UNIMISS-MANDATE (UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN)

 

UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN

UNIMISS-MANDATE

Through Resolution 2729 (2024), the Security Council has extended the UNMISS mandate until 30 April 2025, highlighting that the mission is designed to advance a multiyear strategic vision to prevent a return to civil war and an escalation of violence in South Sudan; to enable the self-reliance of South Sudan and to address the critical gaps towards building durable peace at the local and national levels; to support inclusive and accountable governance; and to provide support for free and fair, peaceful elections in accordance with the Revitalized Agreement. The Council also requested the Secretary General to inform the Security Council of any obstacles to the implementation of the mandate and stressed that the protection of civilians shall be given priority in decisions about the use of available capacity and resources

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, UNMISS is therefore authorized to use all necessary means to implement its mandate which includes:

(a) Protection of civilians:

• Ensure effective, timely and dynamic protection of civilians under threat of physical violence, through a comprehensive and integrated approach, irrespective of of the source and location of the violence.
   
• Prevent, deter, and stop violence against civilians, including politically driven violence, particularly in high-risk areas, as well as promptly and effectively engage any actor that is credibly found to be preparing attacks, or engages in attacks, against civilians, IDP camps and the UNMISS Protection of Civilians site. 
   
•  Maintain proactive deployment and a mobile, flexible, robust and effective posture by active patrolling with particular attention to high risk areas, IDP camps, and the UNMISS Protection of Civilians site and identify as well as deter potential threats or attacks through a mission-wide early warning and response system. 
   
• Maintain public safety and security of and within existing UNMISS protection of civilians sites, and wherever protection of civilians sites have been redesignated, to protect civilians in those re-designated camps under the sovereign responsibility of the Government, if the security situation deteriorates.
   
• Deter, prevent, and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, including by actively intervening to protect civilians threatened by, and survivors of, sexual violence.
   
• Exercise good offices, confidence-building, and facilitation in support of UNMISS’s protection strategy, especially in regard to women and children, to prevent, mitigate, and resolve intercommunal violence by supporting community-led peace dialogue processes.
   
• Support development and implementation of gender-responsive community violence reduction programmes, to help reduce intercommunal violence and collaborate with partners to complement community disarmament initiatives, with a particular focus on members of armed groups ineligible or unwilling to be integrated into the Necessary Unified Forces, women and youth.
   
• Provide technical assistance and build capacities to help the Government of South Sudan expand and reform the rule of law and justice sector.
   
• Foster a secure environment for the safe, informed, voluntary, and dignified return, relocation, resettlement or integration into host communities for IDPs and refugees.
   
• Promptly and effectively engage any actor credibly found to be preparing or engaging in attacks against civilians, IDP camps, UNMISS protection of civilians sites, other United Nations premises and personnel, or international and national humanitarian actors.

 (b) Creating conditions conducive to the delivery of humanitarian assistance:

• Coordinate with humanitarian actors to create secure conditions for the delivery of assistance and ensure full, safe and unhindered access to all those in need in South Sudan.
   
• Ensure the security and freedom of movement of UN personnel, installations, and equipment.

(c) Supporting the Implementation of the Revitalised Agreement and the Peace Process:

• Use good offices to support the peace process and implementation of the Revitalised Agreement, including through advice, technical assistance, and coordination with regional actors.
   
• Assist all parties in the full, effective, and meaningful participation of women, youth, civil society and other marginalized groups in the peace process and transitional governance structures.
   
• Participate in and support the work of CTSAMVM, RJMEC, and other implementation mechanisms.
   
• Use good offices to assist the Government of South Sudan and other relevant parties in upholding a phased approach to elections that focuses on creating political and civic space, transitional security arrangements, and an inclusive constitutional review process. 
   
• Provide technical assistance for the electoral process, as appropriate, in coordination with the United Nations Country Team, regional and international partners, as well as security support to facilitate the electoral cycle.  

(d) Monitoring, investigating, and reporting on violations of humanitarian and human rights law:

• Monitor, investigate, verify, and report immediately and publicly on abuses and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including possible war crimes or crimes against humanity.
   
• Report specifically and publicy on violations and abuses committed against women and children, including sexual and gender-based violence, and accelerate implementation of new mechanisms to monitor, analyze and report on conflict-related sexual violence and abuses against children.
   
• Monitor, investigate, and report on incidents of hate speech and incitement to violence.
   
• Work with international, regional, and national mechanisms engaged in monitoring, investigating, prosecuting, and reporting on violations of humanitarian and human rights law.

The overall ceiling for uniformed personnel is maintained with a troop ceiling of 17,000 personnel, and a police ceiling of 2,101 personnel, including 88 corrections officers.