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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Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Bahrain (Extract 3)

Extract: 

The Kingdom of Bahrain continues to denounce in the strongest terms barbaric acts of sexual violence and calls for the prosecution of their perpetrators.

Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Syria (Extract 3)

Extract: 

In conclusion, I would like to underscore that Syria remains committed to supporting international efforts to end all forms of sexual violence, punishing their perpetrators and instigators and breaking the silence and unjustified disregard.

Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Montenegro (Extract 3)

Extract: 

It is unacceptable for crimes of sexual violence not to be reported and condemned and for those responsible not be held accountable.

Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Syria (Extract 1)

Extract: 

First, the Government of my country completely rejects the allegations in the report that the Syrian Government practices sexual violence.

Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Croatia (Extract 1)

Extract: 

In my own country, Croatia, rape was used as a method of intimidation and terror during the aggression to which we were exposed. Some 2,500 people — mostly women but also men — are estimated to have suffered severe forms of sexual violence during the Homeland War. Most of these cases remain unprosecuted and perpetrators continue to go unpunished.

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

Extract: 

Regarding women’s access to justice, we call on all States to take practical steps to address obstacles to women’s access to justice, including by creating an enabling environment in which women can easily report incidents of violence without fear or intimidation. Furthermore, we urge all States to strengthen the capacity of their national criminal justice systems in order to serve victims fairly and with dignity.

Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: South Africa (Extract 3)

Extract: 

Access to justice and legal recourse for cases of sexual violence is another essential component of the peacebuilding and reconciliation process. Without perpetrators having to face the consequences for their actions, there can be no justice for the survivors of sexual violence, and there can be no peace without justice.

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

Extract: 

The mandate of protection of civilians against sexual violence, in its broadest sense, must be explicit and treated as a priority in situations where, due to the nature of the conflict, civilians are at a high risk of suffering that type of violence. Those mandates must incorporate both prevention mechanisms and protocols to assist victims and ensure accountability of the perpetrators.

Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Sudan (Extract 4)

Extract: 

In order to address the challenges related to achieving justice and ensuring violators of human rights, and women’s rights in particular, are held accountable, a number of specialized prosecution offices have been established in Darfur states and new prosecutors have been appointed since 2015. That has improved the monitoring of human rights violations, including sexual crimes.

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