In its discussion of the situation in Mali, the Council should support key elements regarding women’s participation in conflict prevention and resolution, and the cessation of human rights abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence, as per SCRs 2056 & 2071. Any authorization of a military force in Mali must be accompanied by the mandating of a UN human rights presence, including strong gender expertise, to independently monitor the adherence of all parties to the conflict to international humanitarian and human rights law. This mandate must include public and regular reporting to the Security Council on findings and recommendations. Any such military force must be subjected to strict vetting procedures, and pre-deployment training should reach best practice standards, particularly regarding sexual violence in conflict. In addition, Mali requires an urgent upscale in specialized gender-based violence (GBV) service delivery, with humanitarian organizations leading the GBV response requiring continuous support from the GBV Sub-Cluster leadership.