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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Through the Lens of Civil Society: Summary Report of the Public Submissions to the Global Study on Women, Peace and Security

May 29 Copy - Through the Lens of Civil Society - Executive Summary For Summary Report.pdf

Arria Formula Meeting on Women, Peace and Security and the 2015 Peace and Security Reviews

On Thursday (21 May), Security Council members held a closed Arria-formula meeting, organised by Spain, focused on key women, peace and security recommendations to the Security Council from the upcoming Global Study on the implementation of UNSCR Resolution 1325, the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations and the Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture.

Recalling its resolutions 1196 (1998), 1209 (1998), 1467 (2003) and 2117 (2013), the statements of its President of 25 April 2012 (S/PRST/2012/16), 19 March 2010 (S/PRST/2010/6), of 14 January 2009 (S/PRST/2009/1), of 29 June 2007 (S/PRST/2007/24), of 17

PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
General Women, Peace and Security
Conflict Prevention
Disarmament
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Recalling its resolutions 1196 (1998), 1209 (1998), 1467 (2003) and 2117 (2013), the statements of its President of 25 April 2012 (S/PRST/2012/16), 19 March 2010 (S/PRST/2010/6), of 14 January 2009 (S/PRST/2009/1), of 29 June 2007 (S/PRST/2007/24), of 17 February 2005 (S/PRST/2005/7), of 19 January 2004 (S/PRST/2004/1), of 31 October 2002 (S/PRST/2002/30), of 31 August 2001 (S/PRST/2001/21) and of 24 September 1999 (S/PRST/1999/28), as well as other relevant resolutions of the Council and statements of its President, including on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, women and peace and security and children in armed conflict 

Recalling its resolutions 1196 (1998), 1209 (1998), 1467 (2003) and 2117 (2013), the statements of its President of 25 April 2012 (S/PRST/2012/16), 19 March 2010 (S/PRST/2010/6), of 14 January 2009 (S/PRST/2009/1), of 29 June 2007 (S/PRST/2007/24), of 17

PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
General Women, Peace and Security
Conflict Prevention
Disarmament
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Recalling its resolutions 1196 (1998), 1209 (1998), 1467 (2003) and 2117 (2013), the statements of its President of 25 April 2012 (S/PRST/2012/16), 19 March 2010 (S/PRST/2010/6), of 14 January 2009 (S/PRST/2009/1), of 29 June 2007 (S/PRST/2007/24), of 17 February 2005 (S/PRST/2005/7), of 19 January 2004 (S/PRST/2004/1), of 31 October 2002 (S/PRST/2002/30), of 31 August 2001 (S/PRST/2001/21) and of 24 September 1999 (S/PRST/1999/28), as well as other relevant resolutions of the Council and statements of its President, including on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, women and peace and security and children in armed conflict 

Welcoming the political commitment of the Ivorian authorities to the SSR process and the efforts made towards its implementation, including through the elaboration of the legal framework for SSR defining the national strategy of the SSR as well as the nat

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Cote d’Ivoire
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Human Rights
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Extract: 

Welcoming the political commitment of the Ivorian authorities to the SSR process and the efforts made towards its implementation, including through the elaboration of the legal framework for SSR defining the national strategy of the SSR as well as the national security strategy, enhanced cooperation between the National Security Council and the line ministries and international community, as well as the efforts towards decentralization of the SSR process, reinforcement of democratic governance of this sector, and efforts towards improving the gender balance within the security forces, while expressing concern about the delays in the adoption of certain laws and regulations relevant to SSR and the insufficient cohesion within the army, and urging an acceleration of efforts to reform the security sector, including by putting in place an effective chain of command, a system of military justice and appropriate budgetary allocations 

Reiterating its firm condemnation of all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Côte d’Ivoire, condemning all violence committed against civilians, including women, children, internally displaced persons and foreign nationals, a

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Cote d’Ivoire
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Peace Processes
Protection
Human Rights
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Reiterating its firm condemnation of all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Côte d’Ivoire, condemning all violence committed against civilians, including women, children, internally displaced persons and foreign nationals, and other violations and abuses of human rights, and stressing that the perpetrators on all sides must be brought to justice, whether in domestic or international courts, and encouraging the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to further continue its close cooperation with the International Criminal Court 

S/RES/2219 (2015)

Côte D'Ivoire_Res2219_2015.pdf

Support for the implementation of the transition process, the extension of State authority and the preservation of territorial integrity

PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Participation
Peace Processes
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Extract: 

Support for the implementation of the transition process, the extension of State authority and the preservation of territorial integrity:

To assist the Transitional Authorities and, subsequently, the elected authorities, in mediation and reconciliation processes at both the national and local levels, working with relevant regional and local bodies and religious leaders, including through inclusive national dialogue, transitional justice and conflict-resolution mechanisms, while ensuring the full and effective participation of women;

To devise, coordinate and provide technical, logistical and security assistance to the electoral process and make all necessary preparations, in support of the Transitional Authorities and working on an urgent basis with the NEA, for the holding, in accordance with the transitional national charter, as a matter of urgency and as soon as possible, of the free, fair, transparent and inclusive presidential and legislative elections currently scheduled to take place by August 2015, in order to complete the political transition in a timely manner, including the full and effective participation of women at all levels and at an early stage, in all phases of the electoral process, and the participation of CAR IDPs and refugees  

Urges the Transitional Authorities, as well as the National Elections Authority (NEA), in accordance with the transitional national charter, to accelerate the preparations in order to hold as a matter of urgency and as soon as possible the free, fair, tra

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Central African Republic
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Participation
Protection
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Extract: 

Urges the Transitional Authorities, as well as the National Elections Authority (NEA), in accordance with the transitional national charter, to accelerate the preparations in order to hold as a matter of urgency and as soon as possible the free, fair, transparent and inclusive presidential and legislative elections currently scheduled to take place by August 2015, ensuring the full, effective and equal participation of women, IDPs and CAR refugees, the return of whom should be an important objective 

Recalling its resolutions 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), 1674 (2006), 1738 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, its resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2068 (2012) and 2143 (2014) on Children and Armed Conflic

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Central African Republic
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
General Women, Peace and Security
Conflict Prevention
Peace Processes
Displacement and Humanitarian Response
Human Rights
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Extract: 

Recalling its resolutions 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), 1674 (2006), 1738 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, its resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2068 (2012) and 2143 (2014) on Children and Armed Conflict and its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013) and 2122 (2013) on Women, Peace and Security and calling upon all parties in the CAR to engage with the Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict and the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict 

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