Monthly Action Points (MAP) for the Security Council: March 2019 - NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security

Source: NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security

For March, in which France has the presidency of the UN Security Council, the MAP provides recommendations on Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Somalia.

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Afghanistan

In the forthcoming mandate renewal for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the Council should maintain the existing references to women and girls in both preambular and operative paragraphs (S/RES/2305 (2018), OPs 6(e), 10, 14, 15, 19, 21, 30, 38, 39), and add a new provision calling for gender to be a cross-cutting issue across the mandate of the mission. Further, the Council should also:

Call on the Government and its international partners to ensure counter terrorism and violent extremism efforts do not undermine human rights or impede the ability of civil society organizations (CSOs), including women’s groups, to operate effectively.
Add a provision to UNAMA’s mandate that calls on the mission to actively support the implementation of the National Action Plan (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), OP 2).
Further call on UNAMA, as part of its efforts to support implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to support implementation of the priorities of the NAP on 1325 (2000), including by ensuring all government budgets reflect stated priorities related to women’s rights and gender equality.
Add a provision to UNAMA’s mandate that calls on the mission to prioritize activities and efforts to promote women’s protection and participation, mirroring the request to prioritize child protection activities.
Add a provision to UNAMA’s mandate that ensures implementation of commitments made at the London, Kabul, Bonn and Tokyo conferences are gender-sensitive and inclusive.
Call on the Government and international partners to ensure efforts to counter drug trafficking are grounded in gender analysis and are gender-sensitive in their implementation.
Call on the Government and international partners to increase efforts to support women’s meaningful participation in all aspects of peace and security processes and make special note of the importance of addressing the sustained violence against Afghan women leaders and human rights defenders (CEDAW/C/AFG/CO/1-2).
Call on the Government to develop, in consultation with female members of the High Peace Council, clear procedures to engage women in peace negotiations and conflict resolution efforts (CEDAW/C/AFG/CO/1-2). Ensure that Afghan women from diverse groups, including from civil society and from various social, ethnic, political, and religious backgrounds, are included and meaningfully participate in peace talks, including as negotiators.
Request the Government to ensure the promotion and inclusion of women in electoral processes, including by developing a policy to this effect, and establish networks between government, civil society, and other stakeholders to promote women’s participation in elections as voters, candidates, and electoral observers.

Call on the Government and its international partners to ensure counter terrorism and violent extremism efforts do not undermine human rights or impede the ability of civil society organizations (CSOs), including women’s groups, to operate effectively.
Add a provision to UNAMA’s mandate that calls on the mission to actively support the implementation of the National Action Plan (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), OP 2).
Further call on UNAMA, as part of its efforts to support implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to support implementation of the priorities of the NAP on 1325 (2000), including by ensuring all government budgets reflect stated priorities related to women’s rights and gender equality.
Add a provision to UNAMA’s mandate that calls on the mission to prioritize activities and efforts to promote women’s protection and participation, mirroring the request to prioritize child protection activities.
Add a provision to UNAMA’s mandate that ensures implementation of commitments made at the London, Kabul, Bonn and Tokyo conferences are gender-sensitive and inclusive.
Call on the Government and international partners to ensure efforts to counter drug trafficking are grounded in gender analysis and are gender-sensitive in their implementation.
Call on the Government and international partners to increase efforts to support women’s meaningful participation in all aspects of peace and security processes and make special note of the importance of addressing the sustained violence against Afghan women leaders and human rights defenders (CEDAW/C/AFG/CO/1-2).
Call on the Government to develop, in consultation with female members of the High Peace Council, clear procedures to engage women in peace negotiations and conflict resolution efforts (CEDAW/C/AFG/CO/1-2). Ensure that Afghan women from diverse groups, including from civil society and from various social, ethnic, political, and religious backgrounds, are included and meaningfully participate in peace talks, including as negotiators.
Request the Government to ensure the promotion and inclusion of women in electoral processes, including by developing a policy to this effect, and establish networks between government, civil society, and other stakeholders to promote women’s participation in elections as voters, candidates, and electoral observers.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Security Council is expected to renew the mandate and consider a report of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). The existing references to women and girls in both the preambular and operative paragraphs of the previous resolution MONUSCO’s mandate should be maintained (S/RES/2409 (2018), OPs 36(i)(b), 37(ii)(b), 39, 40, 41). In addition, the Council should:

Include a provision in MONUSCO’s mandate to monitor threats to CSOs, including women’s groups, and restrictions on democratic space (S/RES/2122 (2013), OP 4) as well as prioritize the protection of women politicians, candidates, activities and human rights defenders (CEDAW/C/COD/CO/6-7). In accordance with Law 15/013, on women’s rights and gender parity, the Government is to establish, and with adequate resources, the Interministerial Committee and the National Council on Gender and Parity.
Include a provision in MONUSCO’s mandate which requires the mission to support the Government’s implementation of the NAP on Resolution 1325 (2000) (S/RES/2242 (2015), OP 2).
Include specific language in MONUSCO’s mandate that calls on humanitarian efforts, including the Ebola response, to be gender-sensitive and particularly engage with women and women’s groups.
Add new language in MONUSCO’s mandate that emphasizes the importance of ensuring any ‘enhanced political and conflict analysis’ is gender-sensitive (S/RES/2409 (2018), OP 33).
Emphasize that engaging with diverse women’s groups, including those representing marginalized communities, should be central to implementing its protection of civilians mandate (S/RES/2409 (2018), OP 36(i)(c)), as well as its efforts to support implementation of the 31 December 2016 political agreement (S/RES/2409 (2018), OP 36(ii)(a)).
Call upon the Government to effectively implement Act 08/005 (Article 3(5)) of 10 June 2008 which requests that political parties consider gender parity when establishing electoral lists and ensure that women are significantly represented in high- level decision-making positions.
Call upon the Government to enact the “Law on the prevention, control and reduction of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition,” which has been pending since 2013, and further engage CSOs, including women’s groups, in the development and implementation of disarmament and arms control programs that are gender-sensitive and tailored to the local context.

Include a provision in MONUSCO’s mandate to monitor threats to CSOs, including women’s groups, and restrictions on democratic space (S/RES/2122 (2013), OP 4) as well as prioritize the protection of women politicians, candidates, activities and human rights defenders (CEDAW/C/COD/CO/6-7). In accordance with Law 15/013, on women’s rights and gender parity, the Government is to establish, and with adequate resources, the Interministerial Committee and the National Council on Gender and Parity.
Include a provision in MONUSCO’s mandate which requires the mission to support the Government’s implementation of the NAP on Resolution 1325 (2000) (S/RES/2242 (2015), OP 2).
Include specific language in MONUSCO’s mandate that calls on humanitarian efforts, including the Ebola response, to be gender-sensitive and particularly engage with women and women’s groups.
Add new language in MONUSCO’s mandate that emphasizes the importance of ensuring any ‘enhanced political and conflict analysis’ is gender-sensitive (S/RES/2409 (2018), OP 33).
Emphasize that engaging with diverse women’s groups, including those representing marginalized communities, should be central to implementing its protection of civilians mandate (S/RES/2409 (2018), OP 36(i)(c)), as well as its efforts to support implementation of the 31 December 2016 political agreement (S/RES/2409 (2018), OP 36(ii)(a)).
Call upon the Government to effectively implement Act 08/005 (Article 3(5)) of 10 June 2008 which requests that political parties consider gender parity when establishing electoral lists and ensure that women are significantly represented in high- level decision-making positions.
Call upon the Government to enact the “Law on the prevention, control and reduction of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition,” which has been pending since 2013, and further engage CSOs, including women’s groups, in the development and implementation of disarmament and arms control programs that are gender-sensitive and tailored to the local context.

Somalia

The Security Council will be renewing the mandate for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). In its renewal, the Council must maintain existing preambular and operative language on WPS (S/RES/2158 (2014), OPs 1(d)(i), (d)(iii), (d)(iv), (e)(iii), 12; S/RES/2408 (2018), OP 5; S/RES/2372 (2017), OP 43) and update the mandate to include the standard, comprehensive language explicitly mainstreaming gender as a cross-cutting issue in UNSOM’s mandate. In addition, the Council should:

Add language calling on UNSOM to ensure core peace, security, and development frameworks, including the Security Pact, the Transition Plan, and the New Partnership for Somalia are implemented in a gender-sensitive manner. The language should ensure that relevant WPS provisions of each framework are prioritized in implementation and that women and women’s groups are supported in monitoring implementation and review of the frameworks.
Call on the Government and its partners to ensure efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism do not undermine human rights or the ability of CSOs, including women’s groups, to operate effectively.
Add language in UNSOM’s mandate that calls for the mission to actively support women’s meaningful participation as candidates and voters, including by ensuring their safety, in the in the context of its efforts to assist with elections preparation (S/RES/2408 (2018), OPs 2, 4, 21).

Add language calling on UNSOM to ensure core peace, security, and development frameworks, including the Security Pact, the Transition Plan, and the New Partnership for Somalia are implemented in a gender-sensitive manner. The language should ensure that relevant WPS provisions of each framework are prioritized in implementation and that women and women’s groups are supported in monitoring implementation and review of the frameworks.
Call on the Government and its partners to ensure efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism do not undermine human rights or the ability of CSOs, including women’s groups, to operate effectively.
Add language in UNSOM’s mandate that calls for the mission to actively support women’s meaningful participation as candidates and voters, including by ensuring their safety, in the in the context of its efforts to assist with elections preparation (S/RES/2408 (2018), OPs 2, 4, 21).

South Sudan

The Security Council will be renewing the mandate for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). In its renewal, the Council must maintain existing preambular and operative language on women, peace, and security (WPS) (S/RES/2406 (2018), OPs 7(a)(i), (a)(v), (a)(vi), (a)(vii), (c)(ii), 14, 17, 24, 26, 31, 33). In addition, the Council should:

Continue to call on parties to realize the 35% quota for women’s representation in all relevant implementation mechanisms during the pre-transitional and transitional periods.
Maintain language on ensuring gender is mainstreamed in all assessments, planning, and operations (S/RES/2406 (2018), OP 14) and continue to emphasize the importance of ensuring the mission has the civilian capacity to carry out protection tasks, including women protection advisors.
Include a mandate provision requesting UNMISS to continue to engage with diverse women’s groups, including those comprised of, or serving, marginalized communities, as a central component to implementing its protection of civilians mandate (S/RES/2408 (2018), OP 7(a)).
Request the Security-General to include reporting on the measures and steps that have been taken to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, as well as on implementing mission-wide communication with community-based strategies – and efforts to be gender-sensitive in this regard.
Call for the Government and relevant international partners to facilitate women’s meaningful participation in all policymaking, planning and implementation processes to combat and eradicate the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation, and misuse of small arms and light weapons in all aspects, including through consultations with women’s CSOs (S/RES/2117 (2013), S/RES/2220 (2015)).

Continue to call on parties to realize the 35% quota for women’s representation in all relevant implementation mechanisms during the pre-transitional and transitional periods.
Maintain language on ensuring gender is mainstreamed in all assessments, planning, and operations (S/RES/2406 (2018), OP 14) and continue to emphasize the importance of ensuring the mission has the civilian capacity to carry out protection tasks, including women protection advisors.
Include a mandate provision requesting UNMISS to continue to engage with diverse women’s groups, including those comprised of, or serving, marginalized communities, as a central component to implementing its protection of civilians mandate (S/RES/2408 (2018), OP 7(a)).
Request the Security-General to include reporting on the measures and steps that have been taken to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, as well as on implementing mission-wide communication with community-based strategies – and efforts to be gender-sensitive in this regard.
Call for the Government and relevant international partners to facilitate women’s meaningful participation in all policymaking, planning and implementation processes to combat and eradicate the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation, and misuse of small arms and light weapons in all aspects, including through consultations with women’s CSOs (S/RES/2117 (2013), S/RES/2220 (2015)).

Afghanistan

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Somalia

South Sudan

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