S/2020/469 Security Council

In accordance with the procedure agreed upon by the members of the Security Council in the light of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic, as set out in the letter dated 27 March 2020 from the President of the Security Council addressed to all members of the Council (S/2020/253), I would like to draw your attention to the following issue. The members of the Council have discussed the draft resolution submitted by the United States of America in connection with the agenda item entitled “Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan” (S/2020/453). The draft resolution has been put in blue (see enclosure). In my capacity as President of the Security Council, I hereby put the abovementioned draft resolution to a vote. The non-extendable 24-hour voting period for this draft resolution will begin at 12.30 p.m. on Thursday, 28 May 2020. The non-extendable 24-hour voting period will expire at 12.30 p.m. on Friday, 29 May 2020. Please submit your vote (in favour, against or abstention) on the draft resolution, as well as your possible explanation of vote, by sending a letter signed by the Permanent Representative or Chargé d’affaires a.i. within the non-extendable 24-hour voting period set out above to the Director of the Security Council Affairs Division in the United Nations Secretariat (egian@un.org). It is my intention to circulate a letter listing the outcome of the vote within three hours of the conclusion of the 24-hour voting period. I also intend to convene a video-teleconference of the Security Council to announce the outcome of the vote shortly after the conclusion of the voting period, on the afternoon of Friday, 29 May 2020.

With the support of the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, countries of the region and the international community, the political process towards peace in South Sudan has made significant progress recently, and the security situation in the country has also greatly improved. As the primary body for maintaining international peace and security, the Security Council should send positive messages, set a clear timetable for lifting the sanction measures against South Sudan and encourage all parties in South Sudan to pursue their active engagement in the political process in order to maintain the current positive momentum. In May last year, China abstained in the voting on resolution 2471 (2019) as we did not support the arms embargo against South Sudan (see S/PV.8536). This position has not changed. China calls for respect for South Sudan’s national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. The adjustments of sanction measures should fully take into account the positive progress in South Sudan. Therefore, China has abstained in the voting on resolution 2521 (2020). China hopes that the Security Council will make timely and effective adjustments to relevant measures against South Sudan in the light of changes on the ground in the country, help all parties in South Sudan to advance the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan and promote governance and security capacity-building in South Sudan.

I would like to thank all delegations for their constructive engagement during the negotiation process on resolution S/2020/453, extending the sanctions regime for South Sudan. The Niger voted in favour of the resolution, while being mindful of the principled position of the African Union on its rejection of the imposition of sanctions on any African country. Our vote was also guided, on the one hand, by the flexibility shown by members in accommodating the majority of our requirements in the resolution, and, on the other hand, by the provisions of paragraph 4 for the possibility of reviews in a bid to lifting the sanction measures early, which is the ultimate goal of the Council. We commend the authorities in South Sudan for their willingness and efforts, so far, in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement, as is proven by the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity. We encourage the parties to work in confirming this positive trend we all salute. Once again, my delegation reiterates its full support to the peace process in South Sudan, and hopes to see the peace gains further consolidated for an early lifting of the sanctions in their entirety.

The Russian delegation was not in a position to support resolution 2521 (2020), on the extension of the sanctions measures imposed on South Sudan. The proposed text does not reflect the reality on the ground. Speaking about the current situation in South Sudan, it has a sustainable trend towards stabilization. The country has recently entered the transitional period. The Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity was formed. The parties to the conflict reiterated their adherence to the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians, and Humanitarian Access. We commend the fact that since the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan was signed, there has been a considerable drop in violence. More refugees and internally displaced persons are returning to places of their permanent residence. Confidence-building measures continue to be implemented. Unfortunately, the resolution does not reflect all these developments. We do not share the opinion that the mentioned progress was reached through the increased sanctions pressure. The regional mediators, not sanctions, played the key role here. At some point the arms embargo did not let the countries of the region support the peace process with their own security initiatives. It is very disappointing that amid calls from Juba and Addis for lifting, or at least easing, the arms embargo, the penholders were able just to offer to review it by the end of the year. We would like to emphasize that a review of Security Council sanctions is not a concession, but an integral part of the restrictions imposed by the Council. Relevant provisions are included in resolutions on most of the current Security Council sanctions regimes. The fact that they were not incorporated earlier into resolutions on South Sudan is an abnormal situation, and that was due to the reluctance of the penholders to include them in the text. It is also not appropriate to condition the review on the dynamics of the human rights situation in the country. Equally worrisome are the attempts to portray the issues of the economic management in the country as a risk to the peace, stability and security of South Sudan and as a basis for the listing. We cannot support such passages in the text. We hope that, during the upcoming review of the sanctions regime imposed on South Sudan, the penholders will listen more carefully to the legitimate appeals of all Council members and the South Sudanese themselves.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines thanks the United States of America for its efforts in preparing resolution 2521 (2020). Saint Vincent and the Grenadines voted in favour of the resolution. My delegation welcomes the decision by the South Sudanese leaders to form the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity. The spirit of compromise exhibited by the South Sudanese leaders is commendable. Undoubtedly, a difficult road lies ahead, with impediments that may appear insurmountable. Nevertheless, we remain optimistic that South Sudan is on the path to peace and prosperity. The leaders of South Sudan are demonstrating a level of seriousness and political will to advance the peace process, which was not exhibited during previous peace initiatives. This heightened commitment towards peace is reflected in South Sudan’s admirable and resolute approach of hosting peace talks in Juba between the Sudan leaders. At this critical juncture in South Sudan’s history, the renewal of sanctions, without any cogent effort towards eventually lifting them, could have grave ramifications for the delicate peace process. Not only do we recognize this, but regional and subregional organizations, such as the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, which are duty-bound to ensure that peace reigns throughout Africa, are echoing the same sentiments. My delegation believes it is appropriate that the Council consider the calls from the regional organizations that are closest to the problem and have taken up the challenge of silencing the guns in Africa. My delegation remains steadfast in its principled position that sanctions regimes should be continually reviewed and amended; and, once the purposes for which they were created are fulfilled, they should be effectively terminated. In this respect, we stress that the current sanctions regime on South Sudan does not align with the existing political and security situation in the country. We acknowledge, however, that the resolution at hand endeavours to initiate the process of evaluating the sanctions imposed on South Sudan, while acknowledging the ongoing positive developments in the country. My delegation therefore looks forward to the sanctions review process later this year, with the hope that these measures will be relaxed. In view of the foregoing, we voted in favour of resolution 2521 (2020), as it sets in motion the sanctions review process, while sending a positive message to the South Sudanese leaders that the international community continues to support the country in its nation-building efforts. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines remains in solidarity with the people of South Sudan and is reminded that peace never comes with ease. It comes through hard labour and toil. As the youngest nation among us, we must continue to accompany South Sudan as they usher in this new dawn.

South Africa is encouraged by the positive developments that have taken place in the South Sudan’s peace process, including the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity. We further welcome the spirit of compromise and political will demonstrated by the South Sudanese leaders to create the conditions necessary to advance the peace process. This is demonstrated by the decrease in conflict-related violence, and the return of internally displaced persons and refugees to their territories. We hope that the establishment of the mechanisms and committees provided for in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan to complement the prevailing positive development will be completed soon. The Security Council has recognized these important developments in the peace process and the Council has urged the international community to continue to assist South Sudan in its endeavour to achieve sustainable and long-lasting peace. It is only through the patience and support of the international community that we are witnessing a change in South Sudan. Let us continue supporting the aspirations of the world’s youngest State by, among other things, availing resources and relevant expertise in support of the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement, especially security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, as well as in establishing the rule of law institutions. South Africa acknowledges the role that Charter-mandated measures such as sanctions can play, both in working towards the reduction of armed conflict between parties and, secondly, in supporting the conditions for a peace process. We have consistently maintained that sanctions should always serve as a means and not an end and be based on the context and situation as it unfolds on the ground. South Sudanese leaders have demonstrated the political will, determination and maturity to place the interests of the people of South Sudan first by agreeing to peace. They have made a commitment to building their State and requested the Security Council to remove any punitive measures that may be a hindrance towards their goal. Consistent with our position expressed in the Council in 2019 on the same issue (see S/PV.8536), we abstained today on the renewal of sanctions on South Sudan, as we remain convinced that the situation in South Sudan does not necessitate the application of sanctions. This is in line with the assessment by the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the subregional body. The African Union Peace and Security Council, in its 917th meeting, on 9 April, “urge the concerned members of the international community, who imposed sanctions and other forms of punitive measures on South Sudan to immediately and unconditionally lift them, in order to facilitate the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement and create conducive conditions for socio-economic recovery and development in the country”. Moreover, in light of these recent developments, South Sudan continues to require our partnership and support in its nation-building, institution-building and peacebuilding efforts. In this context, the Council’s consideration of reviewing the imposition of sanctions, with a view to eventually lifting them as the situation improves, is a welcome development. To conclude, we reiterate our commitment and support to the peace process in South Sudan and want to urge all of us to accompany the people of South Sudan on their journey to national unity, sustainable peace, security and development in their State.

The United States thanks members of the Security Council for their constructive engagement on resolution 2521 (2020) to renew the United Nations sanctions regime for South Sudan, to include an arms embargo and targeted measures, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts. This resolution recognizes positive steps taken by South Sudan’s leaders to advance the peace process. It states clearly that the Security Council will review sanctions measures based on progress achieved by South Sudan on implementing its peace agreement. The United States believes this resolution will encourage South Sudan’s leaders to continue prioritizing peace over conflict and to make decisions in the best interest of their people, who have suffered so much from this conflict. Challenges and risks remain on South Sudan’s path to peace and the situation on the ground is volatile, with key elements of the peace agreement still awaiting implementation. Lifting sanctions measures at this sensitive turning point would have removed an important incentive for the formerly warring parties to refrain from leading the country back into widespread conflict. The United States credits progress in South Sudan’s peace process to the dedicated diplomacy of the region. The role of the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and other regional players has been and will remain essential. Nevertheless, we believe the United Nations sanctions measures renewed today create space for peace to thrive in South Sudan by reducing the flow of weapons to one of Africa’s deadliest conflicts and encouraging the critical reforms outlined in the peace agreement. We urge South Sudan’s leaders to remain focused on addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of their people, respecting human rights, and ensuring accountability, including for sexual and gender-based violence. Too many people, especially women and children, have lived in fear through this conflict. This resolution works to safeguard their rights, as we retain the ability to designate individuals and entities for human rights violations and abuses, and to deter efforts of spoilers to the peace process. The United States stands ready to work closely with South Sudan’s new Transitional Government as it continues to implement its peace agreement. We reiterate that the United States is prepared to advocate for further adjustments to this sanctions regime in response to tangible progress in the peace process. The United States remains committed to supporting peace and security in South Sudan. There is no bigger supporter of the South Sudanese people than the United States.

As the Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015), Viet Nam has closely cooperated with South Sudan, members of the Committee, members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Panel of Experts, with the goal of facilitating the effective implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions and contributing to peace, stability and development in South Sudan. Viet Nam welcomes the recent positive developments in the political, security and economic situation in South Sudan, especially since the establishment of the Transitional Government in February 2020. We are encouraged to see that the ceasefire has been maintained in most parts of the country. We also commend the commitment of the South Sudanese parties to resolving the remaining issues, especially the efforts of the Government in addressing the coronavirus disease pandemic. At the same time, we are aware of the complexities of the situation, particularly the need to address intercommunal violence issues and to make more concrete progress on the security arrangements. However, we believe that the progress that the relevant parties have made is encouraging and should be acknowledged by the international community. Viet Nam reiterates its position that sanctions should only be a tool to promote sustainable peace, security and development, and shall not affect the development of a country, the livelihood of its people or the effective functioning of its Government. Sanctions should be lifted once the situation permits. At the same time, we acknowledge that the resolution recognizes the achievements made by the South Sudanese parties, having incorporated inputs to that effect by Viet Nam and other members. It also sets out a clear and specific roadmap for the review of the sanctions, particularly the arms embargo. These provide good ground for the future work of the Council in the right direction. Therefore, after careful consideration, Viet Nam has decided to vote in favour of resolution 2521 (2020). We sincerely hope that the adoption of the resolution will contribute to long-term peace and stability in South Sudan. We are also pleased with the spirit of compromise during the negotiation process, which we believe will promote cooperation between the members in the implementation of the resolution. Viet Nam will continue to work closely with relevant Member States, the United Nations, IGAD and the African Union, and calls on other Council members to do the same in advancing the implementation of the agreements among the South Sudanese parties, with the aim of facilitating the review and the subsequent lifting of the sanctions. In conclusion, Viet Nam reiterates our consistent position in support of the unity, peace, stability and sovereignty of South Sudan and contributing to peace and stability in the region.