I. Relevant Security Council resolutions/Guidelines of the Committee
The exemptions to the travel ban are provided for by the following:
- Security Council Resolution 2206 (2015)
: paragraph 11
- Committee Guidelines: Section 10
II. Who is entitled to submit the request for exemptions from the travel ban?
The States that may submit a request through their Permanent Mission to the United Nations are the State(s) of destination, the State(s) of transit, the State(s) of nationality, and State of residence. If no effective central government exists in the country in which the listed individual is located, a United Nations office or agency in that country may submit the request for exemption.
III. What type of exemptions to the travel ban can be requested?
There are three types of exemptions to the travel ban:
- For humanitarian need, including religious obligation
- For entry or transit necessary for the fulfilment of a judicial process
- For the furtherance of the objectives of peace and national reconciliation in South Sudan and stability in the region
IV. What should be included in the request for exemption from the travel ban?
Each request for exemption should include the following information:
- the name, designation, nationality and passport number(s) of the person(s) undertaking the proposed travel;
- the purpose(s) for the proposed travel, with copies of supporting documents furnishing details connected to the request such as specific dates and times of meetings or appointments;
- the proposed dates and times of departure from and return to the country from which the travel commenced;
- the complete itinerary for such travel including the points of departure and return and all transit stops;
- details of the mode of transport to be used, including where applicable, record locator, flight numbers and names of vessels;
- a statement of specific justification for the exemption.
Except in cases of emergency, to be determined by the Chair, all travel ban exemption requests shall be received by the Committee Chair no less than fifteen working days before the date of the proposed travel.
V. How to make requests for exemptions from the travel ban?
Please send the requests for exemptions from the travel ban to:
- The Chair of the Committee, His Excellency Mr. Michael Imran Kanu (Sierra Leone), through the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the United Nations.
With copies to:
- The Secretary of the Committee, Mr. Davey Mcnab, Email address: [email protected]
VI. Decision Making of the Committee
Once the Committee has approved a request for exemption from the travel ban, the Chair will write to the Permanent Missions to the United Nations of the State in which the listed individual is a national or resident or to the relevant United Nations office, informing them of the approval. Copies of the approval letter will also be sent to the Permanent Missions to the United Nations of all State(s) to which the listed individual will be travelling and transiting in the course of the approved exemption.
VII. Request for an extension of the exemption from the travel ban
Any request for an extension(s) of the exemption is subject to the procedures set out above and need to be received by the Committee Chair in writing, attaching a revised itinerary, no less than five working days before the expiry of the approved exemption period, and circulated to Committee members.
VIII. Changes to the approved exemption from the travel plan
Any changes to the required travel information previously submitted to the Committee, particularly the points of transit, shall require the prior approval of the Committee and shall be received by the Committee Chair and circulated to the Committee members no less than five working days prior to the commencement of the travel, except in cases of emergency, as determined by the Chair.
The submitting State (or United Nations office/agency) will inform the Chair immediately and in writing of any change to the departure date for any travel for which the Committee has already issued an exemption.
Written notification will be sufficient in cases where the time of departure is advanced or postponed no more than 48 hours and the previously submitted itinerary remains otherwise unchanged. If travel is to be advanced or postponed by more than 48 hours before or after the date previously approved by the Committee, a new exemption request must be submitted and should be received by the Chair and considered by the Committee.
For exemption requests based on medical or other humanitarian need, including religious obligation, the Committee will determine whether the travel is justified within the provisions of paragraph 11 of resolution 2206 (2015), once informed of the name of the traveler, the reason for travel, the date and time of treatment, along with flight details, including transit points and destination(s). In case of emergency evacuations, the Chair should be promptly provided with a doctor’s note containing details of the nature of the emergency and the facility where treatment was received by the patient, without prejudice to respect of medical confidentiality, as well as information regarding the date, time, and mode of travel by which the patient returned to his/her country of residence.
IX. After the travel
The Committee shall within five working days following the expiry of the exemption, receive written confirmation from the State in whose territory the listed individual resides, or from the relevant United Nations office, with supporting documents, confirming the itinerary and date on which the listed individual travelling under an exemption granted by the Committee returned to the country of residence.