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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Dozens of Women Vanish on Canada’s Highway of Tears, and Most Cases Are Unsolved

Dozens of Women Vanish on Canada’s Highway of Tears, and Most Cases Are Unsolved.pdf

Report of the Secretary-General on Somalia (S/2016/27).

The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 35 of Security Council resolution 2232 (2015), in which the Council requested me to report every 120 days on the implementation of the resolution, including on the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), and paragraph 17 of Security Council resolution 2245 (2015), in which the Council requested me to report on the implementation of that resolution, specifically

Report of the Secretary-General on Somalia (S/2016/27).

s_2016_27.pdf

Security Council Resolution 2288.

s_res_2288.pdf

Arlene Foster on Women, Leadership and Peacebuilding

Advocates Praise Senate Bill on Sexual Assault Victims’ Rights

Advocates Praise Senate Bill on Sexual Assault Victims’ Rights.pdf

World leaders not addressing gender inequality, President says

Statement of the United Kingdom, March 28, 2016.

Extract: 

To support that effort, we have to increase women’s participation in politics and society. That means delivering on the commitments we made in resolutions 1325 (2000), 1889 (2009), 2242 (2015) and so many others because breaking down barriers facing women in peace talks requires breaking down barriers facing women across society. It means helping girls stay in school, improving health care and, yes, tackling sexual violence.

Statement of Angola, March 28, 2016

Extract: 

Through partnerships with civil society organizations, efforts have been deployed in order to strengthen women’s participation in the country’s political and economic life. The non-governmental organization Roots of Peace was created with the aim of bringing together women from all political parties represented in Parliament to participate in the efforts to consolidate peace and democracy.

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