Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform

The Justice, Rule of Law, and Security Sector Reform theme focuses on the application of a gender perspective into the post-conflict process of reforming security and justice institutions, with the aim of ensuring transparent, accountable, and effective services.

Huge gaps remain in area of security sector and justice reform although the United Nations and the Women, Peace and Security resolutions have stressed that Justice and SSR must be gender sensitive throughout planning, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation phases.

The Women, Peace, and Security resolutions stress the particular need for improved security sector responses to address and prevent SGBV. Member States are urged to undertake comprehensive legal and judicial reform to better protect women from violence (1888, OP6). Reiterating the call for prosecutions to end impunity (1325,OP11), Member States are called upon to investigate and bring perpetrators of sexual violence to justice (1820,OP4; 1888,OP6).

To help strengthen national judicial systems, and identify gaps in national responses to sexual violence, the Security Council requests that a UN team of experts work with national officials to enhance criminal responsibility for crimes of sexual violence (1888,OP8). Vetting armed forces to ensure the exclusion of those associated with past actions of rape and other forms of sexual violence is an essential component of Justice and SSR (1820, OP3; 1888, OP3). Finally, it is critical that access to justice, protection, and redress for survivors of sexual violence is ensured (1820, OP4; 1888,OP6-7).

The resolutions set out specific obligations, in addition to broader guidelines, for transitional justice and justice reform within SSR. Women’s rights must be ensured in the reform and rebuilding of the police and judiciary (1325,OP8), and within peace agreements. To facilitate this, SCR 1820 calls for the inclusion of women and women’s organisations in all UN-assisted reform efforts (OP10). Justice and SSR are crucial components of peacebuilding, and have a direct impact on a country’s ability to achieve sustainable peace. Both gender mainstreaming in policy making, and the participation of women, are integral to successful reform.

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Report of the Secretary-General on the Implementation of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015), 2332 (2016), 2393 (2017) and 2401 (2018) (S/2018/777)

Statement of PERU at the UNGA73

Protection: We give special importance to end violence and discrimination against women.

Human Rights: Our objective is to overcome the structural inequalities that women and girls face in Peru, guarantee their human rights and empower them so they can free their full potential and development.

Security Council Resolution 2434: Para 4

Security Council Agenda Thematic Topic: 
Peacekeeping
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
General Women, Peace and Security
Participation
Protection
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Para 4. Requests UNSMIL to take fully into account a gender perspective throughout its mandate and to assist the GNA in ensuring the full and effective participation of women in the democratic transition, reconciliation efforts, the security sector and in national institutions, as well as the protection of women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence, in line with resolution 1325 (2000);

Security Council Resolution 2434: Preamble

Security Council Agenda Thematic Topic: 
Peacekeeping
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Participation
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Extract: 

...

Urging the full, equal and effective participation of women in all activities relating to the democratic transition, conflict resolution and peacebuilding, supporting the efforts of the SRSG to facilitate wider engagement and participation of women from across the spectrum of Libyan society in the political process and public institutions,

Calling on the Libyan authorities to prevent and respond to sexual violence in conflict, including ending impunity for sexual and gender-based violence crimes in line with relevant Security Council resolutions, including its resolutions 1325 (2000), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013), 2242 (2015) and 2331 (2016),

...

Expressing grave concern at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Libya, including deteriorating living standards, insufficient provision of basic services, and at the situation faced by migrants, refugees and internally displaced people, and calling on all parties to respect international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as applicable, and further calling on the Libyan authorities to take all steps necessary to investigate violations and abuses, including torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and mistreatment in prisons and detention centres, and to hold those responsible to account,

...

Security Council Resolution 2431: Para 52

PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Para 52. Underlines the importance of respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians, especially women and children, and respect for relevant Security Council resolutions, by all actors in Somalia;

Security Council Resolution 2429: Para 56

PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Protection
Human Rights
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

56. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council every 90 days following adoption of this resolution on UNAMID, including:

(vii) enhanced, detailed and full information on abuses and violations of human rights, including those committed against women and children and violations of international humanitarian law;

(viii) developments regarding UNAMID’s support for local conflict resolution mechanisms, including progress regarding the full and effective participation of women;

Security Council Resolution 2427: Para 25

Security Council Agenda Thematic Topic: 
Children and Armed Conflict
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Protection
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Para 25. Urges concerned Member States, when undertaking security sector reforms, to mainstream child protection and ensure that the specific needs of girls and boys are fully taken into account, such as the inclusion of child protection in military training and standard operating procedures, including on the handover of children to relevant civilian child protection actors, the establishment of child protection units in national security forces, and the strengthening of effective age assessment mechanisms to prevent underage recruitment, while stressing in the latter regard the importance of ensuring universal bir

Report of the Secretary-General pursuant to Security Council resolution 2367 (2017) (S/2018/677)

Security Council Resolution 2422

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