Security Council resolution 2097 (2013) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) until 31 Mar. 2014]
Symbol: S/RES/2097 (2013)
Date: 2013-03-26
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/68 [173] UN INTEGRATED PEACEBUILDING OFFICE IN SIERRA LEONE
S/68 [171] SIERRA LEONE--POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Subjects: UN Country Team (Sierra Leone)|UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone > Dissolution|UN. Office for West Africa|PEACEBUILDING|POST-CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION|ELECTIONS|DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES|SIERRA LEONE
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: ARGENTINA
vote: yes
country: AUSTRALIA
vote: yes
country: AZERBAIJAN
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GUATEMALA
vote: yes
country: LUXEMBOURG
vote: yes
country: MOROCCO
vote: yes
country: PAKISTAN
vote: yes
country: REPUBLIC OF KOREA
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: RWANDA
vote: yes
country: TOGO
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                  S/RES/2097 (2013)
               Security Council                                              Distr.: General
                                                                             26 March 2013




               Resolution 2097 (2013)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 6942nd meeting, on
               26 March 2013

                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling its previous resolutions and the statements of its President
               concerning the situation in Sierra Leone, in particular resolution 2005 (2011), 2065
               (2012) and the Statement of its President on 30 November (2012),
                    Welcoming the tenth report of the Secretary-General dated 27 February 2013
               (S/2013/118) and taking note of its recommendations,
                     Welcoming the significant progress achieved by the Government and people of
               Sierra Leone towards achieving peace and stability and in laying the ground for
               Sierra Leone’s long-term development,
                     Commending Sierra Leone for the conduct and successful conclusion of
               Presidential, Parliamentary, district, and local elections in November 2012, in
               particular acknowledging the important role played by Sierra Leone’s electoral
               institutions, political parties, civil society groups, international partners, and
               domestic and international observers, and congratulating the people of Sierra Leone
               for their large turnout in the elections, which showed their strong commitment to
               democracy,
                     Welcoming the important role played by the United Nations Integrated
               Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), the United Nations Country Team,
               bilateral and international partners in supporting Sierra Leone to prepare for the
               elections, noting in particular efforts to improve the capacity and effectiveness of
               the national democratic, electoral and security institutions, promote inclusive
               political dialogue between the national stakeholders, promote a culture of
               non-violence and ensure the safe, full and equal participation of all sections of
               society, in particular women in the electoral process,
                    Welcoming the steady progress the Government has made in implementing the
               Agenda for Change, in particular steps taken to sustain macroeconomic stability,
               promote gender equality, improve youth engagement, improve access to justice and
               human rights and strengthen the Government’s management of the extractive
               industries, and commending the valuable contribution of UNIPSIL, the United
               Nations Country Team and the international community to the peacebuilding and



13-27106 (E)
*1327106*

S/RES/2097 (2013)


               development priorities in Sierra Leone, and in particular through the integrated
               United Nations Joint Vision and the Transitional Joint Vision,
                     Welcoming efforts to finalise Sierra Leone’s Agenda for Prosperity, including
               through the conduct of a fragility assessment under the New Deal for Engagement in
               Fragile States, emphasising the need to retain the peace, security and development
               nexus in future planning to ensure that progress achieved thus far is sustained, and
               further emphasising the importance of continued integrated support of the United
               Nations system, bilateral and international partners to the Agenda for Prosperity, in
               order to ensure that international support is delivered in a coordinated and effective
               manner,
                    Reiterating its strong support for the Special Court for Sierra Leone and its
               appreciation for the Court’s work, welcoming the conclusion of oral hearings in the
               Charles Taylor appeal, requesting the Court to make every effort to complete its
               remaining work by 30 September 2013, acknowledging the special subvention
               provided as an exceptional measure from the United Nations regular budget to the
               Court for the period from 8 December 2012 to 31 December 2013, calling upon
               Member States to contribute generously to the Court and to the implementation of
               the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone Agreement,
                    Welcoming the role played by the African Union, the Economic Community of
               West African States and the Mano River Union, in support of Sierra Leone’s
               peacebuilding and development goals, and encouraging these and other regional
               organisations to continue their dialogue aimed at consolidating regional peace and
               security,
                     Recognising the continuing challenges posed by transnational organised crime
               and corruption, and emphasising the need for continued national and international
               support to the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) in order to ensure its
               sustainability,
                     Welcoming the role of the Peacebuilding Commission’s Sierra Leone
               Configuration and the Peacebuilding Fund in supporting peacebuilding efforts in
               Sierra Leone,
                    1.    Decides that the mandate of UNIPSIL shall be extended until 31 March
               2014;
                    2.   Decides that, in accordance with the views of the Government of Sierra
               Leone, conditions on the ground following the successful conclusion of elections in
               2012, and in line with the recommendations of the report of the Secretary-General
               (S/2013/118), UNIPSIL should be fully drawn down by 31 March 2014;
                    3.    Requests the Secretary-General to keep the Security Council regularly
               informed of the developments on the ground and to submit to the Security Council,
               no later than 15 September 2013, a report providing an update on the planned
               completion of UNIPSIL’s mandate and the transfer of responsibilities to a United
               Nations Country Team;
                     4.   Encourages UNIPSIL, the Government of Sierra Leone and bilateral and
               multilateral partners to form a transition steering group to map the international
               community’s support to Sierra Leone, in particular regarding the transfer of any
               residual functions currently provided by UNIPSIL which may be needed after the
               Mission’s withdrawal, requests the Executive Representative of the Secretary-


2                                                                                                       13-27106

                                                                                                   S/RES/2097 (2013)


           General to finalise a Transition Plan no later than 30 May 2013, and requests the
           Secretary-General to provide an update on such planning activities in his next
           report;
                 5.    Encourages the Government of Sierra Leone to engage in discussions on
           the nature, activities and scope of the United Nations role post-UNIPSIL in
           coordination with UNIPSIL, the United Nations Country Team, multilateral and
           bilateral partners, the Peacebuilding Commission, and other relevant stakeholders;
                 6.    Requests UNIPSIL to focus its remaining activities during this mandating
           period on facilitating political dialogue, including support to the government,
           particularly related to the planned constitutional review, security sector support, and
           strengthening of human rights institutions and their long-term sustainability;
                 7.    Encourages the United Nations Country Team and its component United
           Nations agencies to scale up their activities and programming during UNIPSIL’s
           transition and after its liquidation and factor such activities into their planning for a
           new United Nations Development Assistance Framework, and urges the Secretary-General to ensure there is a seamless transition to a new Resident Coordinator and
           United Nations Country Team management team model as UNIPSIL departs;
                8.    Requests the Secretary-General to provide a peace and development
           advisor to support the Resident Coordinator, and requests the United Nations Office
           for West Africa (UNOWA) to make available its good offices to support the
           Government of Sierra Leone and the future United Nations Resident Coordinator as
           necessary;
                 9.    Welcomes the planned review of the 1991 Constitution that will, inter
           alia¸ examine ways of fostering a greater sense of national cohesion and calls on all
           parties to participate in an open, transparent, and constructive manner in the review
           to contribute to a more inclusive system of governance;
                 10. Calls upon Sierra Leone’s electoral institutions, in particular the National
           Electoral Commission and the Political Parties Registration Commission, to
           continue to foster an environment of political inclusion over the coming years as
           Sierra Leone prepares for its next and subsequent local and national elections by
           ensuring that the preparations and conduct of elections proceed in a peaceful,
           inclusive and credible manner, strengthening voter information and education, and
           promoting dialogue to resolve conflicts as well as political tolerance and
           non-violence;
                 11. Urges the passing of the Gender Equality Bill, including consideration of
           necessary amendments, to enhance the rights of women, as well as to increase their
           participation in the political process, including through the full participation of
           women both as voters and as candidates;
                12. Encourages the Government of Sierra Leone to continue implementing
           the National Gender Strategic Plan and the Sierra Leone National Action Plan to
           address Gender-Based Violence; and further encourages the Government to
           continue efforts to improve youth employment and empowerment and reduce
           socioeconomic inequalities;
                 13. Welcomes the good work of the Sierra Leone Human Rights Commission,
           reaffirms the importance of its impartiality and independence, and encourages



13-27106                                                                                                          3

S/RES/2097 (2013)


               international partners to continue to provide financial and technical support to its
               functioning and long-term sustainability;
                     14. Urges the Independent Media Commission to ensure full compliance
               with the current Media Code of Practice, and encourages the development of a
               revised Media Code of Conduct to enhance Sierra Leone’s democratic processes;
                     15. Calls upon the Government of Sierra Leone to ensure that its security
               agencies, in particular the Sierra Leone Police, continue to respond in an impartial,
               proportionate and effective way to security threats, and remain committed to
               upholding human rights and other applicable international law, welcomes the work
               of the Anti-Corruption Commission, and urges the Government to accelerate efforts
               to establish the Independent Police Complaints Committee;
                     16. Calls upon the Government of Sierra Leone to continue enhancing the
               effectiveness of the Transnational Organised Crime Unit, including by addressing
               concerns about its sustainability and to strengthen coordination with countries in the
               region through the West Africa Coast Initiative;
                     17. Reaffirms the important potential role of extractive industries in Sierra
               Leone’s economic development, encourages the Government of Sierra Leone and
               international partners to strengthen protection of workers’ rights and national
               capacities for transparent regulation, oversight, and revenue collection from such
               industries, as well as to address issues of land ownership with a view to establishing
               mutually beneficial arrangements for local communities and the private sector, and
               calls upon the government to tackle corruption;
                     18. Emphasises that the Government of Sierra Leone bears the primary
               responsibility for peacebuilding and long-term development in the country, and
               urges the national authorities to continue implementing on-going activities under the
               strategic priorities of the Agenda for Change and to finalise the Agenda for
               Prosperity and begin its implementation;
                     19. Calls on international partners to continue their financial and technical
               support to Sierra Leone during and after UNIPSIL’s drawdown in line with the
               Agenda for Change and subsequent Agenda for Prosperity, including through
               strengthening capacity building of national political, security, human rights and rule
               of law institutions, promoting good governance and accountability, promoting
               gender and social equality, strengthening human rights protection, supporting efforts
               to improve youth empowerment and strengthening efforts to tackle transnational
               organised crime including illicit activities such as money-laundering and drug
               trafficking;
                     20. Requests the Peacebuilding Commission to continue to provide support
               to the Government of Sierra Leone, working with UNIPSIL and the United Nations
               Country Team, in particular through efforts to mobilise resources for the Agenda for
               Prosperity, and, noting its request in Resolution 2065 (2012) for the Commission to
               review its engagement with Sierra Leone following the successful completion of the
               elections and in line with the drawdown of UNIPSIL, requests that the Commission
               review its engagement with a view to scaling down its role;
                    21.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




4                                                                                                       13-27106