Statement on Gender Violence ahead of UNSC 19 June Debate
Statement on Gender Violence ahead of UNSC 19 June Debate
Susana Malcorra on women in diplomacy
Susana Malcorra on women in diplomacy
Statement / Global 1 minutes

Statement on Gender Violence ahead of UNSC 19 June Debate

Crisis Group welcomes the UN Security Council open debate on 19 June on the issue of women, peace and security, and specifically on additional steps that can be taken to protect women and children from sexual violence during times of conflict.  This debate is a timely recognition of the inadequacy of international measures to control what has become an epidemic of rape and other violence against women and children.  We welcome the personal participation of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as chair of this debate.

There are on-going negotiations on the text of offer a groundbreaking resolution compelling forceful action by the UN system under the direction of the Secretary-General.  Crisis Group  believes that there are a number of non-negotiable elements that must be included in such a resolution. These include:

  • A clear and forceful statement that the pattern of sexual violence against women and children in times of conflict can constitute, in itself, a threat to international peace and security and thus warrant engagement by the UN Security Council.
     
  • A provision that stresses the need to end impunity for acts of sexual violence during conflict, recognizing that given widespread use of rape as a weapon of war, amnesties mean that men with guns forgive other men with guns for crimes against women and children.
     
  • A decision that the Security Council as a matter of principle and policy is prepared to adopt targetted sanctions against individuals who are engaged in sexual violence against women in conflict, drawing on the useful precedent in UNSC Resolution 1807, which authorized such sanctions in the case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
     
  • An insistence that women play their full and vital role in all aspects of conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction and governance.
     
  • Full participation of women affected by violence in all decisions regarding implementation of the resolution in an inclusive process.
     
  • The requirement for a report on the United Nations response in implementing the resolution and otherwise addressing the issue of sexual violence in conflict, including the establishment of monitoring mechanisms, benchmarks for implementation, and accountability provisions to ensure that department and individuals take these requirements seriously.
     
  • A commitment to the full implementation of all provisions of UNSC Resolution 1325 from October 2000, including but not limited to promoting gender equality in political leadership, building gender-sensitive security forces, supporting women as they return to their homes, and ensuring safety for women and children in refugee camps and IDP settlements.

Brussels

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