United Nations Security Council Resolution 2227 – Mali

Resolution 2227 (2015)

The Security Council,

Recalling its previous resolutions, in particular 2164 (2014) and 2100 (2013), its Presidential Statements of 6 February 2015 (S/PRST/2015/5), 28 July 2014 (S/PRST/2014/15) and 23 January 2014 (S/PRST/2014/2), and its press statements of 18 June 2015, 29 May 2015, 1 May 2015 and 10 April 2015,

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Mali, emphasizing that the Malian authorities have primary responsibility for the provision of stability and security throughout the territory of Mali, and underscoring the importance of achieving national ownership of peace-and security-related initiatives,

Reaffirming the basic principles of peacekeeping, including consent of the parties, impartiality, and non-use of force, except in self-defence and defence of the mandate, and recognizing that the mandate of each peacekeeping mission is specific to the need and situation of the country concerned,

Recognizing the legitimate aspiration of all Malian citizens to enjoy lasting peace and development, Welcoming the signing of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali (“the Agreement”) in 2015 by the Government of Mali, the Plateforme coalition of armed groups, and the Coordination des Mouvements de l’Azawad coalition of armed groups, as a historic opportunity to achieve lasting peace in Mali, and commending the signatories of the Agreement for the courage they demonstrated in this regard,

Considering the Agreement as balanced and comprehensive, aiming to address the political, institutional, governance, security, development and reconciliation dimensions of the crisis in Mali, respecting the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Malian State,

Underscoring that the responsibility for the full and effective implementation of the Agreement, which has to be Malian-led and Malian-owned, rests with the Government of Mali, the Plateforme and Coordination armed groups, and will be crucial to contribute to lasting peace in Mali, drawing lessons from previous peace agreements,

Commending the role played by Algeria and other members of the international mediation team to facilitate the inter-Malian dialogue which led to the signing of the Agreement by the Government of Mali, the Plateforme and Coordination armed groups, welcoming the signing of the Agreement by the members of the international mediation team, and calling on the members of the Comité de Suivi de l’Accord (CSA) and other relevant international partners tosupport the implementation of the Agreement and to maintain close coordination to support lasting peace in Mali,

Stressing the need for clear, detailed and concrete oversight mechanisms to support the implementation of the Agreement, notably through the CSA and its four subcommittees dealing with political and institutional issues, defence and security, economic, social and cultural development, and reconciliation, justice and humanitarian issues,

Strongly condemning the violations of the ceasefire by the Malian parties that occurred in Mali, which led to loss of life, including of civilians, and displacement and undermined the peace process, welcoming the signing of the Arrangement sécuritaire pour une cessation des hostilités on 5 June 2015 by the Government of Mali and the Coordination armed groups, and recalling the ceasefire agreement of 23 May 2014, and the declarations of cessation of hostilities of 19 February 2015 and 24 July 2014 signed by the Malian parties,

Reiterating its strong support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali and for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) to assist the Malian authorities and the Malian people in their efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to their country, noting the development of the Protection of Civilians strategy of MINUSMA, bearing in mind the primary responsibility of the Malian authorities to protect the population,

Commending troop- and police-contributing countries of MINUSMA for their contribution, paying tribute to the peacekeepers who risk their lives in this respect, strongly condemning attacks against peacekeepers, and underlining that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law,

Expressing its concern at the slow pace of deployment of personnel and equipment of MINUSMA, which has seriously hindered its ability to fully implement its mandate since its establishment on 25 April 2013 by its resolution 2100 (2013), welcoming efforts by the Secretary-General to accelerate the deployment of troops and equipment, as well as to provide adequate training, to improve the security and safety of MINUSMA’s personnel in a complex security environment that includes asymmetric threats, notably the use of mines and IEDs,

Strongly condemning the activities in Mali and in the Sahel region of terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar Eddine, the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), which continue to operate in Mali and constitute a threat to peace and security in the region and beyond, and human rights abuses and violence against civilians, notably women and children, committed in the North of Mali and in the region by terrorist groups,

Stressing that terrorism can only be defeated by a sustained and comprehensive approach involving the active participation and collaboration of all States, and regional and international organizations to impede, impair, and isolate the terrorist threat, and reaffirming that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality or civilization,

Recalling the listing of MUJAO, the Organization of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Ansar Eddine and its leader Iyad Ag Ghali, and Al Mourabitoune on the Al-Qaida sanctions list established by the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011), and reiterating its readiness, under the above-mentioned regime, to sanction further individuals, groups, undertakings and entities who are associated with Al-Qaida and other listed entities and individuals, including AQIM, MUJAO, Ansar Eddine and Al Mourabitoune, in accordance with the established listing criteria, Welcoming the continued action by the French forces, at the request of the Malian authorities, to deter the terrorist threat in the North of Mali,

Noting with growing concern the transnational dimension of the terrorist threat in the Sahel region, underscoring the importance of achieving regional ownership and response in this regard, welcoming in this context the establishment of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5) and the Nouakchott process on the enhancement of the security cooperation and the operationalization of the African peace and security architecture in the Sahel and Sahara region (APSA), as well as the commitment made by the African leaders at the Malabo Summit of 26-27 June 2014 and steps taken by the African Union to operationalize the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crisis (ACIRC), and welcoming the efforts of the French forces to support G5 Member States to increase regional counter-terrorism cooperation,

Expressing its continued concern over the serious threats posed by transnational organized crime in the Sahel region, including arms and drug trafficking, human trafficking, and its increasing links, in some cases, with terrorism, underlining the responsibility of the countries in the region in addressing these threats, and welcoming the stabilizing effect of the international presence in Mali, including MINUSMA,

Strongly condemning the incidents of kidnapping and hostage-taking with the aim of raising funds or gaining political concessions, reiterating its determination to prevent kidnapping and hostage-taking in the Sahel region, in accordance with applicable international law, recalling its resolution 2133 (2014) and including its call upon all Member States to prevent terrorists from benefitting directly or indirectly from the payment of ransoms or from political concessions and to secure the safe release of hostages and, in this regard, noting the publication of the Global Counterterrorism Forum’s (GCTF) “Algiers Memorandum on Good Practices on Preventing and Denying the Benefits of Kidnapping for Ransom by Terrorists”,

Strongly condemning all abuses and violations of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including those involving extrajudicial and summary executions, arbitrary arrests and detentions and ill-treatment of prisoners, sexual and gender-based violence, as well as killing, maiming, recruitment and use of children, attacks against schools and hospitals, calling on all parties to respect the civilian character of schools as such in accordance with international humanitarian law and to cease unlawful and arbitrary detention of all children, and calling upon all parties to bring an end to such violations and abuses and to comply with their obligations under applicable international law,

Reiterating, in this regard, that all perpetrators of such acts must be held accountable and that some of such acts referred to in the paragraph above may amount to crimes under the Rome Statute and taking note that, acting upon the referral of the transitional authorities of Mali dated 13 July 2012, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court opened, on 16 January 2013, an investigation into alleged crimes committed on the territory of Mali since January 2012, and recallingthe importance of assistance and cooperation, by all parties concerned, with the Court,

Emphasizing the need for all parties to uphold and respect the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence in order to ensure the continued provision of humanitarian assistance, the safety and protection of civilians receiving assistance and the security of humanitarian personnel operating in Mali, and stressing the importance of humanitarian assistance being delivered on the basis of need,

Underscoring that Malian civilian control and oversight as well as further consolidation of the Malian Defence and Security Forces are important to ensure Mali’s long-term security and stability and to protect the people of Mali,

Commending the role of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM Mali) in Mali in providing training and advice for the Malian Defence and Security Forces, including contributing to the strengthening of civilian authority and respect for human rights, and of the European Union Capacity Building Mission (EUCAP Sahel Mali) in providing strategic advice and training for the Police, Gendarmerie and Garde nationale in Mali,

Calling upon the Malian authorities to address immediate and long-term needs, encompassing security, governance reform, development and humanitarian issues, to resolve the crisis in Mali and to ensure that the Agreement translates into concrete benefits for the local populations, notably through the priority projects outlined in the Agreement, calling on the international community to provide broad support in this regard, and stressing the need for enhanced coordination of these international efforts,

Commending the contributions already made following donors’ conference held in Brussels in May 2013 and toward the 2015 Consolidated Appeal for Mali, and urging all Member States and other donors to contribute generously to humanitarian operations,

Remaining seriously concerned over the significant ongoing food and humanitarian crisis in Mali, and over the insecurity which hinders humanitarian access, exacerbated by the presence of armed groups, terrorist and criminal networks, and their activities, the presence of landmines as well as the continued proliferation of weapons from within and outside the region that threatens the peace, security, and stability of States in this region, and condemning attacks against humanitarian personnel,

Determining that the situation in Mali continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security,

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

Adopted by the Security Council at its 7474th meeting, on 29 June 2015.