S/PV.8102 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of the Central African Republic 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/2017/957, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by France. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2017/865, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the Central African Republic. 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.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2387 (2017). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting.

France welcomes today’s unanimous adoption of resolution 2387 (2017), renewing the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). In a context where the security and humanitarian situation has been deteriorating and taking a heavy toll on the civilian population, Blue Helmets and humanitarian workers alike, we welcome the fact that through it the Security Council is demonstrating its full and steadfast support both to MINUSCA and the Central African Republic authorities. Before the negotiations that concluded today, France had asserted that the Security Council could not afford to take the risk of allowing the Central African Republic to relapse into a crisis as tragic as the one that it endured from the end of 2012 to the beginning of 2014. On the contrary, we believed that the Council had to put its full weight behind halting the spiral of violence and recreate positive momentum in the country. That is the thrust of the important resolution that France proposed and we have just adopted. I would like to stress three points concerning it. First, the resolution delivers support for MINUSCA that we hope will be decisive, with an increase in the troop ceiling of 900 military personnel that everyone has been waiting for and that will provide MINUSCA with more resources and greater flexibility, enabling it to improve its ability to deliver on its mandate to protect civilians. MINUSCA has already shown that when necessary it can act proactively and robustly to protect civilian populations, especially women and children, who are particularly vulnerable, against the threat of armed groups. We hope that MINUSCA will be able to continue those efforts within the framework of the new resolution and therefore with a strengthened capacity. With regard to the protection of civilians, we would also like to revisit the importance of effectively combating cases of sexual exploitation and abuse and to reiterate our full support for the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy and for the voluntary compact arrived at between the United Nations and Member States. In that regard, today’s resolution encourages both the United Nations and troop- and police-contributing countries to build on and consolidate the work already undertaken to prevent such abuses, and to ensure that the perpetrators are not left unpunished. Secondly, at the request of the Secretary-General, the resolution also enables MINUSCA to prioritize its mandate better by focusing on the critical challenges of peacekeeping, which are the protection of civilians, which I just talked about; support for the peace and reconciliation process under the leadership of the Central African Republic authorities and jointly with the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation; and the delivery of humanitarian aid. The prioritization of the mandate will be accompanied by improved sequencing of various other of MINUSCA’s tasks so as to enable the Mission to fulfil its mandate as efficiently as possible. Thirdly, the resolution is a first step in the support that MINUSCA can give to the gradual and controlled redeployment of the Central African armed forces, trained by the European Union Training Mission-Central African Republic, with a view to their long-term re-establishment. The Secretary-General’s recommendations, which we expect to see by May, will be very useful for that. This is a critical issue, because it is through that support to the redeployment of the Central African internal security forces that the Security Council can affirm its support to the Central African Government in implementing its strategy for restoring the State’s authority throughout its territory. France, as the penholder for the Central African Republic dossier, would like to once again thank the Secretary-General and his Special Representative for the Central African Republic, Mr. Parfait Onanga, for their commitment to peace and reconciliation in the Central African Republic. I also thank all the delegations of the Security Council for their work. Of course, as we all know, the crisis in the Central African Republic cannot be solved by a security response alone and without resolute commitment on the part of all the stakeholders concerned. That is why the resolution reaffirms the Security Council’s full support to President Touadera and encourages him to continue the efforts he has made so far to facilitate national reconciliation. It is also why it supports the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation, with a view to reaching a comprehensive, inclusive political agreement that does not ignore any issues, including the fight against impunity. Despite the difficulties that we are all aware of, together we can succeed in the Central African Republic if we remain focused on working to achieve lasting peace there. That is the thrust of today’s resolution, which must now be implemented in full.

Egypt welcomes the Council’s unanimous adoption today of resolution 2387 (2017), renewing the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). It affirms the important role of a Mission that continues to represent the core contribution of the United Nations to maintaining stability and peace in the Central African Republic, particularly in the light of the increasing challenges in the country and the deterioration of the security situation owing to increasing sectarian and religious violence. Clashes involving armed groups are also posing an increasing threat to civilians, MINUSCA troops and humanitarian workers. Egypt therefore welcomes the fact that the Mission’s mandate focuses on a number of priority tasks, notably support to the political and reconciliation process. We are especially pleased that the resolution requires the Mission to work in partnership with the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in support of the political efforts of the African Union and the relevant subregional organizations. Egypt believes firmly that African efforts, with the support of the United Nations and international partners, represent the best way to reach a political settlement and comprehensive agreement in the Central African Republic. We are also pleased that the mandate focuses on the protection of civilians. The resolution provides for measures to increase MINUSCA’s effectiveness and its ability to implement its mandate, including the fact that it specifies the latest increase in MINUSCA’s troop numbers, which should enable it to deal more effectively with the security challenges across the country. Egypt is one of the largest troop-contributors to MINUSCA and to peacekeeping operations in general. In our view, the way to increase the effectiveness of peacekeeping missions is through cooperation within a framework of triangular cooperation between the Security Council, as the organ mandated to approve the mandates of peacekeeping operations, the troop- and police-contributing countries, as the implementers of the mandates, and the Secretariat of the United Nations. We therefore emphasize the importance of addressing all issues relating to the efficiency and effectiveness of troops participating in peacekeeping operations within the framework of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations of the General Assembly, as the appropriate platform for such matters. In that regard, Egypt welcomes the efforts of MINUSCA, in partnership with troop- and police-contributing countries, to address sexual exploitation and abuse, which has led to a significant reduction in the number of such cases, a fact recognized in resolution 2387 (2017). Egypt calls for continuing those efforts on the basis of General Assembly resolution 71/278, adopted by consensus, as it is the most comprehensive and appropriate framework for promoting both efforts to combat sexual exploitation and abuse within peacekeeping missions and the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy. Achieving sustainable peace and stability in the Central African Republic requires establishing national institutions, including defence and security forces, so that the State can extend its control throughout the country. Deploying the Central African armed forces is a major step that MINUSCA should support in line with its mandate to restore the State’s authority. We look forward to hearing the Secretary-General’s proposals for that, in accordance with his report (S/2017/865). In that context, it is important to ensure that the Mission is provided with the resources it needs to fulfil its mandate, a responsibility that falls to all the Members of the United Nations, as stipulated in paragraph 37 of resolution 2387 (2017).

I thank Ambassador Delattre for France’s efforts to ensure that the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has the mandate to address the evolving situation in the Central African Republic. It has been a challenging year for MINUSCA, as evidenced by the 12 peacekeepers who lost their lives in the cause of peace. We want the peacekeepers to know that their efforts have not gone unnoticed. In particular, I would like to highlight MINUSCA’s efforts to protect the thousands of internally displaced Muslims who were trapped on the grounds of a church in Bangassou. MINUSCA remains focused on what we believe are core principles of peacekeeping. It has a clear exit strategy, the consent and full support of the Government of the Central African Republic and is making notable progress on its mandated tasks, including helping to advance a political solution. Today, the Security Council reaffirmed that it is invested in the peace and security of the Central African Republic, and we believe that MINUSCA is headed in the right direction. The United States considers each peacekeeping operation carefully to ensure that we have the most effective and efficient forces possible. In some cases, that has prompted us to call for a reconfiguration or reorientation of a mission. In the case of MINUSCA, we believe that additional capacity will give it the flexibility it needs to address emerging threats and fulfil its mandate to protect civilians. However, simply adding troops will never be enough to guarantee success. As Ambassador Haley has noted previously, we should focus on the quality of troops deployed, not just their numbers. We must also be willing to address the Mission’s shortcomings and take steps to improve troop performance. It took years for the peacekeepers to meet United Nations equipment standards, and numerous reports of sexual exploitation and abuse have long afflicted the Mission. We recognize that its leadership has confronted those obstacles head- on and is committed to having troops who meet the highest performance standards. Resolution 2387 (2017) outlines much stronger requirements for preventing and reporting on sexual exploitation and abuse and for reporting on performance indicators, so as to enforce effectiveness more broadly. The United States voted in favour of today’s resolution because we remain committed to supporting focused and effective peacekeeping missions that are working tirelessly to execute their mandate, thereby creating the conditions for improving the lives of the people they have come to serve. We recognize that this purpose goes hand-in-hand with building the capacity of the Central African Republic Government, including its armed forces, police and gendarmerie, so that they may take on the role of primary security providers for the people of the Central African Republic. We hope that the Government and MINUSCA will continue to work together to ensure that the citizens of the Central African Republic experience the peace and prosperity that has long eluded them.

The Russian delegation endorsed the adoption of resolution 2387 (2017) on the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic for one year. We were chiefly guided by the importance of sending the citizens of the Central African Republic a message that the international community will not abandon them during the difficult situation that the country finds itself in at the moment. The security situation is extremely worrying, and the Central African Republic State finds itself besieged as never before. In these circumstances, the Security Council cannot stand idly by. We concurred with the Secretary-General’s proposal for increasing the Mission’s military component by 900 persons. However, we hope that peacekeepers will not spread their efforts too thin but rather focus on carrying out their primary tasks — protecting civilians and advancing the political process. The fact is the Blue Helmets are not in a position to protect every citizen of a country that is the size of France. However, if their mobility is increased, as the Secretary-General’s report (S/2017/865) emphasizes, they will be able to contribute significantly to alleviating tensions on the ground, which will enable Bangui to focus on the peace process and on implementing the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme for former combatants. The Government of the Central African Republic should also continue rebuilding the capacity of its national armed forces. In deploying additional peacekeepers as part of the Mission, we must not forget the contingents that are already deployed in the Central African Republic. They are carrying out difficult duties and risking their lives in doing so. The Secretary-General did not observe United Nations Day in the Central African Republic, alongside our peacekeepers, in vain. We call for a balanced approach to assessing the contribution of troop-contributing countries. We cannot have situations created owing to the withdrawal of a whole contingent because of sexual crimes committed by individual peacekeepers when replacements cannot be found quickly, since that seriously interferes with the Mission’s operational capacity.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Central African Republic.

I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the opportunity to address the Security Council in the place of my Ambassador. On behalf of the Government and the people of the Central African Republic, I would like to express my sincere thanks and renewed gratitude for the Council’s sense of its responsibility in unanimously adopting resolution 2387 (2017), renewing the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). As the Special Representative of the Secretary- General and Head of MINUSCA stated during his briefing on 6 November (S/PV.8084), the situation in the Central African Republic remains worrying. The increasing areas of tension and worsening armed violence over much of the Central African Republic’s immense territory highlight the limits of MINUSCA’s force. Adopting the resolution is a wise decision that should give the Mission and its Head more impetus to accomplish their difficult task in a continually evolving situation. As the Secretary-General outlines in his report on the situation in the Central African Republic (S/2017/865), our country is facing huge challenges. Only by strengthening MINUSCA’s operational capacities will the force be able to deploy effectively. In that regard, I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank the Secretary-General who, in his customary wisdom, has called for an increase in MINUSCA’s military personnel that the members of the Council have all agreed to. The recent surge in violence against civilians and United Nations troops has been a salutory reminder that only a policy of long-term development can break the current cycle of fragility. Finally, I would like to thank all the delegations that contributed to drafting today’s resolution, which will bring a new lease of life not only for MINUSCA and its Head but also for the Government and the people of the Central African Republic. Above all, I commend the Council for its commitment. The Central African Republic deserves a better future, and it will have it, thanks to the Security Council. As we seek to rebuild and restore peace with the help of our partners, the Council’s support is more essential than ever.