S/RES/2458 (2019)
Security Council Distr.: General 28 February 2019
Resolution 2458 (2019)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 8474th meeting, on 28 February 2019
The Security Council, Recalling its previous resolutions, statements of its President and press statements on the situation in Guinea-Bissau, in particular resolutions 1876 (2009), 2030 (2011), 2048 (2012), 2092 (2013), 2103 (2013), 2157 (2014), 2186 (2014), 2203 (2015), 2267 (2016) 2343 (2017) and 2404 (2018), Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on Guinea-Bissau, dated 6 February 2019 (S/2019/115) and the recommendations contained therein, the special report dated 6 December 2018 (S/2018/1086) on the assessment of the United Nations Integration Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), and underscoring the Secretary-General’s positive appreciation of the role of his Special Representative and head of UNIOGBIS in assisting the Government of GuineaBissau, Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Guinea Bissau, emphasizing that the Bissau-Guinean authorities have primary responsibility for the provision of stability and security throughout the territory of the country, and underscoring the importance of national ownership to implement inclusive political, peace and security related initiatives, Stressing the continued need for the Government of Guinea-Bissau to take concrete steps towards ensuring peace, security and stability in the country, by inclusively resolving the Guinea Bissau political crisis, organizing free, fair, credible and transparent legislative and presidential elections as stipulated in the BissauGuinean Constitution, effectively reforming the security sector, tackling corruption through the reinforcement of the judicial system, improving public administration and State revenue management, as well as the supply of basic services to the population, promoting and protecting human rights and commending its commitment to the implementation of its national priorities, Expressing concern regarding the negative impact that the recent political and institutional crisis had on the progress made since the restoration of constitutional order following the elections held in 2014, the functioning of the State apparatus and the implementation of Guinea-Bissau reform agenda, Expressing also concern for the situation of citizens of Guinea-Bissau, who are suffering the negative effects of the political crisis, and urging all political actors to put the interest of the Bissau-Guinean people above all other consideration, Welcoming the continued engagement of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Jose Viegas Filho, the President of the Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the President of the Republic of Guinea, His Excellency Alpha Conde, in his capacity of ECOWAS Mediator for Guinea-Bissau, the Special Representative of the African Union, Ovidio Pequeno and other interlocutors in the political stabilization efforts and support to the holding of the legislative elections on 10 March 2019 and recalling the need for continued concerted action among the United Nations, ECOWAS, the African Union, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), and the European Union (EU), Welcoming also the continued efforts of the five international organizations involved in the peacebuilding process in Guinea-Bissau (African Union, CPLP, ECOWAS, European Union, United Nations) and supporting their appeals to all stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau, to respect the principles established in the UN Charter and their obligations under International Human Rights Treaties and to refrain from any public action or discourse likely to aggravate tensions in the country, Recalling that the implementation of the Conakry Agreement of 14 October 2016, based on the ECOWAS road map entitled “Agreement on the resolution of the political crisis in Guinea-Bissau”, is the primary framework for the restoration of durable peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau, Noting the final Communiqué of the 54th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Head of State and Government of ECOWAS of 22 December 2018, which inter alia reaffirmed the need to maintain the consensus government in its current form until the parliamentary elections of 10 March 2019; reiterating its intention to impose sanctions on the bases of proposals from the President of the Commission, against political stakeholders and others who obstruct the smooth conduct of the electoral process, and urged Bissau-Guinean political actors to remain faithful to their commitment to implement the road map adopted on 14 April 2018 in Lomé, Welcoming the Communiqué of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU of 10 October 2018 underlining the important role of the five international organizations supporting the peace process in Guinea-Bissau, the AU, the UN, ECOWAS, EU and CPLP in the coordination of the efforts of the international community to support the organization of the elections, Emphasizing the need for respect of democratic principles and stressing the importance of national reconciliation, inclusive dialogue and good governance, essential for the attainment of lasting peace in Guinea-Bissau, further stressing the importance of including all Bissau-Guineans ensuring the full and effective participation of women and youth in this process at national and local levels, while upholding the principles of separation of powers, rule of law, justice and combating impunity, and encouraging all stakeholders to engage in the process, Encouraging national stakeholders to work together for 10 March 2019 legislative elections, as well as 2019 presidential election scheduled by the Government of Guinea-Bissau, and stressing that timely, inclusive and credible elections, as spelled out in Conakry Agreement and the ECOWAS six-point road map, are essential for the resumption of sustainable and nationally owned reform efforts, Stressing that the consolidation of peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau can only result from a consensual, inclusive and nationally owned process, respect for
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constitutional order, priority reforms in the defence, security and justice sectors, the promotion of the rule of law, the protection of human rights, the promotion of socioeconomic development and the fight against impunity and drug trafficking, in the framework of the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Guinea-Bissau, Reaffirming the importance of the continued non-interference of the defence and security forces in the political situation in Guinea-Bissau, and commending the restraint shown in this regard as well as the peacefulness of the people of GuineaBissau, Underscoring the importance of the Government of Guinea-Bissau, with the support of UNIOGBIS and international partners, to continue developing national security and rule of law institutions that are impartial, transparent, accountable and professional, Stressing that all stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau should work to ensure short, medium and long-term stability through clear commitment and genuine inclusive political dialogue aimed at creating conditions conducive to finding viable and sustainable solutions to the country’s social, economic, political and military problems, which would facilitate the implementation of key reforms and the strengthening of State institutions, Encouraging continued efforts of the Government to ensure effective civilian control and oversight over the defence and security forces, as failure to do so could adversely affect the effective functioning of State institutions, as a result of collusion between some political actors and the military leadership, Commending the efforts of ECOWAS in helping to sustain peace, security and development and to support the security sector reform (SSR) process in GuineaBissau namely through the activities of its Mission (ECOMIB), Welcoming the continued contribution of ECOMIB in promoting stability in Guinea-Bissau and encouraging the international community to continue supporting and assisting ECOMIB, Encouraging the commitment, efforts of mediation and direct contacts of the African Union with the political actors of Guinea Bissau in view of stepping up the efforts to help overcome the current blockage of the political situation, Reiterating its call on the Government of Guinea-Bissau to conduct transparent, independent and credible investigations into human rights violations and abuses, in accordance with international standards, and to hold those responsible accountable for their actions, Reiterating its concern at the threat posed by drug trafficking, as well as trafficking in all forms, including trafficking in persons, and related transnational organized crime to peace and stability; and, in this regard, encouraging sustained efforts of the Government of Guinea-Bissau, ECOWAS, UNIOGBIS, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other relevant stakeholders in combating this issue, Re-emphasizing the need to tackle the problem of drug trafficking in the countries of origin, transit and final destination on a basis of a common and shared responsibility, to tackle the world drug problem and related criminal activities; and, in this regard, stressing the need for increased coherence, coordination and efficiency among relevant partners to enhance their collective efforts, in particular through sharing of information, underlining that any lasting solution to instability in GuineaBissau should include concrete actions to fight impunity and ensure that those responsible for politically motivated assassinations and other serious crimes such as
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breaches of constitutional order and drug trafficking-related activities are brought to justice, including through national judicial mechanisms, Reiterating the importance and urgency of the continued evaluation capacity and support provided by the relevant United Nations entities and international, regional, sub-regional and bilateral partners for the long-term security and development of Guinea-Bissau, particularly towards the implementation of security and justice sectors reforms, the fight against transnational organized crime as well as the creation of an enabling environment for good governance and inclusive and sustainable social development, and in this regard, commending the important work UNODC in collaboration with relevant United Nations entities in Guinea-Bissau and the sub-region, and encouraging enhanced cooperation between UNODC and UNIOGBIS, Urging Bissau-Guinean national stakeholders to demonstrate the necessary commitment to re-establish momentum for progress in key areas, as outlined in the programme “Terra Ranka” presented to the donor community at the Brussels round table held in March 2015, Emphasizing the role of UNICEF working closely with government to create the proper conditions to provide education for the children of Guinea-Bissau, Emphasizing the important role of women in prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, as recognized in resolutions 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolution on women, peace and security, Emphasizing the cooperation between UNIOGBIS, national authorities and civil society organizations to increase women’s social and political participation in Guinea-Bissau, particularly with regard to the August 2018 adoption of a gender parity law in the National Assembly, ahead of the 10 March 2019 legislative elections and underlining that a gender perspective must continue to inform the implementation of all relevant aspects of the mandate of UNIOGBIS, including national reconciliation processes, institution building and to address the root causes of instability, Reaffirming that Guinea-Bissau’s partners should continue to actively and closely coordinate their actions in support of the Government’s efforts to address the country’s political, security and development challenges, and in this regard, recalling the coordinated and long-standing support provided by the country’s partners, namely those in the United Nations system, the African Union, ECOWAS, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), the EU, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank, to the Government during the International Donor Conference for Guinea-Bissau held on 25 March 2015 in Brussels, Welcoming the continued engagement of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) with Guinea Bissau, and noting the briefing by the Chair of the PBC configuration for Guinea Bissau on 8 February 2019 reiterating its support to the Conakry Agreement, stressing the importance of holding free and fair elections in accordance with the Constitution of Guinea Bissau, and underlining the importance of renewing the mandate of UNIOGBIS of another year, Reaffirming its full commitment to the consolidation of peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau,
Renewal of the mandate 1. Decides to extend the mandate of UNIOGBIS for a period of 12 months beginning on 1 March 2019 until 28 February 2020; 2. Notes the report of the Secretary-General on the UNIOGBIS Strategic Assessment and endorses the Secretary-General’s recommendations regarding the
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reconfiguration of UNIOGBIS and the reprioritization of its tasks according to the following phases: (a) Phase I (electoral phase) – UNIOGBIS will remain as currently configured and prioritize support for the holding of the legislative elections scheduled for 10 March 2019 and the presidential election within the legally-mandated timeframe in 2019; – Throughout the electoral phase, UNIOGBIS’s components should concentrate their support for the mission’s overall good offices function, to be focused on national political actors, including by providing political support and in coordination with the Guinea-Bissau’s Authorities and Guinea-Bissau Group of Five; (b) Phase II (post-electoral phase) – UNIOGBIS will establish the conducive conditions for the implementation of the reform agenda, including preparation for its transition plan linked to the new United Nations Partnership Framework and in coordination with the national authorities and international partners; – Enact closure of the UNIOGBIS regional offices, no later than December 31, 2019; (c) Phase III (transition phase) – UNIOGBIS will implement the transition plan for the gradual drawing down and transfer of tasks to UN Country Team (UNCT), the United Nations Office for West Africa and Sahel (UNOWAS) and international partners, with a view toward prospective completion by December 31, 2020; 3. Stress that the reconfiguration of UNIOGBIS should take place after the completion of the electoral cycle in 2019 and in this regard, reaffirms that the electoral process remains a priority; 4. Decides that as of the June 2019, UNIOGBIS should operate as a streamlined good offices special political mission, led by a Special Representative at the Assistant Secretary-General level; 5. Requests UNIOGBIS, including through the use of the good offices and political support of the Special Representative, to focus, in particular, on the following priorities: (a) Support the full implementation of the Conakry Agreement and the ECOWAS Roadmap, and facilitate an inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation process, strengthening democratic governance, particularly with regards to the implementation of necessary urgent reforms; (b) Support, through good offices the electoral process to ensure inclusive, free and credible legislative elections on 10 March 2019 and presidential election in 2019 within the legally mandated time frame; (c) Providing support, including by technical assistance, to national authorities in expediting and completing the review of Guinea-Bissau’s Constitution; 6. Affirms that in addition to the abovementioned priorities, UNIOGBIS and the Special Representative will continue to assist, coordinate and lead international efforts in the following areas to ensure lasting peace and stability in Guinea Bissau: (a) Providing support to the Government of Guinea-Bissau in strengthening democratic institutions and enhancing the capacity of state organs to function effectively and constitutionally;
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(b) Assisting national authorities and stakeholders in the promotion and protection of human rights as well as undertake human rights monitoring and reporting activities; (c) Providing strategic and technical advice and support to the Government of Guinea-Bissau to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, in close cooperation with UNODC; (d) Providing support to the Government of Guinea-Bissau to incorporate a gender perspective into peacebuilding, in line with Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008) and 2242 (2015); as well as implementation of the National Action Plan on Gender in order to ensure the involvement, representation and participation of women at all levels through inter alia the provision of gender advisers; (e) Support the Government of Guinea Bissau, in close cooperation with the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, in the mobilization, harmonization and coordination of international assistance namely from African Union, ECOWAS, CPLP and the European Union, with view to the upcoming legislative and presidential elections;
Political and human rights situation 7. Supports the efforts of ECOWAS to advance timely legislative and presidential elections and takes note of its intention to take firm measures as stated in the final communique of the ECOWAS Authority Heads of State and Government on 22 December 2018, against those obstructing the smooth conduct of the electoral process or the implementation of the Conakry Agreement, the only consensual framework to find a lasting solution to the crisis; 8. Urges the Bissau-Guinea stakeholders to strictly respect and comply with the Conakry Agreement and the ECOWAS road map in addressing their differences and the challenges facing their country, and further calls upon the Bissau-Guinea stakeholders to refrain from actions and statements that could escalate tensions and incite violence; 9. Urges all Bissau-Guinean political actors to work toward the preservation of the still fragile gains in the path of stability in the country and reaffirms the importance of holding genuinely free and fair legislative elections in Guinea-Bissau no later than 10 March 2019 as well as presidential election; 10. Urges all political actors to put the interest of the people of Guinea Bissau above all other consideration and in this regard, calls upon Bissau-Guinean leaders to strictly respect and comply with the Conakry Agreement and the Bissau 6 point roadmap in addressing their differences and the challenges facing their country, especially in view of stipulated legislative elections in 2018 and further calls upon the Bissau-Guinean stakeholders to refrain from actions and statements that could derail the political process, escalate tensions and incite violence; 11. Reiterates the important role of ECOWAS in supporting peacebuilding and sustaining peace in Guinea-Bissau, takes note of the ECOWAS assessment of GuineaBissau on 15 December 2018, shares the concerns expressed in final communique of the ECOWAS Authority Heads of State and Government of 22 December 2018 which noted difficulties created by socio-political stakeholders that delayed the voter registrations process, and commends the ECOWAS for its determination to hold accountable political stakeholders and others who obstruct the smooth conduct of the electoral process; 12. Commends the political parties and civil organizations for the adoption and signing of a Code of Conduct for legislative elections, and stresses the importance of
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holding legislative and presidential elections on 10 March 2019 and presidential election within the legally-mandated timeframe in 2019, 13. Commends also the national stakeholders for the signing of the Stability Pact, which represents a notable benchmark toward the implementation of the Conakry Agreement, and recalls the relevance of passing key reforms, as outlined in the Conakry Agreement, aimed at creating a conducive environment for the holding of legislative and presidential elections in 2019, reform of the electoral code and promulgation of a new law on political parties and requests UNIOGBIS to work closely with national authorities, as well as the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in support of the timely conduct of these elections, and to strengthen democracy and good governance; 14. Calls upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau and all stakeholders, including the military, political parties, and civil society to engage in inclusive, genuine dialogue, and work together to consolidate progress made so far, and to address the root causes of instability with particular attention to political-military dynamics, constitutional review, ineffective state institutions and rule of law, impunity and human rights violations and abuses, poverty and lack of access to basic services; 15. Underscores the need for inclusive dialogue of all stakeholders to consolidate peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau and calls upon the national authorities to expedite the review of Guinea-Bissau’s Constitution; 16. Calls on the security and defence services to continue to submit themselves fully to civilian control; 17. Commends the important efforts of ECOWAS and encourages ECOWAS to continue extending its political support to the authorities and political leaders of Guinea Bissau through the use of good offices and mediation; 18. Encourages ECOWAS and CPLP to take the necessary steps towards organizing a meeting of the International Contact Group on Guinea-Bissau, in consultation with the United Nations, EU, and all stakeholders; 19. Takes note of the human rights situation in the country and urges the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to take all necessary measures to promote and protect human rights, put an end to impunity, initiate investigations to identify the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses, including those against women and children, and bring them to justice and take action to protect witnesses in order to ensure due process; 20. Deplores the reported lack of respect for the right of peaceful assembly as recognized by the Constitution of Guinea-Bissau, as well as the legal instruments of ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations on the matter and urges all Guinea-Bissau authorities to ensure strict respect for their obligations under international human rights laws; 21. Welcomes the joint efforts by international partners, in particular the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, EU and CPLP, to enhance cooperation in support of the Government in Guinea-Bissau and encourages them to continue to work together towards the country’s stabilization in accordance with the priority structural reforms established by the government, and in this regard, recognizes the role of the Peacebuilding Commission in enhancing these efforts with a view to supporting the long-term peacebuilding priorities of Guinea-Bissau; 22. Welcomes the active engagement of the Peacebuilding Commission with the Government of Guinea-Bissau and relevant stakeholders on the ground as well as with regional organizations, with the view to maintaining the long-term peacebuilding
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priorities of the country and urges in this regard, the Peacebuilding Commission to increase its important role in supporting sustainable peace in Guinea-Bissau; 23. Reiterates the importance of the implementation of defence and security sector reforms as a crucial element for long-term stability in Guinea-Bissau and further encourages coordinated action by all relevant sub-regional, regional and international partners of Guinea-Bissau in this field in order to obtain expeditious and positive results; 24. Welcomes the extension by ECOWAS of the mandate of ECOMIB until August 2019 to enable the political actors in Guinea-Bissau to effectively implement the Conakry Agreement, commends the crucial role of ECOMIB in securing the state institutions and in supporting SSR, expresses strong appreciation for its contribution to stability in Guinea-Bissau and encourages ECOWAS to consider a further extension of its mandate, supports its continuation throughout the electoral cycle in 2019 and urges bilateral, regional and international partners to consider providing financial assistance to support ECOWAS in sustaining the deployment of ECOMIB, commends the financial support provided by the EU and welcomes its willingness to consider options for providing further support to ECOMIB; 25. Calls upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to continue to actively reform and strengthen the judicial system, while ensuring the separation of powers and access to justice for all citizens; 26. Reiterates its call upon the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to implement and review national legislations and mechanisms to more effectively combat transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking, trafficking in persons and moneylaundering, which threaten security and stability in Guinea-Bissau and in the sub region, and in this context, to ensure support to the Transnational Crime Unit (TCU) established under the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI) and the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and national counternarcotics enforcement units; encourages international bilateral and multilateral partners to increase their support to these institutions and further encourages these partners to contribute to support the presence of UNODC in GuineaBissau and to the UNIOGBIS Trust Fund for immediate, medium and longer-term priorities; calls upon the international community to continue cooperation with Guinea-Bissau to enable it to ensure control of air traffic and surveillance of maritime security within its jurisdiction, in particular to fight drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, as well as illegal fishing in Guinea-Bissau’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone and other cases of illegal exploitation of natural resources; and calls on the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to demonstrate full commitment to combating drug trafficking through provision of adequate resources and political support to counternarcotic units, their investigations and pursuit of accountability for perpetrators; 27. Stresses the importance of combating drug trafficking to achieve political and economic stability in Guinea-Bissau, requests the Secretary-General to ensure the relevant capacity within the existing UNIOGBIS structure, and requests that the Secretary-General collaborate with UNODC and international partners to guarantee sufficient staffing for the UNODC office in Bissau, and calls in that regard on donors to ensure adequate financial contributions for the UNODC programme in GuineaBissau, ensuring that this collaboration contributes to the anti-drug efforts, including appropriate expertise and further requests the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral to increase efforts to achieve greater coherence, coordination and efficiency among relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in the country to maximize their collective effectiveness, in particular through provision by these agencies, funds and programmes of relevant information to the Special Representative
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on individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with drug trafficking and transnational organized crime that contribute to creating a threat to the peace, stability and security of Guinea-Bissau and the sub-region; 28. Commends the good offices role of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to support the Government of Guinea-Bissau; 29. Commends the important efforts of ECOWAS, encourages ECOWAS to continue extending its political support to the authorities and political leaders of Guinea-Bissau through the use of good offices and mediation, further encourages the African Union, the CPLP, the European Union and the United Nations to provide support to ECOWAS; 30. Stresses the need for all national stakeholders and Guinea-Bissau’s international bilateral and multilateral partners to remain committed to enforce the Conakry Agreement and, in this context, encourage ECOWAS to continue close coordination with the United Nations, African Union, CPLP and European Union aimed at the implementation of the Conakry Agreement; 31. Express the Security Council’s readiness to take additional measures to respond to further worsening of the situation in Guinea Bissau; 32. Decides to review the sanctions measures established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012) seven months from the adoption of this resolution, especially in the light of its above-mentioned expectations regarding the conduct of the electoral process;
Reporting 33. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Security Council regular reports every six months on the implementation of this resolution and to submit a report within six months, with a briefing to the Committee established pursuant to its resolution 2048 (2012), on the progress made regards to the stabilization of the country and restoration of constitutional order and recommendations on the continuations of the sanctions regime in the post-elections environment, in line with paragraph 12 of resolution 2048 (2012); 34. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.
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