Explanation of vote by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva after the Vote on a UNSC Draft Resolution on UNMISS
Mr. President,
The Russian Federation abstained from voting on the US-drafted resolution to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS).
To begin with, let me underscore that Russia fully supports the activities carried out by UNMISS and its head, Mr. Nicholas Haysom. What is particularly needed right now is the peacekeeping part of its mandate, as well as the tasks of maintaining stability and security in South Sudan and resolving issues of a humanitarian nature. As we can see, these are the issues that the Mission is coping with quite successfully.
As regards UNMISS assistance in the preparation of the electoral process, we believe that the main role here should be played by the South Sudanese themselves, while the UN is to accompany the process through providing expert recommendations and helping with logistics.
Unfortunately, for the second year in a row, the American penholders of the South Sudanese file have opted for exerting pressure on the Government of South Sudan in the text of the resolution. At the same time, they are uncomfortable with naming it correctly, as was the case in all the Council products until 2024. Instead, they are proposing as a compromise some hard-to-pronounce acronyms just because the seek to emphasize the temporary status of the current authorities. They explain such a stance by Juba's failure to hold elections in December 2024, which resulted in extending the transition period for another two years – but we find such explanation inappropriate and illogical. Similarly, the transition period was extended in 2022. This may seem as merely technical point but it reflects a disparaging attitude towards the incumbent Government of South Sudan. After such gestures, one should not surprise why Juba might be skeptical about the UN assistance.
Instead of emphasizing the South Sudan's advancements in the political process and the adoption of a number of important legislative acts, the text of the resolution stresses the insufficiency of its efforts, and contains criticism and inappropriate alarmism.
We deem it unacceptable that the text calls on the Government to establish certain mechanisms to guarantee that UNMISS, the humanitarian agencies operating in the country and, for some reason, diplomatic missions are exempt from allegedly illegal taxes and fees. The Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) refers only to peacekeepers. We believe that it is inappropriate to use a UNSC resolution for individual Council members to resolve problems of their bilateral interaction with Juba.
We don’t think it necessary to artificially inflate the issues having to do with South Sudan's cooperation with UNMISS, especially since they are being resolved through constructive dialogue. Such an attempt to play along with the United Nations could backfire on the Mission itself, which already, unfortunately, sometimes faces unjustified criticism from the host country.
Finally, we find it egregious that the resolution overemphasizes the topic of sexual violence. It is symptomatic that this wording appears in the document as many as 30 times. No less is said about climate challenges. We are not diminishing the importance of these issues, but we believe that they are consequence of more significant unresolved problems of a political and economic nature.
We would like to draw your attention to the fact that, owing to US efforts, what we have in the Council for the second year in a row prior to each adoption of a full-fledged resolution on UNMISS is a technical extension of its mandate. However, the time in-between is not being used to take into account in good faith the positions of all Council members and to ensure an open exchange of views. Our American colleagues are well-advised to give a serious thought on the effectiveness and justifiable nature of their efforts.
Mr. President,
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all those who are celebrating today the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. It was on this day, 8 May European time and 9 May Moscow time,1945, that the Act of Unconditional Surrender of the German Armed Forces was signed on the outskirts of Berlin, marking the defeat of Nazism. The Soviet Union and its Red Army played a decisive role in its defeat. Today, we pay tribute, deep respect and gratitude to all those who sacrificed their lives for victory on the battlefields and worked selflessly on the home front. Without that, the establishment of the United Nations would not have been possible. We are confident that the legacy of the Great Victory will continue to contribute to strengthening and developing fruitful relations between countries on the basis of the principles of equality and self-determination of peoples.
Thank you.
