further requests the Secretary-General to provide the Council with an
               evaluation, no later than May 2024, of the logistical support provided to CAR defence
               and security forces in line with paragraph 36 (b) of this resolution, including by
               providing appropriate financial information;
                     (c) Requests the Secretary-General, to conduct and provide the Security
               Council no later than 15 August 2024, with an independent strategic review of
               MINUSCA in accordance with best practices, stresses that the Review must be
               conducted based on broad consultations with the government of CAR and other
               relevant partners, including UN agencies, member States, regional organisations, civil
               society and independent experts, requests that such review assess the challenges to
               peace and security in the CAR, and provide detailed recommendations regarding the
               possible reconfiguration of MINUSCA’s mandate, on mission’s effectiveness,
               adequation of resources, and options for gradually adapt ing its civilian, police, and
               military components, as appropriate, as well as recommendations for a possible
               transition plan and eventual drawdown of MINUSCA when conditions are met;
                    59.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




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