Monthly Action Points (MAP) for the Security Council: June 2019

Afghanistan

In the forthcoming report on the implementation of the mandate for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the level of detail and analysis provided in previous reports should be improved upon (S/2019/193), particularly in regards to the mission’s efforts to support women’s meaningful participation in political and peace processes and efforts to protect and promote women’s rights. The Council should inquire about the mission’s progress in providing technical expertise and supporting the establishment of clear procedures to engage Afghan women from diverse backgrounds in peace negotiations and conflict resolution efforts, including as negotiators, developed in consultation with female members of the High Peace Council (CEDAW/C/AFG/CO/1-2). Further, the Council should be updated regarding progress on ensuring the organization and facilitation of the elections scheduled for later this year are gender-sensitive, including by enhancing the security of women voters and candidates and establishing networks between government, civil society, and other stakeholders to promote women’s participation in elections as voters, candidates, and electoral observers. There should also be information on measures taken to ensure the security and protection of women officials and leaders, women’s rights activists, women human rights defenders, and journalists. (CEDAW/C/AFG/CO/1-2). Finally, senior officials should provide detailed updates regarding UNAMA’s support to, and progress on, implementing the NAP on Resolution 1325 (2000), including in the development of institutional and accountability structures, and finalization of the financial mechanism to ensure implementation in 2019 (S/RES/2242 (2015)).

Colombia

In its discussion of the forthcoming Secretary-General’s report and review of the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, the Council should call on the Colombian Government to fully fund peace implementation, including gender justice provisions and the Ethnic Chapter of the Peace Accord, in its National Development Plan. The Council should call on the Government to urgently implement security guarantees and protection efforts, including collective security protocols, and ensure that the Timely Action Plan (PAO) is implemented in consultation with women human rights defenders (WHRDs), particularly those from Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and rural communities, as well as women and girls who are former combatants or formerly associated with FARC. Briefings and reports should include information on ways in which the Mission and the Government are upholding and funding gender and racial justice provisions of the Peace Accord. Reports should mention progress on establishing and maintaining community-based and gender-responsive self-protection and early warning systems to address the presence of new armed actors and violence in territories formerly under FARC control. The Council should monitor Government attempts to modify the Peace Agreement, particularly the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, and request regular information regarding local-level implementation to ensure that women, particularly Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and rural women, are included in transitional justice and reconstruction measures. The Council should extend the Mission’s presence in the country to provide age and gender-sensitive reintegration and reincorporation support, specifically socioeconomic guarantees and income generation projects; women’s acquisition of land; and access to education and health services that encompass sexual and reproductive health care, and services that are inclusive of pregnant and lactating women and girls living in Territorial Training and Reincorporation Spaces (ETCR). All reincorporation initiatives at individual and collective levels, including reconciliation activities with civilians living near the ETCR, should utilize sex and age-disaggregated data, and be designed, implemented, and monitored through regular and inclusive consultation with women and girls formerly associated with armed groups and women’s organizations, particularly after the approval of the eight-year reintegration policy. The Council should also measure progress on the extent to which efforts to surrender weapons and disarm completely has positively improved the safety and security of rural women and girls and the LGBTI community, given the disproportionate impact weapons proliferation has on those groups. In this context, the Council should call on the Colombian Government to update and strengthen arms control regulations and permits in order to ensure that arms are not used to commit or facilitate human rights violations against women, including moving all political efforts for the ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

Darfur

For the forthcoming renewal of the United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) mandate, the Council should maintain all existing provisions (S/RES/2363 (2017), OPs 15(a)(i), (a)(ix), (a)(x), (a)(xi), (b)(v); S/RES/2429 (2018) OPs 19(iii), 27, 35), and further strengthen the mandate to ensure that the mission undertakes and supports timely investigations into incidents of SGBV, supports the provision of survivor-centered assistance to victims/survivors, and ensures that all victims of such violations have equal protection under the law and equal access to justice. As UNAMID is in the process of a multi-stage drawdown, the Council should include a provision that calls for any reduction in UNAMID’s presence to be based on a measurable peace process, which includes a Government-led, community-based reconciliation process with active participation of women and women’s groups. Further, the Council should strengthen language calling on the Government to actively support women’s participation in peace processes and transitional justice mechanisms. Additionally, the Council must demand the Government process visas to ensure the mission has the capacity to fulfill its mandated obligations (S/2018/154, paras. 25, 28). The mandate should reflect the notion of a “collective responsibility to ensure that UNAMID’s exit does not create a vacuum that leads to persistent local-level tensions or new risk factors.” This responsibility should be applied from a gender perspective that assesses the potential impact and consequences of UNAMID’s exit on the situation of women and girls. Finally, any WPS-related tasks undertaken in collaboration with the UN Country Team (UNCT) should remain fully supported as priorities; reporting and discussion should explore any challenges that face both UNAMID and UNCT in carrying out WPS activities.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Government formation in the DRC is delayed and clashes between rival armed groups in North Kivu have triggered an escalation of violence against civilians in the region, including killings, rapes and robberies, and the displacement of 60,000 people in April 2019 alone. Ongoing insecurity has impeded efforts to end the Ebola outbreak as healthcare facilities and treatment centers have been attacked. Security Council members are amongst the main humanitarian donors and should make sure of effective inclusion of gender mainstreaming in humanitarian responses to address specific needs and protection issues women and girls are facing. It is also urgent to strongly increase funding for stand-alone holistic care projects for victims of SGBV. As of 12 May, 56% of confirmed or probable cases are female (WHO); women and girls face a higher risk of contracting Ebola due to pre-existing gender norms and expectations which place them in the role of caregiver. The Council should call for leaders to consult with and ensure ongoing participation of women from affected communities and ensure that their voices and concerns are listened to and acted upon. This will only be possible through effective community engagement across all sectors of the response. Protection of civilians continues to be the first priority of the mission, as such the Security Council should inquire as to how protection measures are gender-sensitive and consider the specific protection needs of women and girls. Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) continues to be widespread and has increased by 60% in North Kivu over the last year, and sexual violence perpetrated by state actors reportedly increased by 34% in 2018 compared to 2017. The Council should urge The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) to work in consultation with women’s civil society to raise awareness about legal provisions on SGBV, call for survivors’ access to justice and services, and monitor and document cases of SGBV to prevent impunity among both State and non-State perpetrators. It is vital that the new Government prioritizes the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda by allocating sufficient financial resources and ensuring the inclusion of diverse women’s civil society groups in the implementation of the second NAP on Resolution 1325 (2000). The Council should further urge MONUSCO to ensure the full inclusion of women’s civil society in implementing and monitoring the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework. Given the long history of widespread efforts to undermine freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, the new President should prioritize the protection of those rights as a core commitment.

Mali

In its renewal of the mandate for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the Council should ensure all existing WPS-related provisions are maintained (S/RES/2423 (2018) OPs 38(a)(ii), (c)(iv), (d)(iii), (e)(ii), 64)). Further, the Council should continue to call for the Government to ensure women’s participation in processes and institutions that support the implementation of the Agreement (S/RES/2364 (2017), OP 2), including in the Cabinet — which currently  fails to meet the legal requirement of 30% for women’s representation — and the territorial administrative positions (S/2018/273). Previously agreed language calling on the Government to support the reintegration of survivors of SGBV and to make efforts to combat stigma at the national and local levels (CEDAW/C/MLI/CO/6-7, S/RES/2364 (2017), OP 11), should be maintained and strengthened with language calling for increased access to justice and advancement of current judicial proceedings to ensure crimes are fairly adjudicated in a timely manner.