United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2601–2608 United Nations Security Council Resolutions are available at: <https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/resolutions-0>

Resolution 2601 (October 29, 2021) –

The Security Council reiterated its commitment to address armed conflict's effects, such as disruption of access to education, and recognized the need for states to ensure access to education.

The Council expressed concern about the increase in attacks against schools and education facilities, the rise in children abduction cases, “the use of schools for military purposes,” and that many children in armed conflict, especially girls, do not have access to education.

The Council demanded that all relevant parties stop violating international law by engaging in practices such as recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts and attacking schools.

The Council called on all parties to “protect, respect, and promote the right to education,” and urged member states, United Nations bodies, and civil society to especially consider girls' equal access to education.

The Council condemned the use of schools for military purposes that may result in turning schools into targets by military groups and encouraged member states to take measures to prevent the “use of schools by armed forces.”

The Council encouraged member states to include measures aimed at preventing “attacks and threat of attacks against schools” into their national strategic frameworks, and to ensure that their armed forces and security forces “take practical measures for facilitating access to and continuation of education and the protection of schools and civilians connected to schools.”

The Council encouraged member states to take immediate action to “rehabilitate, repair, or replace schools that have been subject to attack and restore children's safe access to schools.”

The Council stressed the importance of providing assistance to children with disabilities to address their specific needs, and “to provide assistance for the continuation of education for refugee and displaced children in realizing their right to education.”

The Council emphasized that it is necessary for member states to “facilitate continuation of education during armed conflict, including, through distance learning and digital technology,” and encouraged member states, UN agencies, and relevant regional and international partners to support distance learning facilities, digital literacy, and education.

[https://undocs.org/en/S/RES/2601(2021)]

Resolution 2602 (October 29, 2021) –

The Security Council, by welcoming the engagement by Frente POLISARIO, Mauritania, Morocco, and Algeria in the UN political process on Western Sahara, reiterated its call upon these parties to cooperate with each other and with the UN, and to achieve a political solution in Western Sahara. It also expressed concern about the breakdown of the ceasefire and the violation of existing agreements.

The Council encouraged parties to make efforts to promote and protect human rights in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps and expressed concern about the lack of funding for the people living in Tindouf refugee camps.

The Council decided to extend until October 31, 2022, the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara's (MINURSO). The Council called upon the parties to comply with the “military agreements reached with MINURSO with regard to the ceasefire.”

The Council expressed support for the facilitation of the negotiation process by the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy and emphasized the importance of further negotiations.

The Council encouraged the parties to cooperate with the UNHCR, and urged member states to provide new and more voluntary contributions to fund food programs.

[https://undocs.org/en/S/RES/2602(2021)]

Resolution 2603 (October 29, 2021) –

The Security Council welcomed the progress made in Colombia since the adoption of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace.

The Council recalled the establishment of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia (Verification Mission) to verify the implementation of the Final Agreement by Colombia and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia as well as to verify “compliance with and the implementation of the sentences to be issues by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace.”

The Council extended the Verification Mission's mandate until October 31, 2022.

[https://undocs.org/en/S/RES/2603(2021)]

Resolution 2604 (November 03, 2021) –

The Security Council determined that the situation in the Former Yugoslavia territory “continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security.”

The Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, authorized member states to establish, for a further period of twelve months, a multinational stabilization force (EUFOR ALTHEA) to realize its missions stated at Annexes 1-A and 2 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the annexes thereto (Peace Agreement) in cooperation with the NATO Headquarters presence.

The Council decided to renew the authorization given by resolution 2183 (2014) for a further period of twelve months. The Council additionally authorized member states to take necessary measures to implement Peace Agreement, to defend the EUFOR ALTHEA or NATO presence, and to “ensure compliance with the rules and procedures governing command and control of airspace over Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

[https://undocs.org/en/S/RES/2604(2021)]

Resolution 2605 (November 12, 2021) –

The Council recalled the signing of the Political Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in the CAR (APPR), stressed the need for its implementation, reaffirmed that implementation of the APPR is the sole mean for achieving permanent peace and stability in the CAR, and condemned the violations of the APPR.

The Council welcomed the ceasefire announcement by President Touaéra, and “urged all parties to the conflict in the CAR to respect the ceasefire.” The Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, urged all parties to respect the ceasefire and called on the CAR authorities and signatories to implement the APPR.

The Council called on “neighboring states, regional organizations and all international partners to support the peace process, including the implementation of the APPR via the roadmap” adopted by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on September 16, 2021.

The Council urged the CAR authorities to “ensure the preparation of inclusive, free and fair local elections in 2022.” It urged the CAR authorities to “address the presence and activity of armed groups” by prioritizing dialogue and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process.

The Council extended United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic's (MINUSCA) mandate until November 15, 2022. With respect to MINUSCA's mandate, the Council prioritized protection of civilians, supporting the peace process, facilitating delivery of humanitarian assistance, and protecting the UN. In addition, MINUSCA was tasked with the promotion and protection of human rights, assisting the CAR authorities for 2022 elections, providing support for the “extension of state authority, the deployment of security forces, and the preservation of territorial integrity,” providing advice to the CAR authorities for implementation of security sector reform and DDR, and supporting justice and the fight against impunity.

The Council requested the Secretary-General to implement capacities and obligations, such as prioritizing mission mobility and active patrolling and improving MINUSCA's intelligence and analysis capacities in the planning and conduct of MINUSCA's operations. The Council requested MINUSCA to seize and destroy weapons of disarmed combatants and armed groups.

[https://undocs.org/en/S/RES/2605(2021)]

Resolution 2606 (November 15, 2021) –

The Security Council, recognizing that “the situation in Abyei and along the border between Sudan and South Sudan” continues to be a threat to international peace and security, decided to extend until December 15, 2021, the mandate of United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNIFSA).

[https://undocs.org/en/S/RES/2606(2021)]

Resolution 2607 (November 15, 2021) –

The Council condemned Al-Shabaab's terrorist attacks, expressed concern at “Al-Shaabab's ability to generate revenue,” and welcomed efforts of Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, and the Panel of Experts to “develop a plan to disrupt Al-Shaabab's finances.” The Council expressed concern at illegal and unregulated fishing in Somalian waters which may be providing revenue to Al-Shaabab, and Al-Shaabab's exploitation of the trade in sugar.

The Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, underscored the need for targeting Al-Shabaab's finance by taking measures to counter terrorism financing; improving maritime domain awareness by “responding to illicit maritime flows”; disrupting “all forms of trafficking in licit and illicit goods that may finance terrorist activities in Somalia”; authorizing member states to inspect the vessels bound to or from Somalia to “ensure strict implementation of the arms embargo on Somalia, the charcoal ban” and the improvised explosive devices (IED) components ban; preventing illicit revenue generation by disrupting the “export and import of charcoal to and from Somalia”; and reducing the threat posed by IEDs by calling on states to prevent the sale, supply, or transfer of the items listed in the Annex C of the resolution.

The Council, in order to support state- and peace-building in Somalia, called upon FGS and Somalia's Federal Member States (FMS) to implement security sector reform and to “ensure the safe and effective management, storage and security of their stockpiles of weapons, ammunition and other military equipment and their distribution.”

The Council reaffirmed that deliveries of items listed in Annexes A, and B of the resolution intended for the development of Somali National Security Forces (SNSF) and Somali Security Sector Institutions (SSSIs) require advance approval and absence of a negative decision respectively by the Committee of the Security Council (Committee).

The Council reaffirmed that the “FGS has the primary responsibility to seek approval from or notify the Committee any deliveries of weapons and military equipment to the SNSF,” but alternatively the state and organizations may make an advance request in this regard.

The Council reaffirmed that a state or organization delivering any weapon, military equipment, and training related to military activities to SSSIs has the responsibility to notify and obtain approval from the Committee.

The Council decided to renew the mandate of the Panel on Somalia until December 15, 2022.

[https://undocs.org/en/S/RES/2607(2021)]

Resolution 2608 (December 3, 2021) –

The Security Council, by recalling its resolutions concerning the situation in Somalia, recognized the threat of piracy and armed robbery at sea, and commended states, as well as several regional and international organizations, to investigate and prosecute suspects captured at sea and anyone who incites or facilitates piracy operations.

The Council expressed concern about inhumane conditions for captured hostages and noted the importance of cooperation between states for addressing hostage-taking and prosecuting pirates for hostage-taking. It also expressed concern about “illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Somalia's Exclusive Economic Zone.”

The Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter and recognizing that piracy exacerbates instability in Somalia, stressed “the need for a comprehensive response to prevent and suppress piracy.” It also noted the need for investigating and prosecuting those who plan and finance pirate attacks and called for Somali authorities to prevent, suppress, investigate and prosecute piracy. The Council requested donors to provide “support to reinforce Somalia's national coast guard capacities” and renewed authorizations granted to states and regional organizations under paragraph 14 of resolution 2554.

The Council called upon all states “to criminalize piracy under their domestic law” and to “cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of all persons responsible for or associated with acts of piracy and armed robbery.”

The Council urged states parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 and the 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation to implement fully their relevant obligations under these conventions, and to cooperate with International Maritime Organization (IMO); and invited the IMO to “continue its contributions to the prevention and suppression of acts of piracy and armed robbery.”

[https://undocs.org/en/S/RES/2608(2021)]