Statement delivered by
Her Excellency Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett,
Permanent Representative of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to the United Nations
Mr. President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3+, namely, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and my country, Guyana.
We welcome the participation of the representative of South Sudan in this meeting.
Mr. President,
At the outset, the A3+ would like to reaffirm our unwavering support for the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) to ensure it continues to play an essential role in promoting peace, stability and community reconciliation in Abyei.
While reiterating our serious concerns regarding the unrealistic benchmarks that could question the future renewal of UNISFA’s mandate, the A3+ voted in favour of this draft resolution solely to ensure the mission’s preservation, as its presence and role are more essential than ever in the current context in Abyei.
Mr. President,
The A3+ wishes to express its profound regret concerning the departure from previously agreed language and established practices as well as unrealistic benchmarks conditioning the renewal of the mandate, despite the objection of several Council members. The A3+ deplores the persistent erosion of previously agreed language throughout the text. Such developments undermine the consensus and collaborative spirit on which the Council’s effectiveness relies.
The situation in Abyei remains volatile with a myriad of complex challenges, even as the final status of the region and outstanding border tasks remain unresolved. The presence of armed groups, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in the demilitarised zone, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, the influx of refugees, the adverse impacts of climate change, and regional instability have allimpeded progress in Abyei.
The A3+ urges the two states to resume dialogue as a matter of priority and to collaborate with the United Nations agencies, regional and bilateral partners, to address the pressing needs of affected communities and to accelerate the implementation of existing agreements. This includes adhering to the principles outlined in the 2011 Agreement.
Both parties must work together in order to create the necessary conditions for the Mission to fully implement its mandate. It is also imperative that the United Nations mechanisms on the ground receive adequate and predictable resources to address these challenges. In this regard, we reiterate our call for the adequate resourcing of UNISFA.
Mr. President,
We stand ready to continue engaging with members of the Security Council to ensure that UNISFA has the necessary conditions to effectively support peace, stability and reconciliation in Abyei.
I thank you!