Delivered by: Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative

I thank you for the floor, Mr. President

• I am delivering this Explanation of Vote on behalf of the A3 and the UAE (namely Ghana, Gabon, Mozambique and the United Arab Emirates).
• The A3 and the UAE would like to recognize and thank the penholder for their efforts, and in facilitating the negotiation process. In the same vein, we negotiated in good faith by laying bare our concerns and engaging with all Council Members throughout negotiations.

• We regret that the A3 and the UAE’s proposal for a sunset clause of 12 months in duration was not adopted, as we felt that it reflected both the current best practice of the Security Council on sanctions measures and the strong support expressed by Council Members during the negotiation process.

• Nevertheless, the A3 and the UAE voted in favor of this text in the spirit of compromise and in order torecognize that some progress has been made. In particular, the adoption of a sunset clause that changes the sanctions regime, from open-ended to time-bound, is an important development as we chart a pathway for the lifting of sanctions.

• In this regard, the A3 and the UAE would like to make clear that sanctions are not intended to be an end or supposed to last forever; they are simply tools intended for maintaining or restoring international peace and security. The A3 and the UAE would like to reaffirm their principled position which is the full lifting of the sanctions on Darfur.

• We appreciate Council Members’ support and openness to engage on the A3 and the UAE’s initiative for a sunset clause. Overall, however, we believe that additional improvements could have been made and there were still opportunities for us to continue to engage to build consensus for the consolidation of a text that would better reflect the views of all.

Mr. President,

• The reality in Darfur, today, is very different from the security and political contexts in 2005 that led the Council to impose the Sanctions regime under Resolution 1591 (2005).

• Substantial progress has been made in the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement and the parties remain committed to finding solutions to materialize its provisions.

• While we have hoped we would establish clear, well-identified and realistic key benchmarks, we are confident in Sudan’s ability to demonstrate progress, and we trust the Council’s ability to take the appropriate measures next year based on the developments on the ground.
• In concluding, the A3 and the UAE, as regional representatives, are committed to constructively engage within the Council to support the progress in Sudan, including by ensuring that the decisions taken by the Council do not have unintended negative consequences.

I thank you.