Arria-formula Meeting on “Bridging the Implementation Gap: Security Council Resolutions and the Maintenance of International Peace and Security”
Tomorrow afternoon (23 June), Security Council members China and Pakistan will convene an Arria-formula meeting titled “Bridging the Implementation Gap: Security Council Resolutions and the Maintenance of International Peace and Security”. The expected briefers are Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Mohamed Khaled Khiari; Shamala Kandiah Thompson, the Executive Director of Security Council Report (SCR); and Richard Gowan, Programme Director of Global Issues and Institutions at the International Crisis Group.
The meeting will take place between 3 pm and 6 pm EST in Conference Room 12 at UN Headquarters and is expected to be webcast on UNTV. In addition to Security Council members, other member states, permanent observer missions, and relevant UN entities are invited to participate.
Security Council resolutions represent the strongest expression of the body’s political will among all its written outcomes. In addition, article 25 of the UN Charter stipulates that UN member states “agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council”. And yet, despite their political and legal weight, Security Council resolutions frequently go unimplemented due to a lack of political will, operational inefficiencies, or resource constraints. In recent years, there have also been growing differences of view among member states on the utility of longstanding Council tools—such as sanctions, international criminal mechanisms, and even peacekeeping operations—which may be a factor in hindering the implementation of resolutions in these areas.
China and Pakistan have circulated a concept note, which outlines the following objectives for the discussion:
- reaffirming that the “full, faithful, timely and non-selective” implementation of Security Council resolutions is essential to maintaining international peace and security and the Council’s credibility;
- examining the implications of non-implementation—or delayed and selective implementation—of resolutions;
- identifying institutional, legal, and political factors impeding the implementation of resolutions;
- exploring practical measures to strengthen monitoring, reporting, or periodic review of unimplemented Security Council resolutions; and
- considering how the implementation of Security Council decisions can be more effectively supported through relevant UN mechanisms and regional arrangements within their respective mandates.
The concept note also proposes several questions to help guide the discussion, including:
- What are the implications of non-implementation of Security Council resolutions for the maintenance of international peace and security?
- How does selective or delayed implementation of Security Council resolutions affect the credibility, legitimacy, and authority of the Council?
- How can the Security Council strengthen monitoring, reporting and follow-up mechanisms to ensure timely, consistent and non-selective implementation of its resolutions?
- How can the implementation of resolutions be better supported by UN peace operations, sanctions committees, judicial or dispute settlement mechanisms, and regional organisations, within their respective mandates?
Kandiah Thompson might underscore the importance of Council unity in helping to generate consistent political messages, sustained engagement, and collective pressure on parties. She might also highlight how delays in the allocation of subsidiary body chairs in recent years have negatively affected the Council’s ability to support implementation of its resolutions on sanctions regimes and on thematic agendas such as children and armed conflict. In addition, she may maintain that arrangements need to be strengthened for monitoring implementation and responding to non-compliance in resolutions adopted in response to crisis situations and thematic issues.
Gowan may describe the need for the Security Council to consult more closely with the UN Secretariat and the wider UN system to gain a solid understanding of the challenges and opportunities regarding the implementation of its decisions. He might also underscore the importance of political support in Council resolutions for UN and non-UN diplomatic efforts.
Member states are expected to highlight both political and operational hindrances to the effective implementation of Security Council resolutions. Some may note the lack of political will in the Council to take substantive action when its decisions are not carried out effectively. Others may argue that selective implementation of resolutions reflects double standards and erodes the credibility of the Council. There are also likely to be references to how a lack of resources can hinder the implementation of resolutions, especially in light of the significant fiscal crisis facing the UN. Some members may decide to explicitly reference country-specific and thematic resolutions that they believe have not been implemented in recent years.
Some members may also more broadly reflect on the need for Security Council reform; in this regard, they may argue that the Council lacks the credibility to command respect for its decisions because its composition no longer represents geopolitical realities.