Extension of UNIFIL mandate - S/RES/2004 (2011)

S/RES/2004 extends the mandate of UNIFIL at the request of the Lebanese government for a period of a year, until August 30, 2012. The resolution has all of the usual characteristics that a peacekeeping resolution has, it urges all parties to refrain from violence, to respect the boundaries established by the mission beforehand and condemns all acts of terrorism from all parties. There are also calls for the completion of an investigation launched in May, as well as the recalling of the importance of comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East. All in all, the resolution contains all the usual suspects for an extension of mandate that does not rock the boat.

Dealing with Sudan security under the UN - S/RES/2003 (2011)

S/RES/2003 deals with the issues around the construction of security and peace in Sudan and the countries in the region. The document explores the extension of mandate of the UNAMID and addresses some issues surrounding the mission of that specific operation. There is also a call for the missions in the area, UNAMID, UNISFA and UNMISS to work in cooperation with each other aiming at constructing a comprehensive approach for the situation in Sudan. One of the important aspects is also its call for the cessation of hostilities and further calls for human rights reporting efforts to be taken by different United Nations personnel.

Addressing Somalia and its Arms Embargo - S/RES/2002 (2011)

S/RES/2002 addresses questions related to the arms embargo that is established in Somalia and Eritrea and the terms of cooperation that are to be set among the institutions that act on the issues. The core of the resolution deals with the mandate of the Monitoring Group  that ought to work for the implementation of the resolution and its arms embargo, there is also an expansion of the individuals and entities that might be included in the the embargo. There is the usual concerns on the different protections for minorities and evocations of the different resolutions that aim to defend them.

UN mission in Iraq extension of mandate - S/RES/2001

S/RES/2001 addresses issues surrounding the UN mission in Iraq, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has its mandate renewed through the resolution that also congratulates the current efforts that have been made by them. The resolution reinforces the efforts being taken by the mission on the ground while also expressing the importance of the stability and security, independence and territorial integrity of the country. In this regard, there very little novelty in the resolution other than the extension of the mandate and requirement for reviews and reports.

UN mission in the Ivory Coast and elections - S/RES/2000 (2011)

S/RES/2000 mainly addresses questions surrounding the UN mission in the Ivory Coast (UNOCI) related to efforts for the construction of stable peace process and the upcoming legislative elections. There is an extension of the mandate, as well as multiple calls for the mission to take the specifics of minorities groups, such as children and women on the ground. The mandate of the mission is revamped and includes elements such as the protection of UN personnel and electoral assistance.

Presidential Statement on Syria trying to address violence - S/PRST/2011/16

Almost a month after the introduction of the European draft resolution on the violence in Syria, the Security Council agreed on issuing a Presidential Statement on the matter, in a tone considerably lighter than the original resolution and without much traction trying to enforce the measures that are described on it. The text of the Presidential Statement adopts a language that tries to promote an even-handed approach, aiming at protecting both the Syrian State Institutions and the protesters that are trying to reform the state. The result is a statement with very little teeth that tries to bite both sides of the apple without compromising any of the parts of the conflict. Another worrying element is that the representative of the Arab Community in the Council, Lebanon, removed itself from the statement eroding part of the legitimacy of the text.

UNSC dealing with Children in Armed Conflicts - S/RES/1998 (2011)

S/RES/1998 explores the elements of the United Nations system that deal with the protection of children in armed conflict. It is a mostly bureaucratic document that calls upon the Member States to develop action plans that deal with the issue in the areas of conflict. The resolution mostly calls upon different parties to cooperate among each other to mitigate the question of children in armed conflict in the areas. The overarching goal of the document urges different actors to work towards the implementation of the international law measures on children in armed conflict. There is little innovation in the resolution, it mostly recalls other established documents in international law.

Sanctions Regime for Acts of Terrorism - S/RES/1989 (2011)

S/RES/1989 establishes new guidelines for sanctions that are established against Al-Qaeda members, it delineates the line between the sanctions against Taliban set under S/RES/1988 and these ones. The sanctions regime is set to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and this resolution sets some changes related to the period after the death of Osama Bin Laden. The document contains two annexes, one that deals with the Monitoring Team that is established in the resolution and another one dealing with the Office of the Ombudsperson. There are detailed discussions related to the process of listing and de-listing individuals and entities as well as the reviewing process.

Fine Tuning the Tribunal for Rwanda - S/RES/1995 (2011)

S/RES/1995 addresses some technical issues that have emerged from the operation of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda mainly related to a latter from the President of the Tribunal that needed to addressed. It mostly deals with small tweaks such as allowing a judge to work part-time and a calling for maintaining appropriate staffing and staff retention in the Tribunal. It also deals with the idea of tackling the questions related to the tribunal and other international law mechanisms that are to be in place in the near future.

Mandate Extension for Iran's Panel of Experts - S/RES/1984 (2011)

S/RES/1984 address a bureaucratic role of the organization in extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts that deal with the sanctions established to try to change the behavior of the Iranian authorities. It is interesting to point out that the resolution does not mention the country or any other identifying elements. The relationship with the sanctions that Iran is under is established through the citing of previous resolutions that deal with the Iranian situation. Other than those references, there is little that distinguishes this specific resolution from other extensions of mandates of Panel of Experts.