S/PV.8774 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/2020/1098, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United States of America. 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 2550 (2020). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I thank all the members of the Security Council for their support for this incredibly important mandate. As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus disease, we express our thanks to all Council members for demonstrating their ongoing support for the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). We would also like to extend particular thanks to Ethiopia for its contributions to UNISFA. The people of Abyei deserve to live in peace without fear of violence. They also deserve a functioning Administration that can offer security and the rule of law. We must not lose sight of those goals. In resolution 2550 (2020), the Security Council welcomes and encourages continued engagement between the Sudan and South Sudan to resolve the Abyei dispute. The commitments to addressing border issues and reviewing barriers to the full implementation of UNISFA’s mandate, as agreed during the October meeting of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism, are very welcome developments. The parties should maintain that momentum moving forward. We look forward to the outcomes of the Secretary- General’s joint consultation with the Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia on UNISFA’s exit strategy, which the Security Council has requested in the resolution. Given the warming relations between the Sudan and South Sudan, a responsible exit strategy should be developed, and it must account for the continued security needs of the people of Abyei. We urge the African Union to play a key role in that consultation and to support the parties to achieve further political progress, especially as they take their own steps to resolve the Abyei dispute and address border issues. The United States remains committed to supporting peace and security in Abyei and in the Sudan and South Sudan.

Germany voted in favour of resolution 2550 (2020) and supports the new mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei. However, we express our strong reservation about the wording with regard to the humanitarian principles. The humanitarian principles are the fundamental basis for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Their essential character as core principles has been recognized and reaffirmed by the Security Council in countless resolutions. We do not recognize any interpretation that would suggest that the humanitarian principles are subordinate to the United Nations guiding principles, which are a framework of good practices developed by the General Assembly. Germany does not support that notion and deems it incorrect.