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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Justice For All: Challenge Paper for the First Meeting of the Task Force on Justice

This challenge paper provides a starting point for the Task Force on Justice as it begins working to encourage an acceleration in the provision of justice to people and communities outside the protection of the law, in line with SDG16.3 and related targets on justice.

Justice For All: Challenge Paper for the First Meeting of the Task Force on Justice

6c192f_12c2f80b9751498ab30ec4de0378766a.pdf

High-level Group On Justice For Women Meets In The Hague

This article describes the inaugural meeting of the High-level Group on Justice for Women, which took place in The Hague from 28 – 29 May. Convened by UN Women, the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), the High-level Group consists of justice, human rights and gender experts from governments, civil society organizat

High-level Group On Justice For Women Meets In The Hague

High-level Group on Justice for Women meets in The Hague.pdf

Security Council Resolution 2405 (Operative Clause 21)

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

Welcomes the ongoing efforts of the Afghan authorities to enhance the capabilities of the Afghan National Police, calls for further efforts towards that goal, including the commitment by the Ministry of Interior and the Afghan National Police to develop an effective strategy for coordinating increased recruitment, retention, training and capacity development for women in the Afghan National Police, fully implement Afghanistan’s 1325 National Action Plan, and further the implementation of their gender integration strategy, stresses the importance of international assistance through financial support and provision of trainers and mentors, and notes the importance of a sufficient and capable police force for Afghanistan’s long-term security

Security Council Resolution 2405 (Preamble)

PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Participation
Protection
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Human Rights
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Reaffirming that all parties to armed conflict must take all feasible steps to ensure the protection of civilians, especially women, children and displaced persons, including from sexual and gender-based violence, and that perpetrators of such violence must be held accountable [...] Expressing its deep concern about the continued high level of civilian casualties, as noted in the February 2018 UNAMA report on Protection of Civilians in armed conflict, and condemning the suicide attacks, often in civilian-populated areas, and the targeted and deliberate killings, in particular of women and girls, including high - level women officials and those promoting women’s rights, as well as journalists [...] Reaffirming that gender equality and women’s and girl’s empowerment, education, human rights, and full participation and engagement in all levels of decision-making are critical to efforts to maintain peace and security in Afghanistan, urging the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), and emphasizing the need for protection for women’s rights activists

“I lost my dignity”: Sexual and gender-based violence in the Syrian Arab Republic Conference room paper of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic

A-HRC-37-CRP-3.pdf

Report of the Secretary-General pursuant to Security Council resolution 2367 (2017) (S/2018/359)

S-2018-359 (Iraq).pdf

Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Morocco (Extract 2)

Extract: 

Secondly, access to justice for victims must be strengthened, and impunity must be combated by bringing the perpetrators and those responsible for sexual violence to justice.

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