United Nations Security Council Resolution 1706
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1706, adopted on August 31, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan
, including resolutions 1556
(2004), 1564
(2005), 1574
(2004), 1590
(2004), 1591
(2005), 1593
(2004), 1663
(2006), 1665
(2006) and 1679
(2006), the Council expanded the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) to include deployments in Darfur
to enforce the Darfur Peace Agreement
.
Strongly rejecting the resolution, Sudan had refused to participate in the Security Council session. Resolution 1706 was adopted by 12 votes in favour to none against and three abstention
s from China
, Qatar
and Russia
; all three said that while they supported the contents of the resolution, it lacked consent from Sudan. Given that the deployment was dependent on agreement from the Sudanese government, the resolution marked the first time that a United Nations peacekeeping mission was authorised but failed to deploy. It was also the first armed conflict in which the Security Council had envoked the "responsibility to protect" resolution
. On July 31, 2007, the adoption of Resolution 1769
finally authorised a peacekeeping mission for Darfur.
, and reaffirmed its commitment to assisting the Sudanese government in tackling various problems affecting the country. Furthermore, the efforts of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) were welcomed. The Council envisaged a follow-on United Nations operation in Darfur with African participation.
Meanwhile, the resolution expressed concern over the consequences of the prolonged conflict in Darfur on the rest of Sudan and the neighbouring Central African Republic
and Chad
, while the relations between Chad and Sudan had deteriorated. Violations of human rights
and international humanitarian law
in Darfur were condemned and there was concern about the safety of humanitarian aid
workers.
of UNMIS was expanded to include deployments in Darfur, with the consent of the Sudanese government. At the same time, it was decided to increase its size by up to 17,300 military personnel, 3,300 police personnel and 16 police units; temporary reinforcements could be deployed at the request of the Secretary-General. Kofi Annan
was requested to put together a plan for the transition of an African Union to United Nations peacekeeping
force with early deployments taking place by October 1, 2006. He was also asked to strengthen AMIS through United Nations resources.
Addressing the mandate of UNMIS in Darfur, the Council decided that it should work to implement the Darfur Peace Agreement. Its responsibilities were to monitor the ceasefire
and the movements of armed groups, investigate violations of the agreements, participate in demobilisation
and reintegration
programmes for ex-combatants, maintain a presence in internally displaced person
s camps, protect human rights, assist in the organisation of the proposed referendums and promote the peace process.
Finally, the resolution authorised UNMIS, under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
, to use "all necessary means" to protect civilians, United Nations and humanitarian personnel, and to seize weapon
s. The parties to the agreements were urged to implement them fully, and the Secretary-General was directed to report on progress made, including the refugee situation.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
1706, adopted on August 31, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, including resolutions 1556
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1556
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1556, adopted unanimously on July 30, 2004, after recalling resolutions 1502 and 1547 on the situation in Sudan, the Council demanded that the Sudanese government disarm the Janjaweed militia and bring to justice those who had committed violations of...
(2004), 1564
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1564
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1564, adopted on September 18, 2004, after recalling resolutions 1502 , 1547 and 1556 , the Council threatened the imposition of sanctions against Sudan if it failed to comply with its obligations on Darfur, and an internaional inquiry was established to...
(2005), 1574
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1574
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1574, adopted unanimously at a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 19, 2004, after recalling resolutions 1547 , 1556 and 1564 , the Council welcomed political efforts to resolve the conflicts in Sudan and reiterated its readiness to establish a mission...
(2004), 1590
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1590
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1590, adopted unanimously on 24 March 2005, after recalling resolutions 1547 , 1556 , 1564 , 1574 , 1585 and 1588 on the situation in Sudan, the Council established the United Nations Mission in Sudan for an initial period of six months.The passage of...
(2004), 1591
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1591
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1591, adopted on March 29, 2005, after recalling resolutions 1547 , 1556 , 1564 , 1574 , 1585 , 1588 and 1590 on the situation in Sudan, the Council placed a travel ban and asset freeze on those "impeding the peace process" in Darfur.The resolution was...
(2005), 1593
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1593
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1593, adopted on March 31, 2005, after receiving a report by the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur, the Council referred the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan to the International Criminal Court and required all states to co-operate fully...
(2004), 1663
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1663
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1663, adopted unanimously on March 24, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan, particularly 1627 and 1653 , the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sudan for six months until September 24,...
(2006), 1665
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1665
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1665, adopted unanimously on March 29, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan, particularly resolutions 1556 , 1591 and 1651 , the Council extended the mandate of an expert panel monitoring sanctions against and violations of...
(2006) and 1679
United Nations Security Council resolution 1679
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1679, adopted unanimously on May 16, 2006, after recalling resolutions 1556 , 1564 , 1574 , 1590 , 1591 , 1593 , 1663 and 1665 on the situation in Sudan, the Council endorsed a decision by the African Union Peace and Security Council to move ahead with a...
(2006), the Council expanded the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) to include deployments in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
to enforce the Darfur Peace Agreement
Darfur Peace Agreement
There have been two Darfur Peace Agreements that have been signed between the Government of Sudan and Darfuri rebel groups which have intended to end the conflict that is taking place in the Darfur region of the Republic of Sudan.-Abuja Agreement :...
.
Strongly rejecting the resolution, Sudan had refused to participate in the Security Council session. Resolution 1706 was adopted by 12 votes in favour to none against and three abstention
Abstention
Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not go to vote or, in parliamentary procedure, is present during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. Abstention must be contrasted with "blank vote", in which a voter casts a ballot willfully made invalid by...
s from China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
; all three said that while they supported the contents of the resolution, it lacked consent from Sudan. Given that the deployment was dependent on agreement from the Sudanese government, the resolution marked the first time that a United Nations peacekeeping mission was authorised but failed to deploy. It was also the first armed conflict in which the Security Council had envoked the "responsibility to protect" resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1674
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1674, adopted unanimously on April 28, 2006, after reaffirming resolutions 1265 and 1296 concerning the protection of civilians in armed conflict and Resolution 1631 on co-operation between the United Nations and regional organisations, the Council...
. On July 31, 2007, the adoption of Resolution 1769
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1769
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1769, adopted unanimously on July 31, 2007, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in Sudan, the Council established the joint African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur in an attempt to end the violence in Darfur, for an...
finally authorised a peacekeeping mission for Darfur.
Observations
The members of the Council commended political efforts to resolve the crisis in Darfur, led by the African UnionAfrican Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
, and reaffirmed its commitment to assisting the Sudanese government in tackling various problems affecting the country. Furthermore, the efforts of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) were welcomed. The Council envisaged a follow-on United Nations operation in Darfur with African participation.
Meanwhile, the resolution expressed concern over the consequences of the prolonged conflict in Darfur on the rest of Sudan and the neighbouring Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
and Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, while the relations between Chad and Sudan had deteriorated. Violations of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and international humanitarian law
International humanitarian law
International humanitarian law , often referred to as the laws of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus that comprises "the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, and customary international law." It...
in Darfur were condemned and there was concern about the safety of humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
workers.
Acts
The mandateMandate (international law)
In international law, a mandate is a binding obligation issued from an inter-governmental organization like the United Nations to a country which is bound to follow the instructions of the organization....
of UNMIS was expanded to include deployments in Darfur, with the consent of the Sudanese government. At the same time, it was decided to increase its size by up to 17,300 military personnel, 3,300 police personnel and 16 police units; temporary reinforcements could be deployed at the request of the Secretary-General. Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
was requested to put together a plan for the transition of an African Union to United Nations peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
force with early deployments taking place by October 1, 2006. He was also asked to strengthen AMIS through United Nations resources.
Addressing the mandate of UNMIS in Darfur, the Council decided that it should work to implement the Darfur Peace Agreement. Its responsibilities were to monitor the ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
and the movements of armed groups, investigate violations of the agreements, participate in demobilisation
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
and reintegration
Social integration
Social integration, in sociology and other social sciences, is the movement of minority groups such as ethnic minorities, refugees and underprivileged sections of a society into the mainstream of societies...
programmes for ex-combatants, maintain a presence in internally displaced person
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s camps, protect human rights, assist in the organisation of the proposed referendums and promote the peace process.
Finally, the resolution authorised UNMIS, under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter sets out the UN Security Council's powers to maintain peace. It allows the Council to "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression" and to take military and nonmilitary action to "restore international peace...
, to use "all necessary means" to protect civilians, United Nations and humanitarian personnel, and to seize weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s. The parties to the agreements were urged to implement them fully, and the Secretary-General was directed to report on progress made, including the refugee situation.
See also
- African Union Mission in SudanAfrican Union Mission in SudanThe African Union Mission in Sudan was an African Union peacekeeping force operating primarily in the country's western region of Darfur with the aim of performing peacekeeping operations related to the Darfur conflict. Originally founded in 2004, with a force of 150 troops, by mid-2005, its...
- African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur
- International response to the War in Darfur
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1701 to 1800 (2006 – 2008)
- Southern Sudan
- Timeline of the War in Darfur
- War in DarfurWar in DarfurThe Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...