UNITED NATIONS, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday extended the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan for six months until Dec. 31, 2024.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2737, the Security Council also requested the UN secretary-general to ensure that UNDOF has the required capacity and resources to fulfil its mandate "in a safe and secure way."
The 15-member council stressed that Israel and Syria are obliged to "scrupulously and fully respect" the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, and called on them to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any breaches of the ceasefire and the area of separation.
It also encouraged them to take full advantage of UNDOF's liaison function regularly to address issues of mutual concern.
The Security Council also called all groups other than UNDOF to abandon all UNDOF positions and return the peacekeepers' vehicles, weapons and other equipment, and further called on all parties to cooperate fully with UNDOF operations to ensure its freedom of movement, the security of the UN personnel carrying out their mandate, and unhindered and immediate access for them.
UNDOF was established in 1974 and has since been re-authorized every six months. It was last renewed on Dec. 21, 2023. ■
