Adopted by the Security Council at its 7268th meeting, on 18 September, 2014
The
Security Council,
Recalling its resolution 2176 (2014) adopted on 15
September 2014 concerning the situation in Liberia and its press statement of
9 July 2014,
Recalling its primary responsibility for
the maintenance of international peace and security,
Expressing grave concern about the
outbreak of the Ebola virus in, and its impact on, West Africa, in particular Liberia, Guinea
and Sierra Leone, as well as
Nigeria
and beyond,
Recognizing that the peacebuilding and
development gains of the most affected countries concerned could be reversed in
light of the Ebola outbreak and underlining
that the outbreak is undermining the stability of the most affected countries
concerned and, unless contained, may lead to further instances of civil unrest,
social tensions and a deterioration of the political and security climate,
Determining that the unprecedented
extent of the Ebola outbreak in Africa
constitutes a threat to international peace and security,
Expressing concern about the particular
impact of the Ebola outbreak on women,
Welcoming the convening of the Mano
River Union Extraordinary Summit, held in Guinea on 1 August 2014, and the
commitments expressed by the Heads of State of Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia
and Sierra Leone to combat the Ebola outbreak in the region, including by strengthening
treatment services and measures to isolate the outbreak across borders,
Taking note of the measures taken by the
Member States of the region, especially Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, as
well as Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, in response to the Ebola outbreak
and recognizing that the outbreak may
exceed the capacity of the governments concerned to respond,
Taking note of the letter (S/2014/669) dated 29 August 2014 to the
Secretary-General from the Presidents of Liberia,
Sierra Leone and Guinea,
requesting a comprehensive response to the Ebola outbreak, including a
coordinated international response to end the outbreak and to support the
societies and economies affected by restrictions on trade and transportation
during the outbreak,
Recognizing the measures taken by the
Member States of the region, in particular Côte
d’Ivoire, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Mali
and Senegal,
to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the most affected countries,
Emphasizing the key role of Member
States, including through the Global Health Security Agenda where applicable,
to provide adequate public health services to detect, prevent, respond to and
mitigate outbreaks of major infectious diseases through sustainable,
well-functioning and responsive public health mechanisms,
Recalling the International Health
Regulations (2005), which are contributing to global public health security by
providing a framework for the coordination of the management of events that may
constitute a public health emergency of international concern, and aim to
improve the capacity of all countries to detect, assess, notify and respond to
public health threats and underscoring
the importance of WHO Member States abiding by these commitments,
Underscoring that the control of
outbreaks of major infectious diseases requires urgent action and greater
national, regional and international collaboration and, in this regard, stressing the crucial and immediate need
for a coordinated international response to the Ebola outbreak,
Commending Member States, bilateral
partners and multilateral organizations for the crucial assistance, including
financial commitments and in-kind donations, provided to and identified for the
affected people and governments of the region to support the scaling up of
emergency efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and interrupt
transmission of the virus, including by providing flexible funds to relevant
United Nations agencies and international organizations involved in the
response to enable them and national governments to purchase supplies and
enhance emergency operations in the affected countries, as well as by
collaborating with public and private sector partners to accelerate development
of therapies, vaccines and diagnostics to treat patients and limit or prevent
further infection or transmission of the Ebola virus disease,
Expressing deep appreciation to the
first-line responders to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, including national
and international health and humanitarian relief workers contributed by the
Member States of diverse regions and non-governmental organizations such as
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and also
expressing appreciation to the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service
(UNHAS) for transporting humanitarian personnel and medical supplies and
equipment, especially to remote locations in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone,
during the outbreak,
Welcoming the efforts of the African
Union (AU), in coordination with bilateral partners and multilateral
organizations, to craft a united, comprehensive and collective African response
to the outbreak, including through the deployment of healthcare workers to the
region, and also the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) to support steps to contain the spread of the Ebola virus, including
through the support of the defence forces of its Member States,
Expressing concern about the impact, including on food security, of general
travel and trade restrictions in the region and taking note of the AU
call on its Member States to lift travel restrictions to enable the free
movement of people and trade to the affected countries,
Emphasizing the role of all relevant
United Nations System entities, in particular the United Nations General
Assembly, Economic and Social Council, and Peacebuilding Commission, in
supporting the national, regional and international efforts to respond to the
Ebola outbreak and recognizing, in
this regard, the central role of the World Health Organization (WHO), which
designated the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international
concern,
Stressing the need for coordinated
efforts of all relevant United Nations System entities to address the Ebola
outbreak in line with their respective mandates and to assist, wherever
possible, national, regional and international efforts in this regard,
Taking note of the WHO Ebola Response
Roadmap of 28 August 2014 that aims to stop transmission of the Ebola virus
disease worldwide, while managing the consequences of any further international
spread and also taking note of the 12
Mission Critical Actions, including infection control, community mobilization
and recovery, to resolve the Ebola outbreak,
Taking note of the WHO protocols to
prevent the transmission of the Ebola virus disease between individuals,
organizations and populations, underlining
that the Ebola outbreak can be contained, including through the implementation
of established safety and health protocols and other preventive measures that
have proven effective and commending
the efforts of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to communicate,
including through UNMIL Radio, such protocols and preventive measures to the
Liberian public,
Reiterating its appreciation for the
appointments by the Secretary-General of David Nabarro as the United Nations
System Senior Coordinator for Ebola Virus Disease and of Anthony Banbury as the
Deputy Ebola Coordinator and Operation Crisis Manager operating from the Crisis
Response Mechanism of the United Nations, activated on 5 September 2014 and
which aims to consolidate the operational work of the United Nations System,
Member States, non-governmental organizations and other partners focused on
providing assistance to the affected countries in response to the Ebola
outbreak, as well as to ensure United Nations System assistance to developing,
leading and implementing an effective response to the broader dimensions of the
outbreak that include food security and access to basic health services,
Welcoming the intention of the
Secretary-General to convene a high-level meeting on the margins of the
sixty-ninth United Nations General Assembly to urge an exceptional and vigorous
response to the Ebola outbreak,
1. Encourages
the governments of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to accelerate the
establishment of national mechanisms to provide for the rapid diagnosis and
isolation of suspected cases of infection, treatment measures, effective
medical services for responders, credible and transparent public education
campaigns, and strengthened preventive and preparedness measures to detect,
mitigate and respond to Ebola exposure, as well as to coordinate the rapid
delivery and utilization of international assistance, including health workers
and humanitarian relief supplies, as well as to coordinate their efforts to
address the transnational dimension of the Ebola outbreak, including the
management of their shared borders, and with the support of bilateral partners,
multilateral organizations and the private sector;
2. Encourages
the governments of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to continue efforts to
resolve and mitigate the wider political, security, socioeconomic and humanitarian
dimensions of the Ebola outbreak, as well as to provide sustainable,
well-functioning and responsive public health mechanisms, emphasizes that responses to the Ebola outbreak should address the
specific needs of women and stresses
the importance of their full and effective engagement in the development of
such responses;
3. Expresses
concern about the detrimental effect of the isolation of the affected
countries as a result of trade and travel restrictions imposed on and to the
affected countries;
4. Calls
on Member States, including of the region, to lift general travel and
border restrictions, imposed as a result of the Ebola outbreak, and that
contribute to the further isolation of the affected countries and undermine
their efforts to respond to the Ebola outbreak and also calls on airlines and shipping companies to maintain trade and
transport links with the affected countries and the wider region;
5. Calls
on Member States, especially of the region, to facilitate the delivery of
assistance, including qualified, specialized and trained personnel and
supplies, in response to the Ebola outbreak to the affected countries and, in
this regard, expresses deep appreciation
to the government of Ghana for allowing the resumption of the air shuttle of
UNMIL from Monrovia to Accra, which will transport international health workers
and other responders to areas affected by the Ebola outbreak in Liberia;
6. Calls
on Member States, especially of the region, and all relevant actors
providing assistance in response to the Ebola outbreak, to enhance efforts to
communicate to the public, as well as to implement, the established safety and
health protocols and preventive measures to mitigate against misinformation and
undue alarm about the transmission and extent of the outbreak among and between
individuals and communities and, in this regard, requests the Secretary-General to develop a strategic communication
platform using existing United Nations System resources and facilities in the
affected countries, as necessary and available, including to assist governments
and other relevant partners;
7. Calls
on Member States to provide urgent resources and assistance, including
deployable medical capabilities such as field hospitals with qualified and
sufficient expertise, staff and supplies, laboratory services, logistical,
transport and construction support capabilities, airlift and other aviation
support and aeromedical services and dedicated clinical services in Ebola
Treatment Units and isolation units, to support the affected countries in
intensifying preventive and response activities and strengthening national
capacities in response to the Ebola outbreak and to allot adequate capacity to
prevent future outbreaks;
8. Urges
Member States, as well as bilateral partners and multilateral organizations,
including the AU, ECOWAS, and European Union, to mobilize and provide
immediately technical expertise and additional medical capacity, including for
rapid diagnosis and training of health workers at the national and
international level, to the affected countries, and those providing assistance
to the affected countries, and to continue to exchange expertise, lessons
learned and best practices, as well as to maximize synergies to respond
effectively and immediately to the Ebola outbreak, to provide essential
resources, supplies and coordinated assistance to the affected countries and
implementing partners and calls on
all relevant actors to cooperate closely with the Secretary-General on response
assistance efforts;
9. Urges
Member States to implement relevant Temporary Recommendations issued under the
International Health Regulations (2005) regarding the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in
West Africa, and lead the organization, coordination and implementation of
national preparedness and response activities, including, where and when
relevant, in collaboration with international development and humanitarian
partners;
10. Commends
the continued contribution and commitment of international health and
humanitarian relief workers to respond urgently to the Ebola outbreak and calls on all relevant actors to put in
place the necessary repatriation and financial arrangements, including medical
evacuation capacities and treatment and transport provisions, to facilitate
their immediate and unhindered deployment to the affected countries;
11. Requests
the Secretary-General to help to ensure that all relevant United Nations System
entities, including the WHO and UNHAS, in accordance with their respective
mandates, accelerate their response to the Ebola outbreak, including by
supporting the development and implementation of preparedness and operational
plans and liaison and collaboration with governments of the region and those
providing assistance;
12. Encourages
the WHO to continue to strengthen its technical leadership and operational
support to governments and partners, monitor Ebola transmission, assist in
identifying existing response needs and partners to meet those needs to
facilitate the availability of essential data and hasten the development and
implementation of therapies and vaccines according to best clinical and ethical
practices and also encourages Member
States to provide all necessary support in this regard, including the sharing
of data in accordance with applicable law;
13. Decides
to remain seized of the matter.
