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.

Extension of Panel of Experts - Sudan - S/RES/1982 (2011)

S/RES/1982 is one of the simplest resolutions possible at the United Nations Security Council. It extends the mandate of a Panel of Experts appointed in 2005 and renewed several times before. In this case it is a Panel that deals with issues related to the situation in Sudan. In this regard, it is one of the bureaucratic necessities that existed in the UN system to allow one of its parties to have a longer shelf-life.

Renewing 1973's UNDOF in the Middle East - S/RES/1994 (2011)

S/RES/1994 is another exercise in extension of mandate in a UN peacekeeping operation that has been going on for a while. In this case it is the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force that is placed in the border between Israel and Syria since S/RES/338 (1973) and has been in place since the end of the Yom Kippur War and remains there since. This time frame makes the UNDOF one of the oldest peacekeeping operation established by the UN.

Panel of Experts on DPRK Non-proliferation - S/RES/1985 (2011)

S/RES/1985 is one of document that extends the mandate of a bureaucracy inside the United Nations, while providing very little changes or guidance for the related organs. In this case, it deals with the Panel of Experts that addresses questions of nuclear non-proliferation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, even though these wordings are largely absent from the whole document. The documents is written in vague terms, mainly constructing their points from references to previous resolution instead of enunciating the mandate.

Renewing the Mission in Cyprus - S/RES/1986 (2011)

S/RES/1986 is one of the type of resolutions that became commonplace in the United Nations Security Council, which congratulates their previous efforts while extending the mandate of the mission being discussed. In the case they are dealing with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) which had its mandate first established in S/RES/186 (1964) and after the period the region still feels the need to maintain the mission on the ground. The mandate was set to expired on July 15th, 2011 and with this resolution it was extended until December 15th, 2011, while calling for continuous review and reporting by the mission and the Secretary-General on it to the Council.

UN Mission in Western Sahara - 1979 (2011)

S/RES/1979 follows the line of many Security Council resolutions that have little actual content and many references to other resolutions to provide the bulk of the substance. The main point of the resolution is to renew the mission in Western Sahara until April 30th, 2012, while calling for more cooperation and action and checking the reports that have been submitted to the Council. The goal is to go through the current work that the UN is developing in the Western Sahara towards a peaceful resolution.

Let's Renew Some More - 1977 (2011)

S/RES/1977 follows the line of the previous resolutions that renewed the 1540 Committee mandate and also S/RES/1540 itself. There is the same reaffirmation that proliferation is a threat to international peace and security and it is also acting under Chapter VII. It is followed by the threat of appropriate and effective actions in accordance to the UN Charter, while reaffirming that peaceful pursuits of material related to WMDs should still take place and the consideration that the obligations of these resolutions do not alter the obligations under previous multilateral treaties that address the same issue areas. There is a stress on the need for all Member States to comply to their already established obligations under international commitments related to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. A clause that only tries to call attention to the previous commitments, including their own resolutions and efforts. There a different clause in the preamble stating the concern of the Council when it comes to the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction and its means of delivery by non state actors, in association with terrorism. This is one of the most explicit time that the linkage between the non-proliferation efforts and terrorism is made in the resolutions related to S/RES/1540. The preamble also passes by the issues of international cooperation and coordination as means to halt challenges such as illicit trafficking and established legislation related to proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Renewing 1540 again - 1810 (2008)

S/RES/1810 returns to most of the concepts already established in S/RES/1673 and S/RES/1540 when it comes to considering proliferation a threat to international peace and security, stressing the relevance of the 1992 Presidential Statement, reaffirming that it does change the commitments under previous multilateral agreements, calling for cooperation in illicit trafficking and also stating that there can be action against violators under the options of the Charter. The preamble also praises the work already developed by the 1540 Committee and stress the importance of the report that was requested at S/RES/1673 two years before. It also reaffirms that the work of the committee is a long-term task, a detail that first appeared on S/RES/1673 as well. The innovation on this preamble is the portion that deals with the role of the 1540 Committee in terms of dialogue between it and Member States also the committee’s role in trying to enhance coordination efforts at all levels. In a passing note, S/RES/1810 references the issue of financing of proliferation activities being dealt under the Financial Action Task Force. As S/RES/1540 and S/RES/1673, S/RES/1810 acts under Chapter VII of the Charter.

Renewing 1540 - 1673 (2006)

The S/RES/1673 deals mainly with the 1540 Committee renewal and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction inside the organization and its surrounding agencies. The preamble comes from the same basis as S/RES/1540, mainly on the terms of coming from stating that proliferation of any of the three weapons of mass destruction is a threat to international peace and security granting the basis for action under Chapter VII of Charter. It also goes on again reaffirming that the provisions and obligations from other multilateral treaties that deal with those weapons. There are two important innovations from S/RES/1540 to S/RES/1673. Firstly is that not all States have presented the report required by S/RES/1540 that was supposed to be sent within six months, this 2006 resolution calls for States to submit the report. Secondly, there a clause on the preamble that state that the task required by 1540 are a “long-term task that will require continuous efforts at national, regional and international levels,”. With this opening they endorse the work already developed by the Committee related to the national reports already submitted.