Participation

5. Calls upon Sierra Leone's electoral institutions, in particular the National Electoral Commission and the Political Parties Registration Commission to ensure that the preparations and conduct of the elections proceed in a peaceful, inclusive and credible manner, including through the full participation of women both as voters and as candidates, strengthen voter information and education, promote dialogue to resolve conflicts as well as political tolerance and non-violence; urges the Independent Media Commission to ensure compliance with the Media Code of Practice, and emphasizes the need for media practitioners to remain committed to providing professional, independent, and factual coverage and to promoting public education and dialogue during the electoral period;

Commending the Government for recognising the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, and its efforts to implement the Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security and on sexual and gender-based violence, and welcoming the launch of a National Gender Strategic Plan, the establishment of the National Committee on Gender-Based Violence and the adoption of the Sexual Offences Act,

Welcoming the steady progress the Government has made in implementing the Agenda for Change, in particular steps taken to sustain macroeconomic stability, promote gender equality, improve youth engagement, improve access to justice and human rights and strengthen the Government's management of the extractive industries, and commending the valuable contribution of UNIPSIL, the United Nations country team and the international community to the peacebuilding and development priorities in Sierra Leone, and in particular through the integrated United Nations Joint Vision and the Transitional Joint Vision,

Welcoming the important role played by the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), the United Nations country team, bilateral and international partners in supporting Sierra Leone to prepare for the elections, noting in particular efforts to improve the capacity and effectiveness of the national democratic, electoral and security institutions, promote inclusive political dialogue between the national stakeholders, promote a culture of non-violence and ensure the safe, full and equal participation of all sections of society, in particular women in the electoral process, and emphasizing the need for Sierra Leone's partners to continue providing technical, financial and political support to the electoral process, including through the provision of electoral observers,

21. Demands that the parties to the conflict immediately take appropriate measures to protect civilians, including women and children, from all forms of sexual violence, in line with resolution 1820 (2008); and requests UNAMID to report on sexual andgender-based violence, as well as to assess progress towards the elimination of sexual and gender-based violence, and further emphasizes the need to include protection to women and children from sexual violence and gender-based violence, as part of the mission-wide Protection of Civilians strategy identified in paragraph 3 above, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the relevant provisions of resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) are implemented by UNAMID, including supporting the participation of women through the appointment of women protection advisers, and to include information on this in his reporting to the Council;

Recalling also its previous resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, which reaffirm, inter alia, the relevant provisions of the United Nations World Summit outcome document; 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), and 1998 (2011) on children and armed conflict; 1502 (2003) on the protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel; and 1325 (2000) and associated resolutions on women, peace and security and children and armed conflict,

Recalling its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), and 1960 (2010) on women, peace and security, its resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), and 1998 (2011) on children and armed conflict, and its resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts, and reiterating the vital role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security and their key role in re-establishing the fabric of societies recovering from conflict, and further reaffirming the importance of implementing the National Action Plan on resolution 1325 (2000),

Recognizing the efforts of the Government of Iraq in the promotion and protection of the human rights of women and reaffirming its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) on women, peace, and security and reiterating the need for the full, equal, and effective participation of women; reaffirming the key role women can play in re-establishing the fabric of society and stressing the need for their full political participation, including in the development of national strategies in order to take into account their perspectives,

Reaffirming the importance of the United Nations, in particular the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), in advising, supporting and assisting the Iraqi people, including civil society, and Government to strengthen democratic institutions, advance inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation according to the Constitution, facilitate regional dialogue, develop processes acceptable to the Government of Iraq to resolve disputed internal boundaries, aid youth and vulnerable groups including refugees and internally displaced persons, promote the protection of human rights, gender equality, youth, and vulnerable groups, and promote judicial and legal reform, and emphasizing the importance of the United Nations, in particular UNAMI, prioritizing advice, support, and assistance to the Iraqi people, including civil society, and Government to achieve these goals,

Agreeing that active participation of civil society groups, including women's groups, is essential to the political process and can contribute to making any future settlement sustainable, recalling that women play an important role in peace processes, welcoming all efforts to promote bicommunal contacts and events including, inter alia, on the part of all United Nations bodies on the island, and urging the two sides to promote the active engagement of civil society and the encouragement of cooperation between economic and commercial bodies and to remove all obstacles to such contacts,