Outgoing Chairs of Security Council subsidiary bodies told the Council today that sanctions and oversight mechanisms can remain credible only if they deliver results on the ground, as they called for stronger implementation, quicker staffing and Chair appointments, and less "business as usual" amid worsening crises from Sudan and Yemen to counter-terrorism and delisting backlogs.
2140 Yemen, 1591 Sudan Committees Face Implementation Challenges
Sangjin Kim (Republic of Korea), Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) concerning Yemen, spoke on behalf of the Chair of the Security Council Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations and Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning Sudan. He said that the goal was to keep the work "fair, transparent and effective", even amid a challenging political and security environment, as well as a complex humanitarian context.
He highlighted a major step in Sudan sanctions implementation: "In November 2024, about 10 years after the last listing was made, the Committee approved the addition of two individuals to the Sanctions List". Stressing the need for credible monitoring, he warned that "the report of the Panel of Experts of the 1591 Committee documented graphic examples of targeted violence against civilians in and around Darfur" and pressed for staffing to be resolved. "We urge that the remaining experts be appointed as soon as possible". On Yemen, he pointed to continued implementation problems, citing the Panel's finding of persistent challenges and ineffective implementation, and argued that "the time has come to move beyond words and to seriously consider ways to promote faithful implementation in practice".
Turning to the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations, he described a harsher operating reality where peacekeeping is increasingly conducted in complex and less permissive environments. He said Seoul sought "to reinvigorate the Working Group as a platform for strategic and forward-looking discussions", including sessions on the security of peacekeepers and lessons learned from transitions in Africa. He also acknowledged constraints "due to the Council's crowded programme of work", but emphasized that the Working Group remains key as the Secretary-General will present a strategic direction for the future of peacekeeping.
Gaps in Counter-Terrorism Oversight
"I must begin by highlighting a procedural matter that deeply affected the effectiveness of all Committees," said Amar Bendjama (Algeria), Chair of the Security Council Committees established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism and pursuant to resolution 2745 (2024) concerning the Central African Republic. Noting that Chair appointments for 2025 were only made on 29 May, he said that the "operational consequences were significant". This undermined strategic planning, hindered mandate implementation, made prioritization decisions difficult and created scheduling conflicts. "These consequences," he stressed, "were not merely procedural - they were substantive."
Turning to the 2745 Committee, he said that, after four years of division, the Council returned to consensus on 30 July 2024 with the unanimous adoption of resolution 2745 (2024) that lifted the arms embargo on the Government of the Central African Republic. Additionally, two armed groups that had signed peace agreements with the Government dissolved in July 2025, and a third group signed a peace agreement in November 2025. On the 1373 Committee, he spotlighted the "Algeria Guiding Principles", which represent a framework for addressing how terrorists exploit emerging financial technologies.
However, pointing out that Africa accounts for over 59 per cent of global terrorism victims, he stressed that "a troubling pattern persists" in which assessment visits do not reflect the severity of terrorist threats on the continent. While Algeria has advocated for prioritizing the most affected countries - "I mean the Sahel region" - he underscored: "If the Committee cannot effectively reach those who need support most, we must ask whether we are fulfilling our mandate." He therefore urged his successor to listen to those most impacted by terrorism and to prioritize substance over process - "because behind every statistic is a human tragedy".
Sanctions Must Be Integrated into Political Strategies
Michael Imran Kanu (Sierra Leone), Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) concerning South Sudan, and Chair of the Security Council Informal Working Group on International Tribunals, also briefed the Council.
"I approached these responsibilities with a profound sense of duty," he said, emphasizing that multilateralism, the rule of law and accountability guided the work throughout. On the 1533 Committee, he reported that the Committee continued to discharge its mandate through informal consultations and written procedures, including close engagement with the Group of Experts and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), plus public communication to support implementation. He highlighted a key field milestone, noting that his regional visit informed a later Council briefing: "That visit, I believe, enriched our understanding of realities on the ground."
On the 2206 South Sudan Committee and the tribunals Working Group, he underscored both steady work and unfinished challenges, saying that "the gap between commitments and implementation remains a central concern", and regretting that a proposed visit by the Chair to South Sudan and Uganda was not proceeded. On international tribunals, he pointed to practical obstacles still facing the Mechanism, including relocation and enforcement-of-sentences issues, even as the Working Group helped the Council deliver outcomes. Too often, files drift into "business as usual", even as realities on the ground deteriorate, he said. His closing message was that impact depends on substance and strategy, not process alone. "Sanctions measures are not an end in themselves," he said, and urged earlier field engagement, faster appointment of Chairs, more time for underlying drivers and implementation gaps, and tighter integration of sanctions into coherent political strategies.
Limited Guinea-Bissau Activity, Intensified Engagement on Haiti
The Council then heard from Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (Guyana), Chair of the Security Council Committees established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012) concerning Guinea-Bissau and pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti. While reporting that the 2048 Committee held no formal meetings during her tenure, she said that the Committee "remained attentive to the situation" in Guinea-Bissau to "ensure that the core mandate of the sanctions regime was upheld".
"Regarding the [2653 Committee], the situation was quite the opposite," she said, pointing to five meetings, three informal consultations and two briefings to Member States in 2024 and five meetings, four informal consultations and one briefing in 2025. One important aspect of the Committee's work was updating the relevant Sanctions List, and she said that the Committee added two individuals to this list on 27 September 2024 and two entities on 8 July 2025. The Council also designated two individuals through resolution 2794 (2025), and there are now nine individuals and two entities designated.
"I am convinced that sustained engagement with Haiti, the Panel [of Experts] and other relevant stakeholders remains key to making greater progress with respect to the enforcement of the arms embargo and updating the Sanctions List beyond the category of gang leaders and members," she stated. However, as illicit arms continue to flow into Haiti, she urged the Committee to raise awareness and build capacity of front-line implementers; remind Member States of their legal obligation to ensure domestic enforcement of the arms embargo; and work with relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate export controls and transit-monitoring systems are established.
Stalled Delistings, Limited Activity in Iraq, Lebanon Sanctions Committees
Samuel Žbogar (Slovenia), Council President for December, having chaired the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1518 (2003) concerning Iraq and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1636 (2005) on Lebanon, said that while the 1636 Committee has not been active, the Iraq committee remains operational with 65 individuals and 10 entities on the 1518 Sanctions List. "Delisting processes have stalled and only one delisting was approved during our tenure, although four cases remain pending at this time," he emphasized. There was one in-person meeting on 8 August with Iraq's National Committee for Freezing Terrorist Assets to exchange information, explore ways to facilitate and expedite delisting processes, and improve information-sharing to reinvigorate delisting requests.
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