In its consideration of report on the UN Mission to the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) in the context of its force level increase and the recently mandated Regional Protection Force (RPF), the Council must ensure it incorporates a gender perspective throughout its discussion, including prioritization of women’s empowerment and promoting gender equity. Past mandates have contained strong language on women’s participation in the implementation of the peace agreement and women’s protection concerns, although the most recent mandate took a step back from these commitments. The Council should ensure that future reporting on UNMISS and the situation in South Sudan remains strong by inquiring into any lack of such reporting, especially in the activities of the RPF. Given the severe security and humanitarian situation, the Council should also ensure that UNMISS continues to protect civilians and call on the mission to hold regular consultations with local women’s civil society organizations to ensure protection strategies are responsive to women’s security concerns (SCR 2252 (2015), OP 8(a)(i), (v), (vi); (b)(i)(ii), (iii)) and humanitarian aid and reintegration assistance to returnees is gender-sensitive. Specifically, the Council should:

• Insist on the need for accountability for grave human rights violations and abuses, including rampant sexual violence in IDP camps and local communities, particularly by ensuring that women are part of the design and implementation of early-warning and transitional justice mechanisms;
• Insist on accountability for all UNMISS personnel, particularly for those who fail to implement the mission’s protection of civilians’ mandate, considering the violence in Juba, which included rape and SGBV;
• Call on UNMISS to ensure specific reporting mechanisms for SGBV are available and accessible;
• Incorporate gender-sensitivity training into both UNMISS and RFP’s peacekeeping training and ensure gender parity in community liaison positions; and
• Ensure that women and men can safely access humanitarian assistance, including safe access to sanitation facilities, hygiene and health assistance, reproductive health, family planning, and maternal health services.

Furthermore, given the reported lack of government cooperation with UNMISS (S/2016/793) and the planned deployment of the RPF, the Security Council should indicate its willingness to follow through on SCR 2304 (2016) and trigger further sanctions and an arms embargo should cooperation not improve. The Council should also use the opportunity to fully integrate women, peace and security agenda into the implementation of the RPF’s mandate and any sanctions.

In its consideration of the existing sanctions regime in South Sudan, the Council must incorporate a gender perspective and address women’s concerns in the situation as a whole, including condemning SGBV and fulfilling commitments in its women, peace and security resolutions. Given the ongoing insecurity, the Council should ensure there is recognition within the monitoring and implementation of sanctions regarding the link between small arms and light weapons and SGBV, in addition to specifically including SGBV as a criterion for sanctions. Further, a comprehensive arms embargo should be applied, and a body should be established to monitor and report on its implementation. This body should conduct regular consultations with local women’s civil society organizations to ensure reporting and monitoring includes women’s security concerns. Reporting on sanctions should include the gender dimensions of the situation and the context for SGBV, ensuring relevant expert groups for sanctions committees have the necessary gender expertise (SCR 2242 (2015), OP 6). The Council should inquire into any lack of such reporting. Finally, all states should make a concerted effort to limit the number of weapons going into South Sudan, recognizing how these arms disproportionately impact women.

In its consideration of report on the UN Mission to the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) in the context of its force level increase and the recently mandated Regional Protection Force (RPF), the Council must ensure it incorporates a gender perspective throughout its discussion, including prioritization of women’s empowerment and promoting gender equity. Past mandates have contained strong language on women’s participation in the implementation of the peace agreement and women’s protection concerns, although the most recent mandate took a step back from these commitments. The Council should ensure that future reporting on UNMISS and the situation in South Sudan remains strong by inquiring into any lack of such reporting, especially in the activities of the RPF. Given the severe security and humanitarian situation, the Council should also ensure that UNMISS continues to protect civilians and call on the mission to hold regular consultations with local women’s civil society organizations to ensure protection strategies are responsive to women’s security concerns (SCR 2252 (2015), OP 8(a)(i), (v), (vi); (b)(i)(ii), (iii)) and humanitarian aid and reintegration assistance to returnees is gender-sensitive. Specifically, the Council should:

• Insist on the need for accountability for grave human rights violations and abuses, including rampant sexual violence in IDP camps and local communities, particularly by ensuring that women are part of the design and implementation of early-warning and transitional justice mechanisms;
• Insist on accountability for all UNMISS personnel, particularly for those who fail to implement the mission’s protection of civilians’ mandate, considering the violence in Juba, which included rape and SGBV;
• Call on UNMISS to ensure specific reporting mechanisms for SGBV are available and accessible;
• Incorporate gender-sensitivity training into both UNMISS and RFP’s peacekeeping training and ensure gender parity in community liaison positions; and
• Ensure that women and men can safely access humanitarian assistance, including safe access to sanitation facilities, hygiene and health assistance, reproductive health, family planning, and maternal health services.

Furthermore, given the reported lack of government cooperation with UNMISS (S/2016/793) and the planned deployment of the RPF, the Security Council should indicate its willingness to follow through on SCR 2304 (2016) and trigger further sanctions and an arms embargo should cooperation not improve. The Council should also use the opportunity to fully integrate women, peace and security agenda into the implementation of the RPF’s mandate and any sanctions.

In its consideration of the existing sanctions regime in South Sudan, the Council must incorporate a gender perspective and address women’s concerns in the situation as a whole, including condemning SGBV and fulfilling commitments in its women, peace and security resolutions. Given the ongoing insecurity, the Council should ensure there is recognition within the monitoring and implementation of sanctions regarding the link between small arms and light weapons and SGBV, in addition to specifically including SGBV as a criterion for sanctions. Further, a comprehensive arms embargo should be applied, and a body should be established to monitor and report on its implementation. This body should conduct regular consultations with local women’s civil society organizations to ensure reporting and monitoring includes women’s security concerns. Reporting on sanctions should include the gender dimensions of the situation and the context for SGBV, ensuring relevant expert groups for sanctions committees have the necessary gender expertise (SCR 2242 (2015), OP 6). The Council should inquire into any lack of such reporting. Finally, all states should make a concerted effort to limit the number of weapons going into South Sudan, recognizing how these arms disproportionately impact women.