Report of the Secretary-General on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (Implementation of UNAMID’s mandate from 26 November 2014 to 12 February 2015)

Code: S/2015/141

Period of Time and Topic: Implementation of UNAMID’s mandate from 26 November 2014 to 12 February 2015

Women, Peace and Security

The report includes the women, peace and security agenda but mostly in the context of sexual and gender-based violence. There are multiple accounts of sexual and gender-based crimes committed against women and girls, including rape, one of which includes information that the survivor was given medical treatment (S/2015/141, para. 18, 24, 25, 56, 76). There is additional information on the mass rapes in Thabit, including the report of the Attorney General appointed for a special court which found no evidence of rape and UNAMID’s continued difficulty in gaining access to the village (S/2015/141, para. 60, 78). Other references to WPS include a “gender desk” opening at a UNAMID displaced persons site and information that most displaced persons seeking protection at the UNAMID site in Sortony are women and children (S/2015/141, para. 51, 52).

References in Need of Improvement

Overall, the report could be stronger in its references to women’s protection concerns to better respond to UNAMID’s protection of civilians mandate which includes women (Resolution 2173 (2014) OP 8). The mentions of sexual violence crimes and the reporting on events should include broader information on the context of the situation for women in Darfur and more specific information on the protection of both women and men from sexual violence, including what UNAMID is doing to prevent sexual and gender-based violence (S/2015/141, para. 18, 24, 25, 56, 76). In an additional example, the report includes a reference to UNAMID conducting patrols to protect civilians in firewood areas, but does not specify how this helps women and if women’s protection concerns are taken into account in the design of the patrols to respond to UNAMID’s protection of civilians mandate, which includes women, and to report on the protection of women’s human rights (S/2015/141, para. 47). The report should also include additional information on the protection of and services provided to the displaced women in Sortony, including if the women are given equal access to gender-specific supplies and services including, but not limited to psychosocial, sexual and reproductive health services (S/2015/141, para. 52). They should also be involved in the design and running of the camps, including when to return to their homes, to ensure their participation and protection, and the inclusion of their concerns and promotion of their human rights (S/2015/141, para. 52).

In regard to women’s participation, the mention of the gender desk at a UNAMID site should include information on the displaced women and women’s civil society organizations that are involved with the design and running of the desk and gender expertise of the people staffing that desk to ensure it actually addresses displaced women’s concerns (S/2015/141, para. 51). If the desk does not interact with women in its design, the report should include next steps for UNAMID to address in its inclusion of women in its activities (S/2015/141, para. 51).

Missed Opportunities

The report misses several opportunities to fully incorporate the mandate in resolution 2173 (2014) in terms of women’s participation and protection. The report fails to respond to women and women’s civil society organizations’ participation in the peace processes in the numerous discussions of negotiations and meetings in the peace process section to ensure women and women’s human rights are included at all levels in any peace process including conflict resolution and post-conflict planning and reconstruction (Resolution 2173 (2014), OP 12, 24). Furthermore, the report should include information on how the Secretary-General is implementing resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women, peace and security in Darfur (Resolution 2173 (2014), OP 24).

The report, further, fails to fully respond to women’s protection concerns. It does not make any mention of mandated Women Protection Advisors to more fully report on women’s protection concerns within UNAMID operations and on the protection and promotion of women’s human rights (Resolution 2173 (2014), OP 24). The report also does not make any mention of time-bound commitments to end SGBV as referenced in resolution 2106 (2013), or any actions by UNAMID to monitor, report or prevent SGBV and other violations against women, in the protection of civilians section to promote and protect women’s human rights (Resolution 2173 (2014), OP 20, 24).

Ideal Asks for WPS Transformation

The report should be improved with an explicit reference to and analysis of all genders, emphasizing diverse masculinities and femininities, including the dynamics between and among genders as well as the power relations and hierarchies at play, and the intersection of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, class, and age across all political, peace, and security processes.