United Nations Security Council Resolution 1547
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1547, adopted unanimously on June 11, 2004, after welcoming the commitment of the Sudanese government and Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) to work towards a full ceasefire
and peace agreement to end the Second Sudanese Civil War
, the Council established a United Nations Advance Team in Sudan to prepare for a future United Nations operation following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
. The brief reference to the situation in the Darfur
region divided Council members, with Algeria
, China
and Pakistan
against a mention of Darfur and the other two-thirds of the Council supporting its inclusion.
The Security Council praised the work of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development
and others for their role in the peace process. It urged the parties involved to speedily conclude a peace agreement, and condemned all violations of human rights
and international humanitarian law
and acts of violence. There was concern at the humanitarian impact of the situation on the civilian population of Sudan.
The resolution created an advance team, under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General
, for an initial period of three months to facilitate contacts between the parties and provide support after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. At the same time, the Council intended to establish a support operation to facilitate the implementation of the peace agreement, and requested the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
to submit recommendations on its composition and mandate
and to prepare for its deployment.
The Council also emphasised the importance of an effective public information capacity through radio, television and newspapers in order to promote the peace process and the role of the United Nations. It urged both parties to bring an end to the violence in the Darfur
region, the Upper Nile and other areas.
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"....
1547, adopted unanimously on June 11, 2004, after welcoming the commitment of the Sudanese government and Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) to work towards a full 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 peace agreement to end the Second Sudanese Civil War
Second Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
, the Council established a United Nations Advance Team in Sudan to prepare for a future United Nations operation following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
Comprehensive Peace Agreement
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement , also known as the Naivasha Agreement, was a set of agreements culminating in January 2005 that were signed between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the Government of Sudan...
. The brief reference to the situation in the 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...
region divided Council members, with Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, 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...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
against a mention of Darfur and the other two-thirds of the Council supporting its inclusion.
The Security Council praised the work of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development
Intergovernmental Authority on Development
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development is an eight-country regional development organization in East Africa. Its headquarters are located in Djibouti City....
and others for their role in the peace process. It urged the parties involved to speedily conclude a peace agreement, and condemned all 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...
and acts of violence. There was concern at the humanitarian impact of the situation on the civilian population of Sudan.
The resolution created an advance team, under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General
Special Representative of the Secretary-General
A Special Representative of the Secretary-General is a highly respected expert who has been appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to represent her/him in meetings with heads of state on critical human rights issues...
, for an initial period of three months to facilitate contacts between the parties and provide support after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. At the same time, the Council intended to establish a support operation to facilitate the implementation of the peace agreement, and requested 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...
to submit recommendations on its composition and mandate
Mandate (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....
and to prepare for its deployment.
The Council also emphasised the importance of an effective public information capacity through radio, television and newspapers in order to promote the peace process and the role of the United Nations. It urged both parties to bring an end to the violence in the 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...
region, the Upper Nile and other areas.
See also
- African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1501 to 1600 (2003 – 2005)
- Southern Sudan
- United Nations Mission in SudanUnited Nations Mission in SudanThe United Nations Mission in the Sudan was established by the UN Security Council under Resolution 1590 of 24 March 2005, in response to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government of the Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement on January 9, 2005 in Nairobi,...
- 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...