S/RES/2065 (2012)
Security Council Distr.: General
12 September 2012
12-50625 (E)
*1250625*
Resolution 2065 (2012)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 6831st meeting, on
12 September 2012
The Security Council,
Recalling its previous resolutions and the statements of its President
concerning the situation in Sierra Leone, in particular resolution 2005 (2011) and
Presidential Statement 11 (2012),
Welcoming the ninth report of the Secretary-General dated 4 September 2012
(S/2012/679) and taking note of its recommendations,
Welcoming the steady progress achieved by the Government and people of
Sierra Leone towards achieving peace and stability and in laying the ground for
Sierra Leone’s long-term development,
Welcoming the efforts made in preparation for the presidential, parliamentary
and local elections on 17 November 2012, in particular, signing of the “Declaration
on the 2012 elections” by Sierra Leone’s major stakeholders, successful conduct of
the voter registration, efforts to improve police mobility and effectiveness,
inauguration of the Electoral Offences Courts, adoption of the Public Elections Law,
and efforts to promote political participation and tolerance among the civil society,
Underlining the importance of these elections and the wide acceptance of the
results as a key benchmark for consolidation of peace in Sierra Leone, further
underlining the need for all national and international stakeholders to continue
efforts to foster an environment that is conducive to the holding of inclusive,
peaceful and credible elections, and emphasizing the need for national authorities to
remain committed to inclusive political dialogue and to providing a conducive
security environment for the elections, and further emphasizing the important and
positive role that the media can play through accurate and balanced reporting,
Welcoming the important role played by the United Nations Integrated
Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), the United Nations country team,
bilateral and international partners in supporting Sierra Leone to prepare for the
elections, noting in particular efforts to improve the capacity and effectiveness of
the national democratic, electoral and security institutions, promote inclusive
political dialogue between the national stakeholders, promote a culture of
non-violence and ensure the safe, full and equal participation of all sections of
society, in particular women in the electoral process, and emphasizing the need for
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Sierra Leone’s partners to continue providing technical, financial and political
support to the electoral process, including through the provision of electoral
observers,
Welcoming the steady progress the Government has made in implementing the
Agenda for Change, in particular steps taken to sustain macroeconomic stability,
promote gender equality, improve youth engagement, improve access to justice and
human rights and strengthen the Government’s management of the extractive
industries, and commending the valuable contribution of UNIPSIL, the United
Nations country team and the international community to the peacebuilding and
development priorities in Sierra Leone, and in particular through the integrated
United Nations Joint Vision and the Transitional Joint Vision,
Recognizing the continuing challenges posed by transnational organized crime,
including illicit activities such as money-laundering and drug trafficking, and
corruption, welcoming the progress made by the Anti-Corruption Commission and
the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), under the West Africa Coast
Initiative (WACI), and emphasizing the need for continued national and
international support to the TOCU in order to ensure its sustainability,
Commending the Government for recognising the important role of women in
the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, and its efforts to
implement the Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security and on
sexual and gender-based violence, and welcoming the launch of a National Gender
Strategic Plan, the establishment of the National Committee on Gender-Based
Violence and the adoption of the Sexual Offences Act,
Welcoming current efforts to develop Sierra Leone’s Agenda for Prosperity,
including through the conduct of a fragility assessment under the New Deal for
Engagement in Fragile States, emphasizing the need to retain the peace, security and
development nexus in future planning to ensure that progress achieved thus far is
sustained, and further emphasizing the importance of continued integrated support
of the United Nations system, bilateral and international partners to the Agenda for
Prosperity, in order to ensure that international support is delivered in a coordinated
and effective manner,
Reiterating its appreciation for the work of the Special Court for Sierra Leone,
welcoming the verdict in the trial of Charles Taylor and taking note of the proposed
appeals, calling upon Member States to contribute generously to the Court and to
the implementation of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone Agreement,
Recalling that the responsibility for controlling the circulation of small arms
and light weapons within the territory of Sierra Leone and between Sierra Leone and
neighbouring States rests with the relevant governmental authorities in accordance
with the Economic Community of West African States Convention on Small Arms
and Light Weapons of 2006, taking note of the adoption of the Arms and
Ammunitions Act and reiterating the need for further progress on the
implementation of the national action plan on Small Arms,
Welcoming the role played by the African Union, the Economic Community of
West African States and the Mano River Union, in support of Sierra Leone’s
peacebuilding and development goals, and encouraging these and other regional
organizations to continue their dialogue aimed at consolidating regional peace and
security,
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Welcoming the role of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding
Fund in supporting peacebuilding efforts in Sierra Leone,
1. Decides that the mandate of UNIPSIL, as set out in resolution 2005
(2011), shall be extended until 31 March 2013;
2. Calls upon the Government of Sierra Leone, all political parties and their
supporters, as well as the Sierra Leonean people, including the media, to continue to
foster an environment that is conducive to the holding of peaceful, inclusive and
credible elections, including through open, genuine and inclusive dialogue to
address possible differences, and to respect the outcome of the elections;
3. Calls upon the Government of Sierra Leone to ensure that its security
agencies, in particular the Sierra Leone Police, respond in an impartial,
proportionate and effective way to security threats during and after the elections,
and remain committed to upholding human rights and applicable international law;
and urges the Government to accelerate efforts to establish the Independent Police
Complaints Commission and to address the recommendations of the Shears-Moses
Inquiry report;
4. Calls upon all political parties to promote a culture of non-violence,
including by ensuring full implementation of the provisions of the 2 April 2009
Joint Communiqué, ensure their supporters adhere to the political parties code of
conduct, honour the agreement reached in the 18 May 2012 “Declaration on the
2012 elections”, refrain from manipulating children in electoral processes and
continue to engage in dialogue through the Political Parties Registration
Commission and other relevant forums;
5. Calls upon Sierra Leone’s electoral institutions, in particular the National
Electoral Commission and the Political Parties Registration Commission to ensure
that the preparations and conduct of the elections proceed in a peaceful, inclusive
and credible manner, including through the full participation of women both as
voters and as candidates, strengthen voter information and education, promote
dialogue to resolve conflicts as well as political tolerance and non-violence; urges
the Independent Media Commission to ensure compliance with the Media Code of
Practice, and emphasizes the need for media practitioners to remain committed to
providing professional, independent, and factual coverage and to promoting public
education and dialogue during the electoral period;
6. Requests UNIPSIL, in conjunction with the United Nations country team
and the international community, to continue providing assistance to the
Government and its electoral, democratic and security institutions, as requested, in
the preparation and conduct of the elections and to continue providing advice and
assistance to all relevant stakeholders, including civil society and the media, in
order to ensure that they are able to make a positive contribution to the electoral
process; further requests UNIPSIL to provide assistance to conflict prevention and
mitigation efforts, including through promoting the role of women in conflict
prevention and supporting genuine and inclusive dialogue among political parties,
the Government and all relevant stakeholders; finally requests the Secretary-General
to provide a briefing to the Council on the conduct and outcome of the elections
shortly after their completion;
7. Emphasizes that the Government of Sierra Leone bears the primary
responsibility for peacebuilding and long-term development in the country, and
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urges the national authorities to continue implementation of the Agenda for Change
until it expires;
8. Urges the Government to continue its efforts to hold regular, inclusive
and genuine dialogue with all relevant national and international stakeholders on
Sierra Leone’s peacebuilding and development goals; and further urges the
Government to ensure that the forthcoming Agenda for Prosperity continues to build
on progress achieved in strengthening the political, security, justice and human
rights institutions in the country, including through implementation of the
recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Sierra Leone’s
Universal Periodic Review;
9. Calls upon the Government of Sierra Leone to continue enhancing the
effectiveness of the Transnational Organized Crime Unit, including by addressing
concerns about its sustainability and to strengthen coordination with regional
countries through the WACI, and further calls upon the Government to continue its
efforts to strengthen the Anti-Corruption Commission and improve the management
of the extractive industries;
10. Encourages the Government of Sierra Leone to continue implementing
the National Gender Strategic Plan and the Sierra Leone National Action Plan to
address Gender-Based Violence; and further encourages the Government to
continue efforts to improve youth employment and empowerment and reduce
socioeconomic inequalities;
11. Requests UNIPSIL, in conjunction with the United Nations country team,
and bilateral and international partners, to continue providing integrated support to
Sierra Leone to meet its peacebuilding and development priorities, as outlined in the
Agenda for Change, including through strengthening capacity building of national
political, security, human rights and rule of law institutions, promoting good
governance and accountability, promoting gender and social equality, strengthening
human rights protection, supporting efforts to improve youth empowerment and
strengthening efforts to tackle transnational organized crime including illicit
activities such as money-laundering and drug trafficking;
12. Requests UNIPSIL, in conjunction with the United Nations country team,
bilateral and international partners, to continue engaging constructively with the
Sierra Leone national authorities in the formulation of the Agenda for Prosperity and
in coordinating an integrated international response to it, in order to ensure that the
efforts by the United Nations, bilateral and international partners on the ground
continue to be coherent and effectively coordinated;
13. Encourages the Peacebuilding Commission to continue providing
support to the Government of Sierra Leone, UNIPSIL and the United Nations
country team in the preparation and conduct of the 2012 elections, to advocate for
the continued implementation of the Agenda for Change until it expires, the
balanced development of the Agenda for Prosperity and the strengthening of
mechanisms aimed at ensuring the timeliness and predictability of national and
international funding for peacebuilding and development priorities, including
through promoting increased South-South cooperation; and requests the
Peacebuilding Commission to keep the Council regularly updated on progress made
and to review its engagement with Sierra Leone following the successful completion
of the elections and in line with the drawdown of UNIPSIL;
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14. Requests UNIPSIL, in collaboration with the United Nations country
team, the Government of Sierra Leone and bilateral and international partners to
continue preparations for the transition of UNIPSIL, and in this regard requests the
Secretary-General to deploy an inter-agency technical assessment mission to Sierra
Leone to conduct a review of progress made in the implementation of UNIPSIL’s
mandate and to provide a report, for the consideration of the Council, containing
detailed proposals and a recommended timeline for the transition, drawdown and
exit strategy of UNIPSIL by no later than 15 February 2013;
15. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.