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7726th Security Council Meeting: Situation in Middle East
The Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) until 31 December, noting with concern that the situation in the Middle East was tense and was likely to remain so until a comprehensive settlement could be reached.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2294 (2016), the 15-member Council strongly condemned the continued fighting in the area of separation, and called upon the parties concerned to implement its resolution 338 (1973).
Stressing the need to abide by the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria, the Council called on both sides to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any breaches of the ceasefire. It underlined that there should be no military activity in the area of separation, urging Member States to convey strongly to the Syrian armed opposition groups in UNDOF’s area of operation the need to halt all activities endangering United Nations peacekeepers on the ground.
The Council called on all groups other than UNDOF to abandon all its positions, as well as the Quneitra crossing point, and to return the peacekeepers’ vehicles, weapons and other equipment. It also called on all parties to cooperate fully with UNDOF operations, urging prompt reporting by the Secretary-General to the Council of any actions impeding the Force’s ability to fulfil its mandate.
Also by the text, the Council requested that the Secretary-General expedite preparations for the return of an UNDOF presence to Camp Faouar, conditions permitting.
Speaking after the vote, Gerard van Bohemen (New Zealand) said the deteriorating security situation had generated a sustained crisis that had seen several long-standing contributing countries withdraw from UNDOF. Recent security incidents had put its personnel in unacceptable situations of risk, with inadequate plans for rapid exit. Since the area of separation was a war zone, any return must only take place if the necessary security conditions were met, he emphasized. It was essential that the parties to the Disengagement Agreement play their part in enabling UNDOF’s return, including by facilitating the establishment of secure temporary crossing procedures and enabling the mission’s use of technology and equipment necessary for their safety. For its part, New Zealand had hosted a meeting for troop-contributing countries, the United Nations Secretariat and Security Council members as part of a “triangular consultations” initiative, he said, adding that his delegation had engaged bilaterally with a number of affected countries in the lead-up to the adoption of today’s resolution.
The meeting began at 10:08 a.m. and ended at 10:14 a.m.