United Nations Security Council Resolution 2642 – The situation in the Middle East

Resolution 2642 (2022)

The Security Council,

Recalling its resolutions 2042 (2012), 2043 (2012), 2118 (2013), 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2175 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2209 (2015), 2235 (2015), 2254 (2015), 2258 (2015), 2268 (2016), 2286 (2016), 2332 (2016), 2336 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401 (2018), 2449 (2018), 2504 (2020), 2533 (2020), 2585 (2021) and its Presidential Statements of 3 August 2011 (S/PRST/2011/16), 21 March 2012 (S/PRST/2012/6), 5 April 2012 (S/PRST/2012/10), 2 October 2013 (S/PRST/2013/15), 24 April 2015 (S/PRST/2015/10), 17 August 2015 (S/PRST/2015/15), and 8 October 2019 (S/PRST/2019/12),

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Encouraging efforts to improve cross-line deliveries of humanitarian assistance and all relevant parties to further promote, consistent with United Nations assessments of need, unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance,

Determining that the devastating humanitarian situation in Syria continues to constitute a threat to peace and security in the region,

Recalling the need for all parties to respect the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law and the United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian emergency assistance,

Expressing in this regard grave concern at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, recognizing that the pandemic presents a profound challenge to Syria’s health system and humanitarian situation, and recalling the need for full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, without delay, including for humanitarian personnel and medical personnel, their equipment, transport and supplies in order to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance and COVID-19 vaccinations to all parts of Syria without discrimination, as contained in resolution 2565 (2021) and the United Nations Secretary-General’s appeal,

Recognizing that humanitarian activities are broader than solely addressing the immediate needs of the affected population and should include support to essential services through water, sanitation, health, education, electricity where essential to restore access to basic services, and shelter early recovery projects,

Underscoring that Member States are obligated under Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations to accept and carry out the Council’s decisions,

1. Demands the full and immediate implementation of all provisions of all relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015), 2332 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401 (2018), 2449 (2018) 2504 (2020), 2533 (2020) and 2585 (2021);

2. Decides to extend the decisions in paragraphs 2 and 3 of Security Council resolution 2165 (2014), for a period of six months, that is, until 10 January 2023, only for the border crossing at Bab al-Hawa, with a further extension of an additional six months, that is, until 10 July 2023, which will require a separate resolution confirming this extension, and requests the Secretary-General to provide a special report on the humanitarian needs in Syria no later than 10 December 2022;

3. Calls upon all Member States to respond with practical steps to address the urgent needs of the Syrian people in light of the profound socio-economic and humanitarian impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Syria, as a country in situation of complex humanitarian emergency;

4. Welcomes ongoing efforts and urges to step up further initiatives to broaden the humanitarian activities in Syria, including water, sanitation, health, education, electricity where essential to restore access to basic services, and shelter early recovery projects, undertaken by humanitarian organisations, and calls upon other international humanitarian agencies and relevant parties to support them;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to brief the Council monthly and to provide a report on a regular basis, at least every 60 days, on the implementation of resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015), 2332 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401 (2018), 2449 (2018), 2504 (2020), 2533 (2020), 2585 (2021) and this resolution and on compliance by all relevant parties in Syria and further requests the Secretary-General to include in his reports overall trends in unhindered and safe United Nations cross-line operations, in particular on their progress to all parts of Syria, on early recovery projects, and detailed information on the humanitarian assistance delivered through United Nations humanitarian cross-border operations, including their transparency, the distribution mechanism, the number of beneficiaries, operating partners, locations of aid deliveries at district-level and the volume and nature of items delivered;

6. Encourages the convening of a Security Council Informal Interactive Dialogue every two months with participation of donors, interested regional parties and representatives of the international humanitarian agencies operating in Syria in order to regularly review and follow-up on the implementation of this resolution, including progress in early-recovery projects;

7. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Adopted by the Security Council at its 9089th meeting, on 12 July 2022