The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights for six months, until 30 June 2026, and requested the Secretary-General to ensure that the Force has the capacity and resources required to fulfil its mandate "in a safe and secure way".
UNDOF was established following the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria, with a mandate to maintain the ceasefire and supervise the area of separation - a demilitarized buffer zone - as well as the area of limitation, where Israeli and Syrian troops and equipment are restricted, in the Golan Heights.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2811 (2025) (to be issued as document S/RES/2811 (2025) ), the Council stressed the obligation of both parties to "scrupulously and fully respect" the terms of the 1974 Agreement. The text - jointly drafted by the United States and the Russian Federation - also called on the parties to exercise maximum restraint, prevent any breaches of the ceasefire and the area of separation, and encouraged them to make full use of UNDOF's liaison function.
"From the outset, we were clear that we were not seeking to introduce new language, but rather to shorten and consolidate existing text" to focus on UNDOF's core mandate, said the representative of the United States.
Concerns over Length of Mandate Renewal, Presence of Israeli Forces in Buffer Zone
However, Somalia's representative expressed "profound disappointment" that the mandate was not renewed for a full year amid an increasingly volatile environment. "A shorter mandate creates unnecessary uncertainty and fails to provide the long-term stability required for the mission to operate effectively," he emphasized.
The Russian Federation's delegate expressed concern over ongoing violations of the 1974 Agreement, including the illegal presence of Israeli forces in the buffer zone for more than one year. "Equally concerning are the advances of Israel Defense Forces units deeper into Syrian territory, as well as indiscriminate strikes against the sovereign territory of the Syrian Arab Republic," she said, calling on Israel to follow Damascus's example and exercise restraint by refraining from unilateral, illegitimate and provocative actions.
"The Golan Heights are recognized by the international community as Syrian territory under occupation," said China's delegate, reaffirming that Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity must be fully respected.
Syria's delegate noted that Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan for 59 years and drew attention to a recent General Assembly vote in which 123 Member States supported a resolution demanding Israel's withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan. Responding to a reference to Syria in one of Israel's New Year's resolutions raised at an earlier Council meeting, he said his country's resolution is for UNDOF to be able to fulfil its mandate freely, without being surrounded by Israeli occupation forces, and for Israel to abide by Council resolutions and international law - which, he added, may amount to "wishful thinking".
Complete Live Blog coverage of today's meeting can be found here .
