Monthly Action Points (MAP) for the Security Council: March 2015

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Security Council will be renewing the mandate for MONUSCO in March 2015. In this context, the Council, building on Resolution 2147 (2014), should:

• Reiterate that MONUSCO’s protection of civilians mandate includes protection from SGBV with the assistance of WPAs;
• Strengthen women’s participation in the PSC Framework, via the women’s platform, by incorporating it into an operative paragraph as opposed to a preambular paragraph;
• Include women in the election process as candidates and voters, in addition to civil society;
• Maintain and expand its strong language condemning SGBV by all armed groups and continue to insist that all peacekeeping personnel adhere to the zero-tolerance policy;
• Ensure women’s role in DDR and SSR is promoted and capacity is built to recruit and expand female participation in the police force and address the differentiated needs of women, girls, men and boys in DDR programs;
• Request more specific reporting on WPS with the aid of gender advisors (including concrete information on targeted attacks of any nature on women, including women human rights defenders and sex-disaggregated data, and efforts to consult with women’s human rights organizations and displaced women in all stabilization and peace consolidation efforts) and mainstream gender throughout MONUSCO’s operations; and
• Commit to ending impunity for SGBV crimes and ensure that WPAs only investigate cases of conflict-related sexual violence with the consent of survivors and only after they have had access to lifesaving health care services.

The Security Council will be renewing the mandate for MONUSCO in March 2015. In this context, the Council, building on Resolution 2147 (2014), should:

• Reiterate that MONUSCO’s protection of civilians mandate includes protection from SGBV with the assistance of WPAs;
• Strengthen women’s participation in the PSC Framework, via the women’s platform, by incorporating it into an operative paragraph as opposed to a preambular paragraph;
• Include women in the election process as candidates and voters, in addition to civil society;
• Maintain and expand its strong language condemning SGBV by all armed groups and continue to insist that all peacekeeping personnel adhere to the zero-tolerance policy;
• Ensure women’s role in DDR and SSR is promoted and capacity is built to recruit and expand female participation in the police force and address the differentiated needs of women, girls, men and boys in DDR programs;
• Request more specific reporting on WPS with the aid of gender advisors (including concrete information on targeted attacks of any nature on women, including women human rights defenders and sex-disaggregated data, and efforts to consult with women’s human rights organizations and displaced women in all stabilization and peace consolidation efforts) and mainstream gender throughout MONUSCO’s operations; and
• Commit to ending impunity for SGBV crimes and ensure that WPAs only investigate cases of conflict-related sexual violence with the consent of survivors and only after they have had access to lifesaving health care services.

Libya

The Council will be considering the report and mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) this month. Given the current tenuous security situation, the threat posed by armed groups, illicit arms proliferation, and concern regarding instability within the government, the Council should address the following points in the renewal of the mandate as well as any discussions:

• Ensure women’s full and equal participation in all political processes, national dialogue, constitution-drafting, and reconstruction efforts. The government should ensure that women’s role in DDR and SSR is promoted and capacity is built to recruit and expand female participation in the police force. Women, including from ethnic and religious minorities, must also participate in all efforts to respond to extremist violence and in the development of strategies to prevent further attacks;
• Recognize women’s and girls’ particular protection needs and provide training for all security personnel to identify, respond to, and protect individuals from gender-based threats and abuses;
• Urge accountability for ongoing crimes, and call on the Libyan authorities to protect all foreign nationals, regardless of immigration status, from violence, exploitation, threats, and abuses, ensuring that all detainees are treated humanely, receive necessary medical treatment and are protected from torture and other violations, including SGBV; and
• Call on the Government to take adequate legal measures to protect survivors of SGBV and prosecute perpetrators.

The Council will be considering the report and mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) this month. Given the current tenuous security situation, the threat posed by armed groups, illicit arms proliferation, and concern regarding instability within the government, the Council should address the following points in the renewal of the mandate as well as any discussions:

• Ensure women’s full and equal participation in all political processes, national dialogue, constitution-drafting, and reconstruction efforts. The government should ensure that women’s role in DDR and SSR is promoted and capacity is built to recruit and expand female participation in the police force. Women, including from ethnic and religious minorities, must also participate in all efforts to respond to extremist violence and in the development of strategies to prevent further attacks;
• Recognize women’s and girls’ particular protection needs and provide training for all security personnel to identify, respond to, and protect individuals from gender-based threats and abuses;
• Urge accountability for ongoing crimes, and call on the Libyan authorities to protect all foreign nationals, regardless of immigration status, from violence, exploitation, threats, and abuses, ensuring that all detainees are treated humanely, receive necessary medical treatment and are protected from torture and other violations, including SGBV; and
• Call on the Government to take adequate legal measures to protect survivors of SGBV and prosecute perpetrators.

In view of the Security Council’s field mission to Burundi and the Central African Republic as well as consultations with the African Union this month, we urge Council members to make the implementation of the Council’s women, peace and security mandate a focus of their visit, in line with SCR 2122 (2013). As per the same resolution, Council members are reminded of their commitment to hold interactive meetings with local women and women’s organizations during the trip. In all contexts when meeting with Mission leadership, Council members should emphasize the importance of senior level support and promotion of WPS issues. In Burundi as per presidential statement 2015/6 the Council should call for women’s full participation both as candidates and voters in the upcoming election and other transitional processes. In CAR, the Council should meet with women organizations providing humanitarian assistance and services to survivors of sexual violence as well as request briefings by MINSUCA’s gender advisors and women protection advisors (WPAs). Consultations with AU officials should emphasize the importance of integrating gender perspectives into peace and security by including gender expertise and increasing female leadership in peacekeeping efforts as per SCR 2167 (2014).

South Sudan

In the Council’s ongoing discussions of the situation in South Sudan and in light of the most recent signed agreement, the Council should:

• Urge the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and the Opposition to uphold the spirit and text of the peace agreement and demonstrate the political will to abide by and implement the accord;
• Encourage the IGAD Special Envoys to remain committed to the full and effective participation of stakeholders, particularly of women, in the next round of political talks and in the formation of the forthcoming comprehensive peace agreement; and
• Encourage the IGAD Special Envoys to continue to promote inclusion, commit to broad and inclusive community consultations, and provide adequate funding to effectively implement the forthcoming agreement.

In the Council’s ongoing discussions of the situation in South Sudan and in light of the most recent signed agreement, the Council should:

• Urge the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and the Opposition to uphold the spirit and text of the peace agreement and demonstrate the political will to abide by and implement the accord;
• Encourage the IGAD Special Envoys to remain committed to the full and effective participation of stakeholders, particularly of women, in the next round of political talks and in the formation of the forthcoming comprehensive peace agreement; and
• Encourage the IGAD Special Envoys to continue to promote inclusion, commit to broad and inclusive community consultations, and provide adequate funding to effectively implement the forthcoming agreement.

Yemen

As the situation in Yemen continues to worsen, the Security Council should ensure that all peace and security processes are inclusive of civil society organizations, and particularly inclusive of women. Both the process and outcome of any effort to resolve the crisis should protect and promote women’s rights, ensure women’s full participation, and integrate a gender perspective which breaks down structures of inequality in order to establish inclusive, institutions and processes that will support peace. The Council should call for investigations of violations of human rights and ensure accountability for all perpetrators. Protection of women’s rights, and support for women’s participation is particularly important in the midst of a crisis, and thus, the Council must ensure these are priorities in all efforts to resolve the situation.

In its regular work, the Council should ensure that all country reports and mandate renewals evaluate the level of protection and promotion of women’s human rights, as per SCRs 1325, 1820 (OP 9), 1888 (OP 11), 1889 (OP 5), 1960 (OPs 6, 13), 2106 (OPs 5, 6), and 2122 (OP 2(d)). Member States should inquire about any lack of such reporting.