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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Welcoming DR Congo political accord, UN Security Council urges efforts to resolve remaining issues

CSW61: Proposed organisation of work

The Proposed organisation of work for the 61st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women can be found below. 

CSW61: Proposed organization of work

POoW.pdf

CSW61: Annotated provisional agenda and proposed organization of work

Provisional agenda:

1. Election of officers.

2. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters.

3. Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”:

Somalia's presidential elections delayed again

Somalia.pdf

SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT S/PRST/2014/5

"The Council reiterates its intention when establishing and renewing the mandates of United Nations missions to include provisions for the protection of children and on the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women in conflict and post-conflict situations, including through the appointment of child protection and gender advisers and provisions to protect children’s rights and to facilitate women’s full participation and access

Security Council Presidential Statement S/PRST/2014/5

N1424277.pdf

2333 Justice

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

Expresses its continued concern that women and girls in Liberia continue to face a high incidence of sexual and gender-based violence, reiterates its call on the Government of Liberia to continue to combat sexual violence, particularly against children, and gender-based violence, to combat impunity for perpetrators of such crimes, to provide redress, support and protection to victims, including through public information campaigns and by continuing to strengthen national police capacity in this area and to raise awareness of existing national legislation on sexual violence, and encourages the Government to reinforce its commitment in this regard, including by funding the implementation of its national action plan on sexual and gender-based violence and improving women and girls’ access to justice;

2327 Justice + SGBV

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
South Sudan
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Further calls upon the Government of South Sudan, while taking note of paragraph 3.2.2 of Chapter V of the Agreement, to hold to account all those responsible for violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, and to ensure that all victims of sexual violence have equal protection under the law and equal access to justice, and to safeguard equal respect for the rights of women and girls in these processes, and notes that implementing holistic transitional justice measures, including accountability, truth-seeking and reparations, are key to healing and reconciliation;

Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea pursuant to Security Council resolution 2244 (2015): Somalia (S/2016/919)

Somalia:Eritrea (S:2016:919).pdf

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