UNSC adopts documents on South Sudan, Central African Republic, Somalia, Libya

New York (VNA) – The UN Security Council (UNSC) held an online session on March 12 to announce the adoption of three resolutions and a presidential statement. 

Those resolutions consists of Resolution 2566 on increasing the authorised size of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), Resolution 2567 on extending the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and Resolution 2568 on reauthorising the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

Resolution 2567 and 2568 were approved by 15 votes in favour while Resolution 2566 received 14 votes in favour and one abstention. 

Besides, the UNSC also issued a presidential statement on the situation in Libya.

Resolution 2567, extending the mandate of UNMISS until 15 March 2022, recognised the recent improvements in South Sudan thanks to the mission’s contributions and decided to maintain the main groups of tasks of UNMISS, including protecting civilians, supporting the peace process and the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement, and create favourable conditions for humanitarian aid.

It also permitted UNMISS to increase activities outside the civilian protection sites and boost technical support for agencies and transitional institutions in South Sudan.

This resolution also asked the Security Council Secretariat to enhance safety and improve the working environment for women in the mission.

Vietnam actively engaged in the negotiation of Resolution 2567. It proposed the resolution include more information about political and security improvements in South Sudan, while calling for more favourable conditions for women working at UNMISS.

The country’s ideas received support from other UNSC members.

Resolution 2566 decided to increase MINUSCA’s military component by 2,750 and its police component by 940, from the current respective levels of 11,451 and 2,057.

Amid the Central African Republic’s complicated security situation due to opposition armed groups sabotaging the ongoing presidential and legislative election processes, the reinforcements would enable MINSUCA to focus on protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian access, and creating space for the peace process in the country to advance.

Resolution 2568 decided to reauthorise AMISOM until 31 December, 2021 and maintain the mission’s functions, tasks, and personnel level.

It also voiced concern over the threats from the Al-Shabaab terrorist group to the security and stability of Somalia and the region, requesting the Somali Government and federal member states to make dialogue efforts to achieve a political agreement on elections in 2021.

Meanwhile, the presidential statement on Libya welcomed the country’s parliament voting to approve the leadership posts in the provisional government on March 10. It called on the provincial government to strive to promote the transitional process towards the elections slated for December 24 this year.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNSC resolutions are currently adopted through a written procedure vote.

Officially joining in UN peacekeeping operations in 2014, Vietnam is running UNMISS’s Level-2 Field Hospital No 2, comprising 63 personnel (with 10 women, or nearly 16 percent), in Bentiu city of South Sudan. It is preparing for the deployment of the Level-2 Field Hospital No 3 in late March 2021.

Vietnam also has 11 officers at MINUSCA at present, including two women (accounting for 18 percent)./.