Central African Republic

The Central African Republic (CAR) has been engulfed in violent armed conflict since 2013, and conflict-related insecurity has left women and girls vulnerable to forced marriage, abduction, and especially sexual and gender-based violence; according to the International Development Monitoring Centre, 68% of girls in CAR are married before the age of eighteen. Women in the CAR continue to be largely excluded from peacebuilding and reconstruction efforts and have even been subjected to violence perpetrated by UN peacekeepers. Deployed in April 2014, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)is mandated to protect women, monitor and report on violations against women, adhere to the zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, ensure women’s full participation in conflict resolution and elections, and incorporate gender as a cross-cutting issue. To further this progress, based on the work of NGOWG members and their partners, the NGOWG advocates for more thorough monitoring of UN peacekeepers in CAR to ensure that no exploitation and abuse occurs on their watch.

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Central African Republic

Women in the CAR continue to be largely excluded from peacebuilding and reconstruction efforts and have even been subjected to violence perpetrated by UN peacekeepers. Deployed in April 2014, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) is mandated to protect women, monitor and report on violations against women, adhere to the zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, ensure women’s full participation in conflict resolution and elections, and incorporate gender as a cross-cutting issue. To further this progress, based on the work of NGOWG members and their partners, the NGOWG advocates for more thorough monitoring of UN peacekeepers in CAR to ensure that no exploitation and abuse occurs on their watch.

Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)

Central African Republic (April 2016)

The situation in CAR continues to be serious, with persistent violence, insecurity, and political and religious tensions. Although non-violent elections were held at the end of December 2015, more than a quarter of the population remains displaced and widespread attacks on civilians continue, which include high rates of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women. The Council is expected to adopt a technical rollover renewing the mandate of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). In its eventual renewal of the mandate for MINUSCA:

The Security Council should maintain the existing request for MINUSCA to consider gender as a cross-cutting issue across all of MINUSCA’s work (SCR 2217 (2015), OP 40) and the additional mandate provisions requesting MINUSCA ensure women’s protection and support women’s participation (SCR 2217 (2015), OP 32 (a)(iii), (b)(iv), (b)(v), (e)(ii));
The Security Council should strengthen the language on protection of civilians by including a specific call to consider concerns of women when developing and implementing MINUSCA’s protection strategy. The strategy must respond to communities’ protection concerns rapidly and appropriately, including through increased community engagement and recruitment of additional Community Liaison Assistants (CLAs), with a particular emphasis on recruiting women and ensuring CLAs have a strong voice within the mission;
There should be an increased emphasis on ensuring that MINUSCA has the capacity to support women’s participation in electoral and reconciliation processes, including national dialogues and transitional justice. There should be a specific call for the mission to regularly engage with civil society organizations, including women’s organizations; and
The Council should include new and strengthened language on sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), reflecting the recent independent review of CAR as well as SCR 2272 (2016) and further call for an emphasis on the code of conduct, accompanied by SEA prevention trainings for all military officers, integrated mission staff, and contingent focal points. Before deployment and training, peacekeepers must be vetted in accordance with the UN’s zero tolerance policy.

The Security Council should maintain the existing request for MINUSCA to consider gender as a cross-cutting issue across all of MINUSCA’s work (SCR 2217 (2015), OP 40) and the additional mandate provisions requesting MINUSCA ensure women’s protection and support women’s participation (SCR 2217 (2015), OP 32 (a)(iii), (b)(iv), (b)(v), (e)(ii));
The Security Council should strengthen the language on protection of civilians by including a specific call to consider concerns of women when developing and implementing MINUSCA’s protection strategy. The strategy must respond to communities’ protection concerns rapidly and appropriately, including through increased community engagement and recruitment of additional Community Liaison Assistants (CLAs), with a particular emphasis on recruiting women and ensuring CLAs have a strong voice within the mission;
There should be an increased emphasis on ensuring that MINUSCA has the capacity to support women’s participation in electoral and reconciliation processes, including national dialogues and transitional justice. There should be a specific call for the mission to regularly engage with civil society organizations, including women’s organizations; and
The Council should include new and strengthened language on sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), reflecting the recent independent review of CAR as well as SCR 2272 (2016) and further call for an emphasis on the code of conduct, accompanied by SEA prevention trainings for all military officers, integrated mission staff, and contingent focal points. Before deployment and training, peacekeepers must be vetted in accordance with the UN’s zero tolerance policy.