Monthly Action Points (MAP) for the Security Council: January 2025

Haiti

Violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Haiti continue with impunity. Criminal violence has reached a record high, enabled by the widespread availability of firearms trafficked into the country and exacerbating an already extreme humanitarian crisis. Over 700,000 people are internally displaced, and 5.5 million Haitians — nearly half the population — require humanitarian assistance. The humanitarian response, especially by local women-led and women’s rights organizations, is hindered by a severe lack of funding.

Criminal groups now control over 85% of the capital, including critical civilian infrastructure. Violence perpetrated against Haitians is highly gendered: while men comprise the majority of individuals targeted for killing, diverse women and girls comprise the majority of individuals targeted for sexual violence as a means through which criminal groups seek to control and subjugate the population. A weakened justice system, corruption and lack of police presence exacerbate the situation, leaving many victims without recourse. Many survivors, including LGBTIQ people and those targeted in IDP sites, do not report sexual violence for fear of reprisal. Children now comprise up to 50% of criminal group members, and girls recruited by criminal groups are forced into traditional gender roles and face heightened risk of sexual violence. Access to healthcare is scarce, and survivors are largely unable to access sexual and reproductive care or sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) response services. Haiti’s total ban on abortion further violates the human rights of women and girls and is a leading cause of maternal mortality.

Despite the deeply gendered nature of the crisis and women’s crucial role in the response, Haitian women remain sidelined in the political transition. The Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) has no women among its voting members, only four of 18 Cabinet members are women, and the TPC did not consider any women candidates for the position of Prime Minister.

Security Council members should:

• Urgently ensure the necessary resources for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, authorized pursuant to Resolution 2751 (2024). Take all measures to prevent the unlawful use of force, harm to local populations due to negligence and other abuses by establishing clear, mandatory and enforceable parameters that detail the operational and oversight measures for protection of civilians, including against sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accessible and effective remedies for victims and promote full adherence to the UN human rights due diligence policy.
• Support the efforts of the TPC to restore basic security, create an environment for democratic elections and assist Haiti in rebuilding its justice system and prioritizing accountability for serious human rights abuses including SGBV.
• Demand respect for women’s human rights, and condemn all violations thereof, including attacks on women human rights defenders (WHRDs), women’s civil society and women humanitarian aid workers, who must be able to operate freely and without fear of threat or reprisal.
• Demand that all peace, security and political processes are Haitian-led and Haitian-owned, and ensure the full, equal, safe and meaningful participation and leadership of diverse women throughout, including in the TPC. Call on the TPC to implement the 30% minimum quota for women’s representation at all levels, in accordance with Haiti’s Constitution.
• Call for the immediate, safe and non-discriminatory delivery of gender-responsive humanitarian aid to Haitians in need, ensuring that intersectional gender analysis, sex-, age- and disability disaggregated data (SADD) and GBV risk mitigation assessment inform all humanitarian action, and ensure that the implementation measures acknowledge and address the specific needs of lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (LBTQ) women. Ensure funding for the humanitarian response, including increased volume of quality and direct flexible funding to women-led and women’s rights organizations.
• Condemn the forcible return of refugees and asylum seekers to Haiti, which violates the non-refoulement principle of international law.

Israel / Palestine

Continuing widespread violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) must be understood in the context of Israel’s unlawful occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which impacts diverse Palestinian women and girls.

Israel’s military offensive in Gaza since October 2023 — described by some international experts as constituting genocide — has now killed over 45,000 Palestinians, injured over 108,000, and forcibly displaced 90% of Gaza’s population. Constant violations of international humanitarian law continue, including attacks on civilian infrastructure and targeting of humanitarian and UN personnel.  Bombardment of hospitals and the ongoing blockade of Gaza have decimated the healthcare system, putting mothers and newborns at particular risk of physical and mental harm, and violating Palestinian women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights and rights to life, health, human dignity and non-discrimination. It also risks outbreaks of infectious diseases including polio and hepatitis A. The risk of famine persists across Gaza, especially in the north, exposing women and marginalized groups to additional health consequences and protection risks. This already catastrophic humanitarian situation is further threatened by Israel’s recent adoption of two laws heavily restricting the vital operations of UNRWA. Violence has also escalated since 7 October in the West Bank, where at least 800 Palestinians have been killed, and over 5,300 displaced by Israeli authorities’ demolition or confiscation of their homes. Arrests of Palestinians have surged, and Palestinian detainees, including women and girls, reportedly face torture, including sexual violence, in detention.

The conflict’s spread to Lebanon has displaced over 1.2 million people, many of whom were already displaced prior to the conflict in a country hosting the world’s largest per capita refugee population. Displaced women and girls in Lebanon face disproportionate risks of GBV in shelters and IDP sites, particularly impacting forcibly displaced Syrians, other refugees and migrant workers who already faced discrimination and protection risks before the conflict escalation. Marginalized groups, including female-headed households, elderly persons and persons with disabilities, are disproportionately affected by the compounding crises, facing barriers to emergency and health services. As in Gaza, attacks on health workers and infrastructure violate women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, including for pregnant and postpartum women. In the wake of the ceasefire announced between Israel and Lebanon in November 2024, civilians have begun returning to their homes, including in Southern Lebanon where whole villages were destroyed, and as multiple ceasefire violations have been reported. It is crucial to ensure sustained and flexible humanitarian funding including support to local women-led organizations who are at the forefront of the crisis response and must be able to pivot programming quickly to respond to rapidly emerging needs for all, including Palestinian refugees, Syrians, LGBTIQ individuals and other marginalized populations.

The Security Council must:

• Demand an immediate, full and complete ceasefire in accordance with Resolution 2735 (2024), and ensure a full and lasting ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
• Demand all parties comply with their obligations under international law, including protecting and immediately stopping all attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure and humanitarian actors.
• Ensure full, immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access into Gaza, as required by Resolutions 2728 and 2720 (2023). Act to prevent the implementation of legislation restricting the operations of UNRWA. All donors should urgently restore and scale up funding for UNRWA.
• Demand an immediate halt to the transfer of weapons, parts and ammunition to Israel and Palestinian armed groups while there is risk that they are used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international law.
• Demand the humane treatment and immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and all forcibly detained and imprisoned without charge, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
• Call on the Government of Israel to immediately and fully comply with all provisional measures ordered by the ICJ to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, including by lifting the blockade of Gaza. All Member States must uphold their obligation to prevent genocide.
• Demand an immediate end to the forcible transfer of civilians in violation of international humanitarian law and an immediate end to all measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of Palestinian territory, including immediate cessation of Israeli settlement activities.
• Urge all parties to cooperate with independent, impartial investigations, including the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, to monitor, collect and verify evidence, and report on human rights violations and abuses, including GBV, committed by all parties on and since 7 October in Israel, the OPT and Lebanon; further, ensure that all justice and accountability efforts are human rights-based, survivor-centered and non-discriminatory and designed and implemented in partnership with survivors.
• Call on all states to consider implementing the recommendations of the July 2024 ICJ advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation, including: not to recognize as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of Israel in the OPT; not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation; to take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation, such as banning trade with settlements; and other measures.
• Demand respect for the rights of diverse Palestinian women, including WHRDs, peace activists and journalists, in line with international law, and demand their full, equal, meaningful and safe participation in all efforts to build peace and in shaping post-conflict recovery.