Security Council Resolution 2137 (2014) [on Extension of the Mandate of the Un Office in Burundi (Bnub) Until 31 Dec. 2014]

Requests the Secretary-General to prepare BNUB’s transition and the transfer of appropriate responsibilities to the United Nations Country Team by 31 December 2014 and to provide an update on this process in his written interim report to the Security Council;

Encourages BNUB, the Government of Burundi, the Peacebuilding Commission and bilateral and multilateral partners to form a transition steering group to map the international community’s support to Burundi, in particular the transfer of functions currently provided by BNUB which may be needed after the Mission’s planned drawdown, and requests the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to finalize a transition plan by the 15 May 2014;

Encourages the Government of Burundi to engage in discussions on the nature, activities and scope of the United Nations role post-BNUB in coordination with BNUB, the United Nations Country Team, multilateral and bilateral partners, the Peacebuilding Commission, and other relevant stakeholders;

Encourages the United Nations Country Team and its component United Nations agencies to scale up their activities and programming during BNUB’s transition and after the termination of its mandate and factor such activities into the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, and urges the Secretary-General to ensure there is a seamless transition to the Resident Coordinator and United Nations Country Team management model as BNUB departs;

Encourages the Government of Burundi to cooperate fully with the United Nations Country Team and with the United Nations electoral mission that is to be established;

Encourages the Government of Burundi with the support of BNUB and other international partners to redouble its efforts to pursue structural reforms aimed at improving political, economic and administrative governance and tackling corruption, with a view to setting up strong drivers for sustained and equitable social and economic growth;

Further encourages the Government of Burundi, with the support of BNUB and other international partners, and while recognizing Burundi’s prerogatives to adapt its organic law, to ensure that any constitutional review is undertaken in a constructive atmosphere and in a broad-based and inclusive manner, with the participation of political parties and relevant stakeholders, according to the letter and the spirit of the Arusha agreement of 28 August 2000;

Calls upon the Government of Burundi to foster inclusive elections in 2015 by continuing to improve dialogue between all national actors, including civil society, and to guarantee a space for all political parties, including from the extra-parliamentary opposition, to exercise their freedom to organize and prepare themselves for the 2015 elections, and further calls upon the Government to ensure full and effective participation of women at all stages of the electoral process;

Calls upon the Government of Burundi to pursue its efforts to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights and, together with its international partners, to support and strengthen the capacities of the National Independent Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman in accordance with General Assembly resolution A/RES/48/134 on national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, and further calls upon the Government to continue its fight against impunity and to take the necessary measures to ensure the full enjoyment of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights as enshrined in the Constitution of Burundi and in accordance with its obligations under international law;

Calls upon the Government of Burundi to take further necessary steps to prevent human rights violations, in particular reported extrajudicial killings, mistreatment of detainees and torture, and restrictions on civil liberties, as well as acts of harassment, intimidation and violence committed by youth groups, limitations on the freedom of press, of expression, of association and of assembly of opposition political parties, media and civil society organizations, and to ensure that such human rights violations and restrictions of civil liberties are put to an end;

Calls upon the Government of Burundi to take measures to fight impunity and support thorough, credible, impartial and transparent investigations, including by reinforcing the protection of victims, of their relatives and of witnesses, and to intensify efforts to ensure that those responsible for human rights violations and abuses as well as restrictions on civil liberties are held accountable;

Calls upon the Government of Burundi to work with international partners and BNUB for the establishment of transitional justice mechanisms, including a credible and consensual Truth and Reconciliation Commission to help foster an effective reconciliation of all Burundians and durable peace in Burundi, in accordance with the results of the work of the Technical Committee, the 2009 national consultations, Security Council resolution 1606 (2005) as well as the Arusha agreement of 28 August 2000;

Encourages the Government of Burundi to pursue its efforts of peace consolidation and reconstruction in a regional perspective, especially through projects fostering peace, reconciliation and exchanges within the East African Community, the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region;

Further encourages the Government of Burundi, with the support of international partners as appropriate, to ensure the voluntary, safe and orderly return and sustainable reintegration of refugees to Burundi;

Calls upon the Government of Burundi, with the support of the Peacebuilding Commission and international partners, to honour its commitments on peacebuilding priorities as defined in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP-II), and underscores the importance that international partners, in collaboration with the Government of Burundi, and with the support of BNUB, the United Nations system in Burundi and the Peacebuilding Commission, continue to support Burundi’s development efforts and ensure effective follow-up of mutual commitments taken at the Geneva Conference of Development Partners and at subsequent follow-up conferences to allow implementation of the PRSP-II and support the implementation of the new United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF);

Requests the Secretary-General to keep the Council informed on the benchmarks, the implementation of the mandate of BNUB and this resolution, and the conditions that affect such implementation, as well as on BNUB’s transition to the United Nations Country Team, every 90 days, with a written interim report by the end of July 2014 and a final report by 16 January 2015, and further requests the Secretary-General to report every six months to the Security Council until after the 2015 elections;