Statement by representative of the Russian Federation Alexander Repkin after the UN Security Council vote on the draft resolution to extend the MUNUSMA mandate
Mr. President,
At the outset, let me join the words of gratitude that have been said today, and also the best wishes to our colleague, Permanent Representative of France to the UN François Delattre with whom we have been honored to interact throughout the recent 5 years. Your Excellency, may I wish to you every success in your new high office.
Russia has supported adoption of Security Council resolution 2480 on the extension of MINUSMA mandate.
We support peacekeepers who are deployed in the country and contribute to ensuring stability and security in Mali.
Taking into account the discussions to have taken place and provisions that have become part of the today’s document, we would like to emphasize once again that MINUSMA’s priority remains assistance to Malians as they implement the Peace Accord of 2015 and restore full-scale state and military presence in all regions of the country. Such measures are the main prerequisite for normalizing the situation in the country, preventing inter-ethnic violence in central regions.
We are convinced that such an instrument of the Security Council as sanctions should be used cautiously, appropriately and only in extreme cases. We proceed from the assumption that the existing restrictive measures must first prove their efficiency, be subject to regular independent review by a group of experts. We also expect that Malian law-enforcement authorities will take a more active stance when it comes to prevention of criminal activity of individuals under sanctions and others who sabotage the political process.
We would like to remind that general peacekeeping-related issues that have implications for all UN peacekeeping missions should be discussed in the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations with participation of troop-contributing countries. Among such issues – the non-finalized strategy of the UN Secretariat to improve efficiency of peacekeeping that is mentioned in the resolution. We are concerned by insistent attempts to incorporate this strategy in every mission’s mandate even before the essence of this strategy is presented to Member States. It is unacceptable to act in circumvention of the Committee.
Unfortunately, the arguments that we presented and that other delegations also mentioned when negotiating the resolution we have just adopted, was only partly accounted for. We believe it would be positive to issue a note by the President of the Council in order to correct the abuse of authority by the penholders of the dossier. Such note should tackle the issue of equitable distribution of powers among all Member States of the Council.
Thank you.
