S/PV.8994 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/2022/219, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United States of America. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2022/156, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in South Sudan. 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 13 votes in favour, none against and 2 abstentions. The draft resolution has been adopted as resolution 2625 (2022). I now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

The United States thanks Council members for their efforts to strengthen the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and ensure that the Mission supports the people of South Sudan in their pursuit of lasting peace, security and stability. The mandate reinforces the core mission of UNMISS  — to protect civilians, bolster delivery of humanitarian assistance, monitor and investigate human rights and support the peace process. The United States also supports resolution 2625 (2022) because, in response to the horrific sexual violence in South Sudan, it calls for UNMISS to strengthen its sexual- and gender-based-violence prevention activities. Also, at the request of the Government of South Sudan, it authorizes UNMISS to provide electoral assistance, pending its meeting electoral benchmarks outlined in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. There is no bigger supporter of the people of South Sudan than the United States. We believe the renewed UNMISS mandate will help create a necessary and powerful path towards long-term stability and security in the country.

Ghana voted in support of resolution 2625 (2022) and welcomes its adoption. Indeed, the adoption of this resolution and the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan until 15 March 2023 is critical, as it allows for continuous support from the United Nations towards addressing the socioeconomic and political challenges in South Sudan and consequently sustains the much- desired peace in the country. While welcoming this resolution, Ghana regrets that a part of our concerns, which were brought to the attention of the penholder, was not taken into consideration in the text. The use of the term “human rights defenders” in sub-paragraph (a)(ii) of paragraph 3 of the resolution is not agreed language and also is not clearly defined. In order to allow for consistency in the text and to stick to universally agreed language, my delegation wishes to express its reservation with the use of the term, having preferred to see it replaced with term “human rights activists”.

The Russian Federation abstained from the voting on the draft Security Council resolution prepared by the United States of America on the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (resolution 2625 (2022)). We regret that the document did not properly reflect the positive developments in this young State that were noted in the most recent quarterly report of the Secretary-General (S/2022/156). Instead, the text has a negative slant. Perhaps South Sudan does need assistance in capacity-building to resolve problems related to the protection of human rights, combating sexual violence, defending the rights of women and fighting corruption. However, these questions are, first and foremost, an internal matter for the country. Our view is that the Security Council and the peacekeeping mission do not have the appropriate resources to fulfil these functions. One gets the impression that this wording, which in its degree of detail is more characteristic of a Human Rights Council document, was included in the document in order to put pressure on Juba and impose external solutions, including the use of the mallet of sanctions. However, in our view, there is no path other than resolving these issues in the context of national efforts on the basis of sovereignty and political independence. The Russian Federation supports the focus of the South Sudanese leadership on conducting elections. We believe that the electoral process must be thoroughly prepared for and executed in accordance with the situation on the ground. Most importantly, it must be smooth and transparent, and its conditions need to be acceptable for all political forces. Otherwise, the risks of destabilization would outweigh any positive intentions. Our view is that United Nations peacekeepers could, upon the request of the host country, provide technical and logistical assistance. However, their core function is to stabilize the security situation and assist the South Sudanese authorities in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. There needs to be an in-depth analysis of why the implementation of specific provisions of that agreement has stalled, and then targeted assistance should be given to resolve the respective disagreements. We are also confident that it is now time to adapt the South Sudan sanctions regime to these new realities. It is regrettable that our American colleagues chose to ignore the majority of comments that were expressed by a number of delegations, including our own, and forced the adoption of an imbalanced draft resolution. These working methods are not compatible with what one would expect from the penholder for a country dossier that is on the agenda of the Security Council. We hope that the Americans will draw conclusions from this situation.

I am taking the floor to explain India’s position on the resolution just adopted (resolution 2625 (2022)). India has long-standing relations with the people of South Sudan. India was the first Asian country to establish a consulate in Juba, in 2007, after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. We have been extending bilateral assistance by way of projects in South Sudan in the agriculture, health and livelihood sectors. Our capacity-building training programmes have been deeply appreciated by the South Sudanese Government. India has been one of the largest contributors of troops to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan since its establishment a decade ago. At present, we have nearly 2,300 troops serving in the country. We believe that, during this transformative phase, South Sudan needs the wholehearted support of the international community, including from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the United Nations. While my delegation voted in favour of this important mandate extension, we would like to place on record some of the key concerns that went unaddressed in the adopted text. India’s position on attempts to securitize climate change has been consistent. India is second to none when it comes to climate action and climate justice, but the Security Council is not the place to discuss either issue. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which has near-universal membership, has been the main driver over the years in taking all of us collectively forward, guided by principles and provisions agreed to by all. It represents a balanced global and democratic effort where there are concrete commitments from developed countries as well as genuine requirements of developing countries, as reflected in nationally determined contributions based on certain fundamental principles, foremost among them being “common but differentiated responsibilities”. In our view, the insertion of UNFCCC in the twenty-fifth preambular paragraph does not highlight its pre-eminence in comprehensively addressing all issues related to climate change. We recognize the fact that climate change may have aggravated instability in certain parts of Africa, including in South Sudan, but oversimplification of causes of conflict will not help in resolving them. Worse, it can be misleading. In conclusion, India will always support real climate action and serious climate justice. We will always speak up for the interests of the developing world, including Africa, the Sahel region and small island developing States, and for our friends and partners, such as South Sudan. But we will do so in the place it deserves — the UNFCCC.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has made sustained and enormous efforts in facilitating the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, protection of civilians, delivery of humanitarian relief and advancing nation-building. China applauds the important role UNMISS plays. We support the renewal of the Mission’s mandate and look forward to it playing an even greater role as a positive and constructive contributor to the peace and stability of South Sudan. Throughout the consultation process, the United States pushed for the inclusion of many human rights- related texts, resulting in a very unbalanced resolution. South Sudan is the youngest State Member of the United Nations. The international community should support the country in gradually exploring a path of human rights development that is suited to its national conditions, instead of resorting to criticism or pressure, least of all interference in its internal affairs. The Security Council is not the right forum for human rights discussions. The text makes reference to human rights defenders. Internationally, there is no clear, universally accepted definition for that term that has been agreed through intergovernmental negotiations. China opposes that reference. Resolution 2625 (2022) also asks the Mission to assess the effects of climate change on the humanitarian situation  — a job that rightfully falls to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs or the country team. It is not something UNMISS should be tasked with. China does not appreciate the assignment of climate change-related mandates to peacekeeping missions without an in-depth analysis of the impacts of climate change and a clear understanding of climate change as a driver of security risks. We have requested that there be no human resource or budget increase due to that inappropriate mandate. Indeed, regarding the aforementioned issues, several members repeatedly requested and proposed revisions, but the penholder failed to heed and take on board their reasonable suggestions. In view of the penholder’s failure to demonstrate inclusiveness, China had to abstain in the voting. As I said here last week (see S/PV.8987), China will always stand together with the people of South Sudan on its nation-building journey. We are ready to work together with UNMISS to make positive contributions to peace and stability in South Sudan.

I now give the floor to the representative of South Sudan.

At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Sir, upon your delegation’s assumption of the presidency of the Council for the month of March. We are delighted to work and cooperate with you and your team during your tenure. My delegation takes note of the renewal of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) mandate. That mandate comes at a critical moment in the life of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, especially as the interim period of the agreement draws to an end next year. We had hoped that the new mandate would be dedicated to seeing through a peaceful end to the interim period by actively engaging the South Sudanese authorities. As the interim period ends next year, we can all agree that the implementation of the peace agreement has been slow and that some provisions of the agreement remain unimplemented. But, most importantly, peace has been holding in the country. As long as peace is being held by the signatories, the international community should reintroduce some basic development programmes and projects. As stipulated in the agreement, elections should be held towards the end of the interim period. That should have prompted the Council and the international community to engage the stakeholders in a constructive manner on how best to work towards holding fair and credible elections. Given that the participation of the international community in the upcoming elections is subject to an invitation from the Government in Juba, we think that there should be consultation with the Government before such an invitation is issued. In that regard, our delegation thanks those members that compromised and agreed on how to engage and assist the Government and people of South Sudan as they go through the process of forthcoming national elections. The renewal of the mandate is an opportunity for the international community to re-engage the Government of the Republic of South Sudan to ensure a smooth and peaceful conclusion of the interim period next year. We are cognizant of the technical assistance provided in the mandate just adopted, as limited as it is. In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to appreciate the three African members of the Security Council for their constructive engagement in the process. Allow me to extend my appreciation to all those who endeavoured to make the mandate more inclusive and fit for purpose, showing the flexibility of the penholder. Allow me also to extend our appreciation to the troop- and police-contributing countries, the men and women who serve as peacekeepers and the Department of Peace Operations at large.