S/RES/2097 (2013)
Security Council Distr.: General
26 March 2013
13-27106 (E)
*1327106*
Resolution 2097 (2013)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 6942nd meeting, on
26 March 2013
The Security Council,
Recalling its previous resolutions and the statements of its President
concerning the situation in Sierra Leone, in particular resolution 2005 (2011), 2065
(2012) and the Statement of its President on 30 November (2012),
Welcoming the tenth report of the Secretary-General dated 27 February 2013
(S/2013/118) and taking note of its recommendations,
Welcoming the significant 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,
Commending Sierra Leone for the conduct and successful conclusion of
Presidential, Parliamentary, district, and local elections in November 2012, in
particular acknowledging the important role played by Sierra Leone’s electoral
institutions, political parties, civil society groups, international partners, and
domestic and international observers, and congratulating the people of Sierra Leone
for their large turnout in the elections, which showed their strong commitment to
democracy,
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,
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
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development priorities in Sierra Leone, and in particular through the integrated
United Nations Joint Vision and the Transitional Joint Vision,
Welcoming efforts to finalise Sierra Leone’s Agenda for Prosperity, including
through the conduct of a fragility assessment under the New Deal for Engagement in
Fragile States, emphasising the need to retain the peace, security and development
nexus in future planning to ensure that progress achieved thus far is sustained, and
further emphasising 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 strong support for the Special Court for Sierra Leone and its
appreciation for the Court’s work, welcoming the conclusion of oral hearings in the
Charles Taylor appeal, requesting the Court to make every effort to complete its
remaining work by 30 September 2013, acknowledging the special subvention
provided as an exceptional measure from the United Nations regular budget to the
Court for the period from 8 December 2012 to 31 December 2013, calling upon
Member States to contribute generously to the Court and to the implementation of
the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone Agreement,
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
organisations to continue their dialogue aimed at consolidating regional peace and
security,
Recognising the continuing challenges posed by transnational organised crime
and corruption, and emphasising the need for continued national and international
support to the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) in order to ensure its
sustainability,
Welcoming the role of the Peacebuilding Commission’s Sierra Leone
Configuration and the Peacebuilding Fund in supporting peacebuilding efforts in
Sierra Leone,
1. Decides that the mandate of UNIPSIL shall be extended until 31 March
2014;
2. Decides that, in accordance with the views of the Government of Sierra
Leone, conditions on the ground following the successful conclusion of elections in
2012, and in line with the recommendations of the report of the Secretary-General
(S/2013/118), UNIPSIL should be fully drawn down by 31 March 2014;
3. Requests the Secretary-General to keep the Security Council regularly
informed of the developments on the ground and to submit to the Security Council,
no later than 15 September 2013, a report providing an update on the planned
completion of UNIPSIL’s mandate and the transfer of responsibilities to a United
Nations Country Team;
4. Encourages UNIPSIL, the Government of Sierra Leone and bilateral and
multilateral partners to form a transition steering group to map the international
community’s support to Sierra Leone, in particular regarding the transfer of any
residual functions currently provided by UNIPSIL which may be needed after the
Mission’s withdrawal, requests the Executive Representative of the SecretaryS/
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General to finalise a Transition Plan no later than 30 May 2013, and requests the
Secretary-General to provide an update on such planning activities in his next
report;
5. Encourages the Government of Sierra Leone to engage in discussions on
the nature, activities and scope of the United Nations role post-UNIPSIL in
coordination with UNIPSIL, the United Nations Country Team, multilateral and
bilateral partners, the Peacebuilding Commission, and other relevant stakeholders;
6. Requests UNIPSIL to focus its remaining activities during this mandating
period on facilitating political dialogue, including support to the government,
particularly related to the planned constitutional review, security sector support, and
strengthening of human rights institutions and their long-term sustainability;
7. Encourages the United Nations Country Team and its component United
Nations agencies to scale up their activities and programming during UNIPSIL’s
transition and after its liquidation and factor such activities into their planning for a
new United Nations Development Assistance Framework, and urges the Secretary-
General to ensure there is a seamless transition to a new Resident Coordinator and
United Nations Country Team management team model as UNIPSIL departs;
8. Requests the Secretary-General to provide a peace and development
advisor to support the Resident Coordinator, and requests the United Nations Office
for West Africa (UNOWA) to make available its good offices to support the
Government of Sierra Leone and the future United Nations Resident Coordinator as
necessary;
9. Welcomes the planned review of the 1991 Constitution that will, inter
alia¸ examine ways of fostering a greater sense of national cohesion and calls on all
parties to participate in an open, transparent, and constructive manner in the review
to contribute to a more inclusive system of governance;
10. Calls upon Sierra Leone’s electoral institutions, in particular the National
Electoral Commission and the Political Parties Registration Commission, to
continue to foster an environment of political inclusion over the coming years as
Sierra Leone prepares for its next and subsequent local and national elections by
ensuring that the preparations and conduct of elections proceed in a peaceful,
inclusive and credible manner, strengthening voter information and education, and
promoting dialogue to resolve conflicts as well as political tolerance and
non-violence;
11. Urges the passing of the Gender Equality Bill, including consideration of
necessary amendments, to enhance the rights of women, as well as to increase their
participation in the political process, including through the full participation of
women both as voters and as candidates;
12. 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;
13. Welcomes the good work of the Sierra Leone Human Rights Commission,
reaffirms the importance of its impartiality and independence, and encourages
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international partners to continue to provide financial and technical support to its
functioning and long-term sustainability;
14. Urges the Independent Media Commission to ensure full compliance
with the current Media Code of Practice, and encourages the development of a
revised Media Code of Conduct to enhance Sierra Leone’s democratic processes;
15. Calls upon the Government of Sierra Leone to ensure that its security
agencies, in particular the Sierra Leone Police, continue to respond in an impartial,
proportionate and effective way to security threats, and remain committed to
upholding human rights and other applicable international law, welcomes the work
of the Anti-Corruption Commission, and urges the Government to accelerate efforts
to establish the Independent Police Complaints Committee;
16. Calls upon the Government of Sierra Leone to continue enhancing the
effectiveness of the Transnational Organised Crime Unit, including by addressing
concerns about its sustainability and to strengthen coordination with countries in the
region through the West Africa Coast Initiative;
17. Reaffirms the important potential role of extractive industries in Sierra
Leone’s economic development, encourages the Government of Sierra Leone and
international partners to strengthen protection of workers’ rights and national
capacities for transparent regulation, oversight, and revenue collection from such
industries, as well as to address issues of land ownership with a view to establishing
mutually beneficial arrangements for local communities and the private sector, and
calls upon the government to tackle corruption;
18. Emphasises that the Government of Sierra Leone bears the primary
responsibility for peacebuilding and long-term development in the country, and
urges the national authorities to continue implementing on-going activities under the
strategic priorities of the Agenda for Change and to finalise the Agenda for
Prosperity and begin its implementation;
19. Calls on international partners to continue their financial and technical
support to Sierra Leone during and after UNIPSIL’s drawdown in line with the
Agenda for Change and subsequent Agenda for Prosperity, 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
organised crime including illicit activities such as money-laundering and drug
trafficking;
20. Requests the Peacebuilding Commission to continue to provide support
to the Government of Sierra Leone, working with UNIPSIL and the United Nations
Country Team, in particular through efforts to mobilise resources for the Agenda for
Prosperity, and, noting its request in Resolution 2065 (2012) for the Commission to
review its engagement with Sierra Leone following the successful completion of the
elections and in line with the drawdown of UNIPSIL, requests that the Commission
review its engagement with a view to scaling down its role;
21. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.