Monthly Action Points (MAP) for the Security Council: July 2010

Burundi

In the forthcoming elections, continuing reports of violence raise concerns that these elections will not further consolidate peace in the country. Any support given to Burundi and monitoring of the security situation surrounding the elections should include specific information and analysis on the particular risks and dangers faced by women seeking to assert their electoral prerogatives. Special attention should be given to ensuring access to justice for victims of political violence.

Conflict Prevention & Resolution

The open debate to be held in July will focus on challenges and opportunities for preventative diplomacy. Council Members should support the systematic inclusion of women’s rights in all efforts for the maintenance of peace, and women’s equal participation and full involvement in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution. Specific entry points for the Council include:

  • Strongly support women’s engagement in all levels of decision-making within key national processes, regional and subregional organizations;
  • In advance of the upcoming African Union Peace and Security Council meeting, the Security Council should discuss how to strengthen its collaboration with regional efforts to meet women, peace and security obligations.

The open debate to be held in July will focus on challenges and opportunities for preventative diplomacy. Council Members should support the systematic inclusion of women’s rights in all efforts for the maintenance of peace, and women’s equal participation and full involvement in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution. Specific entry points for the Council include:

  • Strongly support women’s engagement in all levels of decision-making within key national processes, regional and subregional organizations;
  • In advance of the upcoming African Union Peace and Security Council meeting, the Security Council should discuss how to strengthen its collaboration with regional efforts to meet women, peace and security obligations.

Darfur / Sudan

The forthcoming report and mandate renewal for the UN Hybrid Operation mission in Darfur (UNAMID) should follow up on several outstanding requests from the Council, and on information requested in previous reports. In line with SCR 1881 (OP 14), the report should: articulate a comprehensive strategy regarding sexual violence, including progress on the UNAMID workplan’s call to work with the security sector to improve its response to sexual and gender-based violence; detail how and to what extent women have been consulted in the civil society consultation process (SCR 1881, OP 8); continue to report on concrete progress and remaining challenges faced by the Gender Crimes Special Investigation Unit. In the upcoming mandate renewal for UNAMID, action by the Security Council could include:

  • Strengthen the intent of OP 8 of SCR 1881 by calling on the AU High Level Implementation Panel to ensure that women and women-led organizations are placed at the forefront of their efforts to secure peace in Darfur;
  • Prioritize the call for all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, including women and children, from sexual violence, and continue the request to the Secretary General to report on progress made in creating and implementing a strategy to protect women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence, as currently requested in SCR 1881, OP 14;
  • Underscore the need for UNAMID to make full use of its capabilities to protect women and children in particular.

The forthcoming report and mandate renewal for the UN Hybrid Operation mission in Darfur (UNAMID) should follow up on several outstanding requests from the Council, and on information requested in previous reports. In line with SCR 1881 (OP 14), the report should: articulate a comprehensive strategy regarding sexual violence, including progress on the UNAMID workplan’s call to work with the security sector to improve its response to sexual and gender-based violence; detail how and to what extent women have been consulted in the civil society consultation process (SCR 1881, OP 8); continue to report on concrete progress and remaining challenges faced by the Gender Crimes Special Investigation Unit. In the upcoming mandate renewal for UNAMID, action by the Security Council could include:

  • Strengthen the intent of OP 8 of SCR 1881 by calling on the AU High Level Implementation Panel to ensure that women and women-led organizations are placed at the forefront of their efforts to secure peace in Darfur;
  • Prioritize the call for all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, including women and children, from sexual violence, and continue the request to the Secretary General to report on progress made in creating and implementing a strategy to protect women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence, as currently requested in SCR 1881, OP 14;
  • Underscore the need for UNAMID to make full use of its capabilities to protect women and children in particular.

Kyrgyzstan

The ongoing crisis in Kyrgyzstan should be immediately addressed in order to prevent further widespread violence, including sexual violence, and address the ongoing internal displacement crisis. There is a need for an international inquiry into the recent violence, particularly in light of the potential risk the situation poses to international peace and security.

Protection of Civilians

The forthcoming debate on this issue will follow-up on the implementation of SCR 1894 (2009). The Council should regularly employ the Aide-Memoire on the protection of civilians (PRST 2009/1), which highlights objectives for Council action specifically to protect women, and to ensure their participation in the prevention and resolution of armed conflict. Specific entry points for the Council on women, peace and security include:

  • Where women and girls are reported to be at risk of widespread or systematic violence in countries not regularly on the Council’s agenda, the Council should follow the situation closely, request relevant briefings and consider appropriate measures to protect.
  • When establishing and renewing state-specific sanctions regimes, the Council should consider measures against parties to armed conflict who commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls (1820 OP5).

The forthcoming debate on this issue will follow-up on the implementation of SCR 1894 (2009). The Council should regularly employ the Aide-Memoire on the protection of civilians (PRST 2009/1), which highlights objectives for Council action specifically to protect women, and to ensure their participation in the prevention and resolution of armed conflict. Specific entry points for the Council on women, peace and security include:

  • Where women and girls are reported to be at risk of widespread or systematic violence in countries not regularly on the Council’s agenda, the Council should follow the situation closely, request relevant briefings and consider appropriate measures to protect.
  • When establishing and renewing state-specific sanctions regimes, the Council should consider measures against parties to armed conflict who commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls (1820 OP5).

Somalia

The forthcoming report on Somalia will likely reflect the difficulty in gathering accurate and reliable information from the country. As noted in the May MAP, the inaccessibility in the region for humanitarian workers must not be taken as an indication that women’s human rights are being respected. Any forthcoming technical assessments of the situation must include gender expertise.

In Presidential Statement PRST/2010/8, the Council indicated its intent to take action on the proposed indicators on SCR 1325 (as requested in OP17 of SCR 1889) on the 10th Anniversary of SCR 1325. The final set of indicators must be comprehensive and meaningful, and the Council must ensure it institutes an effective system of monitoring and implementation.