8436th Security Council Meeting: Situation in Middle East

Security Council grants six-month mandate renewal for United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, adopting Resolution 2450 (2018) at 8436th meeting.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 00:02:03
• Production Date: 21 December 2018
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS DISENGAGEMENT OBSERVER FORCE - UNDOF
• Subject Topical: DEMILITARISATION; FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT; PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
• Geographic Subject: GOLAN HEIGHTS; ISRAEL; SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 2339945
• Parent Id: 2339419

Description

The Security Council today decided to renew the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) for six months, while calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any ceasefire breaches in the “area of separation” where no military activity of any kind is permitted.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2450 (2018), the 15‑member Council renewed UNDOF’s mandate until 30 June 2019, while stressing the obligation of the parties to scrupulously and fully respect the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement. Calling upon them to immediately implement resolution 338 (1973) — which obliges them to cease all firing and terminate all military activity — Council members underlined that there should be no military activity by armed opposition groups in the area of separation, including by the Syrian Arab Armed Forces.

In that regard, the Council urged Member States to convey strongly to Syrian armed opposition groups in UNDOF’s area of operations that the Force remains an impartial entity, to halt all activities that endanger United Nations peacekeepers and to accord the Organization’s personnel the freedom needed to carry out their mandate safely and securely. It further encouraged the parties to take advantage of UNDOF’s liaison function regularly to address issues of mutual concern.

By other terms, the Council called upon all groups other than UNDOF to abandon all UNDOF positions; return the peacekeepers’ vehicles, weapons and other equipment; cooperate fully with the Force’s operations; respect its privileges and immunities; and ensure its freedom of movement.

The meeting began at 10:10 a.m. and ended at 10:12 a.m.

For further details please see:
MEETINGS COVERAGE AND PRESS RELEASES