S/PV.8401 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/2018/1025, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by France. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2018/922, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in the Central African Republic. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall first give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements before the voting.

We are about to vote on a technical draft resolution (S/2018/1025) to renew the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) for one month. It is indeed a technical need so as to allow one of the members of the Security Council to take the necessary steps in line with its domestic legislation in order to vote on the draft resolution that has been under discussion by the members of the Council in recent weeks. The negotiations on the essence of a new MINUSCA mandate have essentially concluded. As penholder, and with a view to facilitating consensus, we have sought tirelessly, in the framework of expanded consultations, the most exacting balance among the different positions voiced. I believe we have achieved that balance. That draft resolution, to which I will return at the time of its adoption, includes several important elements relating to MINUSCA and the support the Mission will be able to provide to the authorities of the Central African Republic in their efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in the country. In that regard, I would first point to maintaining MINUSCA’s format and robust mandate  — clearly an essential point. I would also refer to the political support that MINUSCA will be able to extend to the African Union Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic, as a unique framework for facilitating direct and inclusive dialogue between the Government and armed groups. There must be no ambiguity as to the central place of that African Union Initiative, as our draft resolution underscores. Lastly, I would refer to the additional support that MINUSCA could provide to the Central African authorities to extend State authority throughout the country’s territory — that being, as well all know, the key to success. We therefore hope that the draft resolution to renew MINUSCA’s mandate for a year can be put to a vote quickly and that the Council will be able to extend it its unanimous support, in the interest of the Central African Republic and all Central Africans. That is the only aim that guides France, as it should be for all the other members of the Council.

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 2446 (2018). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting.

My delegation takes note of the decision by the Security Council to act under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations to extend the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) until 15 December 2018, on the basis of resolution 2387 (2017). Côte d’Ivoire welcomes this Council decision, which makes it possible for MINUSCA to continue its activities in a country where the magnitude of the security, political and humanitarian challenges requires the international community’s unconditional support. In our capacity as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) concerning the Central African Republic, my country calls on all Council members to act in a spirit of compromise with a view to constructive participation in the context of our adoption of the full draft resolution renewing MINUSCA’s mandate. Côte d’Ivoire firmly believes that consensus on the draft resolution’s relevant provisions will reflect our support to the Government and the people of the Central African Republic in their efforts to emerge from crisis with the aim of restoring lasting peace and stability in our brother country.

We would like to thank France for its leadership in facilitating the negotiations for the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). In recent weeks we have had extensive and important discussions on the situation in the Central African Republic, including on how to improve MINUSCA’s role in the political process and its mandate to protect civilians. The Kingdom of the Netherlands fully supports the draft text that France initially put in blue. It maintains the Mission’s troop ceiling and priority tasks, as well as its logistical support to the Central African Republic armed forces. We hope it will be possible for the Council to adopt that text as a draft resolution very soon. The people of the Central African Republic deserve the Council’s unanimous support.

We have just supported a so-called technical extension of the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic for one month. Today the Council has maintained unity on this issue, which is very encouraging. For that to continue to be the case in future, the French penholders will have to make major additional efforts if they still want to revisit their initial ambitious draft, which we have been discussing for the past month. That is quite easy to do. The starting point must be an understanding that there is work in the Central African Republic for all who genuinely want to help the country finally get back on its feet, especially given that France and our Western partners generally have repeatedly told us that the Central African Republic is not an area to be competed over but rather a platform for collaborating on finding solutions that can extricate the country from its crisis. Now we have to live up to that premise and set aside reluctance based on past experiences, egotism and parochial national interests. Anyone who approaches the issue with good intentions should have no hidden agendas or fear of competition. Those are the principles that guide us. We are proactively helping the Central African Republic with the knowledge and support of the leadership and people of the country, and we would like our efforts to be duly reflected in the French draft. The fact that the concerns of our United States colleagues were meticulously and quickly addressed inspires optimism. Since their views were heard, please listen to ours as well. We are ready to continue to work on the draft text in a spirit of mutual respect so that a month from now, it will not be necessary to jeopardize the unity of the Council, which is so important to us and our friends in the Central African Republic, on the topic we are discussing today.

Let me say that the United Kingdom continues to support the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), which carries out essential work in stabilizing the political and security situation in the Central African Republic. That is critical to bringing about peace through the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic and ensuring the well-being of the people of the Central African Republic. I would just like to highlight and express my agreement with the views of the representative of France with respect to the importance of that African Union initiative. We understand that the domestic legal processes of the United States required it to request an extension for the existing MINUSCA mandate. We appreciate France’s flexibility on the matter and its efforts to ensure a consensus in the Security Council on the continuity of Mission operations by facilitating the temporary extension of the mandate. We look forward to coming together to adopt the new mandate within the next month.

I thank Ambassador Delattre for France’s efforts to find compromise language on a difficult draft resolution and to adopt a technical rollover (resolution 2446 (2018). The United States supports the addition of a new task in the next mandate that would enable the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic to provide limited logistical support to the Central African military, police and gendarmerie, using existing resources. We thank the members of the Council for supporting the technical rollover, which will give the United States the time required for full notification within our Government, as required by United States law. The United States has also expressed concern about language in the draft resolution regarding the International Criminal Court, which was addressed by the penholder in the text put into the blue and to be adopted after the technical rollover has expired.

I will now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of China. China is in favour of resolution 2446 (2018), which the Council just adopted. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic has played an important role in maintaining peace and stability in the Central African Republic, and China supports the renewal of its mandate. At the same time, the efforts of the relevant parties of the international community to promote peace and security in the country must be recognized and acknowledged and the legitimate concerns of all the parties, particularly the Central African Republic, given full attention and taken into account. The resolution should help forge consensus in the Council, maintain its unity and send a positive message about the international community’s support to the Government of the Central African Republic. Only by doing so can we help to maintain lasting peace and stability in the Central African Republic. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers.