United Nations Security Council Resolution 1260 – Sierra Leone
Resolution 1260 (1999)
The Security Council,
Recalling its resolutions 1171 (1998) of 5 June 1998, 1181 (1998) of13 July 1998, 1231 (1999) of 11 March 1999 and other relevant resolutions and the statement of its President of 15 May 1999 (S/PRST/1999/13),
Recalling also that in accordance with its resolution 1245 (1999) of11 June 1999 the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone(UNOMSIL) extends until 13 December 1999,
Affirming the commitment of all States to respect the sovereignty,political independence and territorial integrity of Sierra Leone,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 30 July 1999(S/1999/836),
- Welcomes the signing of the Peace Agreement between the Government ofSierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front of Sierra Leone (RUF) in Lomé on7 July 1999 (S/1999/777), and commends the President of Togo, the SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General, the Economic Community of West AfricanStates (ECOWAS) and all those involved in facilitating the negotiations in Loméon their contribution to this achievement;
2. Commends the Government of Sierra Leone for its courageous efforts toachieve peace, including through legislative and other measures already takentowards implementation of the Peace Agreement, commends also the leadership ofthe RUF for taking this decisive step towards peace, and calls upon them both toensure that the provisions of the Agreement are fully implemented;
3. Commends also the Military Observer Group of ECOWAS (ECOMOG) on theoutstanding contribution which it has made to the restoration of security andstability in Sierra Leone, the protection of civilians and the promotion of apeaceful settlement of the conflict, and urges all States to continue to provide technical, logistical and financial support to ECOMOG to help it to maintain itscritical presence and continue to perform its role in Sierra Leone, includingthrough the United Nations Trust Fund established to support peacekeeping andrelated activities in Sierra Leone;
4. Authorizes the provisional expansion of UNOMSIL to up to 210 militaryobservers along with the necessary equipment and administrative and medicalsupport to perform the tasks set out in paragraph 38 of the report of theSecretary-General, and decides that these additional military observers shall bedeployed as security conditions permit and shall operate for the time beingunder security provided by ECOMOG as indicated in paragraph 39 of the report;
5. Underscores the importance of the safety, security and freedom ofmovement of United Nations and associated personnel, notes that the Government of Sierra Leone and the RUF have agreed in the Peace Agreement to provideguarantees in this regard, and urges all parties in Sierra Leone to respectfully the status of United Nations and associated personnel;
6. Authorizes the strengthening of the political, civil affairs,information, human rights and child protection elements of UNOMSIL as set out inparagraphs 40 to 52 of the report of the Secretary-General, including throughthe appointment of a deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General andthe expansion of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General;
7. Encourages the ongoing consultations among the parties concerned onfuture peacekeeping arrangements in Sierra Leone including the respective tasks,strength and mandates of ECOMOG and the United Nations, and welcomes theintention of the Secretary-General to revert to the Council with comprehensiveproposals concerning a new mandate and concept of operations for UNOMSIL;
8. Calls upon the RUF and all other armed groups in Sierra Leone to begin immediately to disband and give up their arms in accordance with the provisions of the Peace Agreement, and to participate fully in the disarmament,demobilization and reintegration programme in Sierra Leone;
9. Urges all States and international organizations to provide resources to help ensure the successful conduct of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme, in particular through the Trust Fund established by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for this purpose;
10. Stresses the urgent need to promote peace and national reconciliationand to foster accountability and respect for human rights in Sierra Leone and,in this context, takes note of the views contained in paragraph 54 of the report of the Secretary-General, welcomes the provisions in the Peace Agreement on theestablishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Human RightsCommission in Sierra Leone, and calls upon the Government of Sierra Leone andthe RUF to ensure these Commissions will be established promptly within thetime-frame provided for in the Peace Agreement;
11. Welcomes the adoption of the Human Rights Manifesto by the parties concerned in Sierra Leone and stresses the need for international assistance to address the human rights issues in Sierra Leone as a step towards accountability in the country, as referred to in paragraph 20 of the report of the Secretary-General;
12. Stresses the need for the international community and the Governmentof Sierra Leone to design and implement programmes to address the special needsof war victims, in particular those who have suffered maiming mutilation, and,in this regard, welcomes the commitment of the Government of Sierra Leone as setout in the Peace Agreement to establish a special fund for this purpose;
13. Stresses the urgent and substantial need for humanitarian assistanceto the people of Sierra Leone, in particular in the large proportion of thecountry hitherto inaccessible to relief agencies, and urges all States andinternational organizations to provide such assistance as a priority, inresponse to the revised consolidated inter-agency appeal issued in July 1999;
14. Calls upon all parties to ensure the safe and unhindered access ofhumanitarian assistance to those in need in Sierra Leone, to guarantee thesafety and security of humanitarian personnel and to respect strictly therelevant provisions of international humanitarian law;
15. Stresses the need for sustained and generous assistance for the longerterm tasks of reconstruction, economic and social recovery and development inSierra Leone, and urges all States and international organizations toparticipate in and contribute actively to these efforts;
16. Welcomes the commitment of the Government of Sierra Leone to work withthe United Nations Children’s Fund and the Office of the Special Representativeof the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and other internationalagencies to give particular attention to the long-term rehabilitation of childcombatants in Sierra Leone, and encourages those involved also to address thespecial needs of all children affected by the conflict in Sierra Leone,including through the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmeand the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and through support to childvictims of mutilation, sexual exploitation and abduction, to the rehabilitationof health and education services, and to the recovery of traumatized children and the protection of unaccompanied children;
17. Welcomes the decision of the Secretary-General that the United Nations develop a strategic framework approach for Sierra Leone in consultation with national and international partners, as indicated in paragraph 44 of his report;
18. Requests the Secretary-General to keep the Council closely informed onthe situation in Sierra Leone and to submit an additional report to the Councilas soon as possible including recommendations for the mandate and structure of the enhanced United Nations peacekeeping presence that may be required in the country;
19. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.
Adopted by the Security Council at its 4035th meeting,on 20 August 1999.
