S/PV.7632 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2016/183, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Angola, Egypt, France, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, Uruguay and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2016/141, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on developments in Guinea-Bissau and the activities of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau. 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. In favour: Angola, China, Egypt, France, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russian Federation, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2267 (2016). I shall now give the floor to the member of the Council who wishes to make a statement following the adoption of the resolution.

I would like to say how pleased I am that my delegation was given the honour and the privilege of sponsoring resolution 2267 (2016), which the Security Council has just adopted unanimously. On behalf of the entire Senegalese delegation, I should like to thank all the members of the Council and to express our gratitude for members’ cooperation and constructive contributions in the course of the negotiations that led to this resolution. I would especially like to thank the experts, who displayed a spirit of consensus and determination during the negotiations. The resolution we have just adopted takes note of the report (S/2016/141) of the Secretary-General on Guinea-Bissau dated 12 February. It also expresses the Council’s full support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, whose mandate has been extended, as well as that of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau until 28 February 2017. More specifically, the Council once again expresses its concerns about the ongoing political and institutional tensions among the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Parliament and political leaders, which has significantly slowed the reforms under way. In that context, the resolution emphasizes the need to respect democratic principles, the separation of powers and the rule of law, as well as the importance of national reconciliation, an inclusive dialogue, good governance, justice and the fight against impunity. Through the resolution, we welcome the non-interference by the defence and security forces in the political arena, as well as the peaceful behaviour of the population of Guinea-Bissau. The Council also welcomes the steps taken by the President of Senegal in his capacity as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Guinean President, the ECOWAS Mediator for Guinea- Bissau, and the Special Envoy of the Nigerian President and all other interlocutors in the search for a peaceful solution to the impasse in the country. The resolution also welcomes the efforts of ECOWAS to achieve peace, security and sustainable development, in particular through the efforts of the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea- Bissau (ECOMIB). The resolution also launches an appeal — which I should like to repeat here — to bilateral, regional and international partners to provide support to ECOWAS in order to renew the mandate of ECOMIB, above all in order to finance it. I should solemnly like to call on the Security Council and all bilateral partners to facilitate and support the mobilization of assistance to Guinea-Biassau at this crucial time in its history, first and foremost in the interests of the civilian population.