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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Statement of Rita Lopidia, October 2016

Extract: 

Many other commitments were made last year during the High Level Review on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on promoting women’s participation and gender equality, emphasizing conflict prevention, and financing the women, peace and security agenda. Unmet commitments are just words and do nothing to bring about peace.

Statement of the Security Council, Resolution 2313, Justice

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

Paragraph 60:

Encourages the Haitian authorities to continue to implement justice reform by taking the necessary steps, including through ongoing support to the Superior Council of the Judiciary, to ensure the independence and effectiveness of the judicial institutions, and to continue to address the issue of prolonged pretrial detentions and prison conditions and overcrowding, with special regard to women and children held in detention;

Security Council Resolution 2306

R2306.pdf

Meet the 13-Year-Old Girl Who's Chief of Police in India

India.pdf

Event- Cities and Refugees: The European Experience Event Summary

UNGA 71 Side Event- Cities and Refugees: The European Experience Event Summary 

The event was organised into two panels:

1. The Emergency and Sshort Term Response: Providing Safety and Sanctuary, which focused on the strategies implemented by local actors.

2. Strategies for Integration, which addressed workforce participation. 

Event- Informal Discussion Among Peacebuilding Organizations And Friends From Near And Far

2016.09.22-InformalDiscussionAmongPeacebuildingOrganizationsAndFriendsFromNearAndFarThematicSummary.pdf

Event-Making Every Woman and Girl Count

Every Woman and Girl Count.pdf

Statement of Libya at the General Assembly Debate, September 22, 2016

Libya.pdf

Statement of Guinea-Bissau at the General Assembly Debate, September 21, 2016

Guinea Bissau.pdf

Statement of Kuwait at General Assembly, September 2016

Extract: 

Reference to Peace Processes:
"the State of Kuwait hosted the Yemeni Peace Talks under the auspices of the United Nations from April until August 2016, in order to restore the security and stability in Yemen, while preserving its independence, sovereignty, and its territorial integrity."

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