United Nations Security Council Resolution 2579 – Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan

Resolution 2579 (2021)

The Security Council,

Reaffirming all its previous resolutions and presidential statements concerning the situation in Sudan,

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity of Sudan,

Welcoming the steps taken to date to implement the Constitutional Document, including the introduction of important economic and legal reforms, calling upon the Government of Sudan to accelerate implementation of key provisions of the Constitutional Document, such as establishing the independent commissions and the swift formation of the Transitional Legislative Council, further calling upon all stakeholders to remain committed to the transition in order for the aspirations of the Sudanese people for a peaceful, stable, democratic, and prosperous future to be realised, and reaffirming its readiness to support Sudan in this regard,

Welcoming the steps taken by the Government of Sudan to enact necessary macroeconomic reforms, encouraging efforts made by the international community to foster Sudan’s political and economic development, in particular continued efforts to provide debt relief to Sudan in a coordinated and equitable manner, and welcoming, in that regard, the international conference to support the transition in Sudan held in Paris on 17th May 2021,Welcoming the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) on 3 October 2020, noting with appreciation the role of the Government of South Sudan in facilitating the negotiations, welcoming the steps taken to date to implement the JPA, in particular the formation of the new civilian-led transitional Government and expansion of the Sovereign Council, urging the signatories of the JPA, with the support of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), to ensure swift, full and inclusive implementation of the JPA, in particular those provisions pertaining to security arrangements and addressing the root causes of conflict in Darfur and the Two Areas, and urging the Darfuri armed movements that have forces in neighboring countries, as documented by both the United Nations Panels of Experts for Libya and for Sudan, to continue to withdraw them,

Welcoming the signing of the Declaration of Principles (DoP) on 28 March 2021 by the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North Al-Hilu (SPLM-N Al-Hilu), welcoming the expressed intention to continue and increase development and humanitarian cooperation between the SPLM-N Al Hilu and the Government of Sudan, as outlined in the DoP, urging the signatories of the DoP to engage constructively to swiftly finalise a comprehensive and inclusive peace agreement, and further urging those who have not yet engaged in peace negotiations to do so immediately, constructively and without pre-conditions,

Reaffirming the primary responsibility of the Government of Sudan to protect civilians across its territory, and urging the Government of Sudan to implement swiftly its National Plan for Civilian Protection (S/2020/429), provisions of the JPA that will improve civilian protection, including the formation and deployment of the Joint Security Keeping Force and state-level protection of civilians committees, and the weapons-collection programme in strict compliance with international law and standards,

Recognizing improvements in security conditions in some areas of Darfur, while expressing concern that the security situation in other areas of Darfur has deteriorated as a result of increased intercommunal violence, and underscoring the need to intensify peacebuilding efforts in Darfur, avoid a relapse into conflict and mitigate the risks for the population posed inter alia by threats against civilians in Darfur, inter-communal violence, misuse of small arms and light weapons, human rights violations and abuses, violations of international humanitarian law and continued displacement,

Recognizing the adverse effects of climate change, ecological changes and natural disasters, among other factors, on the stability of Sudan, particularly Darfur, and stressing the need for adequate risk assessment and risk management strategies by the Government of Sudan and the United Nations relating to these factors to support stabilisation and build resilience,

Welcoming the decisions of the Government of Sudan to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and create more favourable conditions for humanitarian actors, and encouraging the full implementation of these decisions and the full removal of undue bureaucratic processes in order to support, in accordance with relevant provisions of international law and in line with United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian assistance, including humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Sudan,

Stressing the need for the Government of Sudan to ensure accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights, including conflict related sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence, and grave violations against children, welcoming the provisions of the Constitutional Document and the JPA on transitional justice and accountability measures in this regard, further welcoming the adoption of bills on 24 April 2021 regarding the establishment of the Peace Commission and the Transitional Justice Commission, and calling on the Government of Sudan to swiftly establish these Commissions and implement their respective mandates, in a transparent and consultative manner,

Stressing the primary responsibility of the Government of Sudan to address the longstanding drivers of instability and inequality in Sudan, and to engage with other stakeholders, including civil society, women, youth, and internally displaced persons, refugees and members of marginalised communities to deliver durable solutions to Sudan’s immediate and long-term issues, including through inclusive economic growth and sustainable development, social cohesion, and disaster resilience, in line with the priorities of the Constitutional Document and the JPA,

Recognizing the important role that women played in the peaceful political transition in Sudan, welcoming the steps taken to increase the role of women in public life, government institutions and decision-making processes, further welcoming the decision of the Cabinet of the Government of Sudan to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), encouraging completion of all milestones in the roadmap for implementing the new law criminalising female genital mutilation (FGM), further encouraging the Government of Sudan’s to implement swiftly and fully the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, calling upon the Government of Sudan to take further steps to promote and protect women’s rights and full, equal and meaningful participation in all social, political, economic aspects of life, including by repealing all laws that discriminate against women and girls, and by meeting the 40% quota for women’s participation in the Transitional Legislative Council, recognizing the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls and calling upon on the Government of Sudan to ensure women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in, implementation of the JPA and the negotiation and implementation of future peace agreements, conflict prevention and decision-making and reform processes related to governance, peace and security,

Underlining the importance of integrating child protection in implementation of the JPA and future peace agreements, calling on the signatories of the JPA and non-signatory armed movements to immediately cease all grave violations against children and integrate child protection provisions, including those relating to the release and reintegration of children formerly associated with armed forces or armed groups, as well as provisions on the rights and well-being of children, into all peace negotiations, ceasefire and peace agreements, and in provisions for ceasefire monitoring and taking into account children’s views, where possible, in these processes, and reiterating the Conclusions of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (S/AC.51/2020/7),

Emphasizing the importance of national ownership, inclusivity, and the role that civil society can play to advance national peacebuilding processes and objectives in order to ensure that the needs of all stakeholders are taken into account, and encouraging, in this regard, the Government of Sudan, with the support of UNITAMS, to promote effective engagement with civil society,

Expressing grave concern about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Sudan and recognizing that this presents a profound challenge to Sudan’s health system, socio-economic and humanitarian situation and populations that have already been exhausted by protracted conflict, and emphasizing the importance of international support – financially, technically and in-kind – to the COVID-19 response in Sudan,

Underlining the importance of the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union in Sudan,

Recalling resolution 2559 (2020) which terminated the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), recognizing the progress made to date with UNAMID’s drawdown, welcoming the Government of Sudan’s willingness to cooperate fully with the United Nation and African Union during UNAMID’s drawdown and liquidation, encouraging the Government of Sudan, at all levels, to ensure full freedom of movement of UNAMID, its personnel and its contractors as well as of their vehicles and aircrafts, and urging the Government of Sudan to ensure that handed over UNAMID team sites are utilised exclusively for civilian end-user purposes,

Taking note of the Report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the situation in Sudan and the activities of UNITAMS (S/2021/470),

Taking note of the letter by the Government of Sudan addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations 27 February 2020 on future United Nations support to Sudan (S/2020/221),

Adopted by the Security Council at its 8784th meeting, on 3 June 2021.