S/PV.7182 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of South Sudan to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2014/367, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Australia, Chad, France, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Nigeria, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2155 (2014). I now give the floor to the representative of South Sudan.

It gives me great pleasure to address the Security Council once again during the presidency of the Republic of Korea. I would like to assure you, Madam, and the members of the Security Council of our sincere appreciation for the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). My statement today will be a very brief message of gratitude. There is no question that, despite our shared interest in the continuation of UNMISS, we are faced with challenges that call for constructive engagement to promote mutual understanding cooperation. For many of us who know the background to the UNMISS presence in our country as an agent of good will and support, it was indeed a source of discomfort to witness anti-United Nations demonstrations. As I have said on previous occasions, the demonstrations were due in part to misunderstandings and in part to genuine concerns about specific issues that I have discussed in depth and with candour with both sides. The demonstrations were also a reaction to the gap between the ambitious objectives of the Mission as originally articulated and the shortcomings in delivery on the ground, due to the limitations of the resources available to UNMISS. This disappointment has never detracted from the Government’s appreciation of the role played by UNMISS and its leadership in the country or from our commitment to cooperation, as President Salva Kiir assured Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during his most recent visit to Juba. The Security Council, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Government of South Sudan have worked closely together to resolve our differences and misunderstandings in the new configuration of UNMISS. Although our Government has had some reservations about some of the elements of the renewed mandate, we hope that, with our shared concerns and better communications, our cooperation will be enhanced. I have repeatedly stated that the Government of South Sudan is well aware of the limitations in its capacity to meet fully its commitments to and aspirations for the protection of its citizens, and that the legacy of the long war, stretching over half a century, has left deep wounds that will take long to heal. That is why we believe that despite the understandable need for the United Nations to reconsider its priorities in light of the crisis that South Sudan is undergoing, building State capacity should remain high on the list of priorities. The objective of capacity-building is to help create a State that is capable, responsible and responsive  — not a State that is oppressive. Failure to help build a functioning State could lead to serious problems that the United Nations and the international community might be later called upon to help address. Capacity-building should therefore be seen as a form of preventive strategy. We therefore hope that it will be given serious consideration and included in the next extension of the UNMISS mandate. The Government of South Sudan appreciates the fact that greater attention is being focused on the protection of civilians, given the gravity of the crisis that the country is going through. It is our hope, however, that there will be no more tragic crises of the kind the world has so painfully witnessed as the parties strive to restore peace and reconciliation, with accountability, through the negotiations led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. It is also our hope that, with the refocusing of the mandate and the lessons learned from prior experience, UNMISS peacekeepers — who have at times put their own lives at risk to protect civilians  — will be better prepared and equipped to respond more effectively in protecting civilians, themselves and their installations. As we move forward into the future, we should modestly admit that mistakes have been made by both sides and that we should work in close cooperation to address those past mistakes and forge an even closer partnership in pursuing our shared objectives. South Sudan will forever be grateful for the support we received in achieving our independence and in our efforts to build a sustainable, post-conflict State. We should not allow the challenges we are currently facing to undermine this solid foundation.

There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.