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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Strongly condemning all violations of human rights and international humanita...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Sudan
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Human Rights
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Displacement and Humanitarian Response
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Strongly condemning all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the Darfur region, in particular the continuation of violence against civilians and sexual violence against women and girls since the adoption of resolution 1574 (2004), urging all parties to take necessary steps to prevent further violations, and expressing its determination to ensure that those responsible for all such violations are identified and brought to justice without delay,

Reiterating its strong condemnation of all violations of human rights and int...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Sudan
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Human Rights
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Displacement and Humanitarian Response
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Reiterating its strong condemnation of all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Darfur, and calling upon the Government of National Unity to take urgent action to tackle gender-based violence in Darfur including action towards implementing its Action Plan to Combat Violence Against Women in Darfur with particular focus on the rescission of Form 8 and access to legal redress,

12. Calls upon the Government of the Republic of South Sudan to take measures...

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

12. Calls upon the Government of the Republic of South Sudan to take measures to improve women's participation in the outstanding issues of the CPA and post-independence arrangements and to enhance the engagement of South Sudanese women in public decision-making at all levels including by promoting women's leadership, supporting women's organizations, and countering negative societal attitudes about women's capacity to participate equally;

3. Decides that the mandate of UNMISS shall be to consolidate peace and secur...

PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Human Rights
General Women, Peace and Security
Participation
Extract: 

3. Decides that the mandate of UNMISS shall be to consolidate peace and security, and to help establish the conditions for development in the Republic of South Sudan, with a view to strengthening the capacity of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan to govern effectively and democratically and establish good relations with its neighbours, and accordingly authorizes UNMISS to perform the following tasks;

(ii) Promoting popular participation in political processes, including through advising and supporting the Government of the Republic of South Sudan on an inclusive constitutional process; the holding of elections in accordance with the constitution; promoting the establishment of an independent media; and ensuring the participation of women in decision-making forums;

Stressing in this context the importance of further progress by the Afghan Go...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Afghanistan
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Human Rights
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Displacement and Humanitarian Response
General Women, Peace and Security
Participation
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Stressing in this context the importance of further progress by the Afghan Government in ending impunity and strengthening judicial institutions, in the reconstruction and reform of the prison sector, and the rule of law and respect for human rights within Afghanistan, including for women and girls, and in particular women's rights under the Constitution to fully participate in the political, economic and social spheres of Afghan life,

17. Requests UNMIT to fully take into account gender considerations as set ou...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Timor-Leste
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Human Rights
Peacekeeping
Extract: 

17. Requests UNMIT to fully take into account gender considerations as set out in Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009) as a cross-cutting issue throughout its mandate, stressing the importance of strengthening the responsiveness of the security sector to specific needs of women, and reaffirms its resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on protection of civilians and 1502 (2003) on the protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel;

Recalling its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (200...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Burundi
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Human Rights
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Displacement and Humanitarian Response
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Peace Processes
Extract: 

Recalling its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009) on women and peace and security, its resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts and its resolutions 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009) on children and armed conflict,

Welcomes the efforts being undertaken by UNFICYP to implement the Secretary-G...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Cyprus
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Disarmament
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Human Rights
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Displacement and Humanitarian Response
Extract: 

Welcomes the efforts being undertaken by UNFICYP to implement the Secretary-General's zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and to ensure full compliance of its personnel with the United Nations code of conduct, requests the Secretary-General to continue to take all necessary action in this regard and to keep the Security Council informed, and urges troop-contributing countries to take appropriate preventive action including the conduct of pre-deployment awareness training, and to take disciplinary action and other action to ensure full accountability in cases of such conduct involving their personnel;

15. Stresses the importance of the Congolese Government actively seeking to h...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Democratic Republic of the Congo
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Human Rights
Extract: 

15. Stresses the importance of the Congolese Government actively seeking to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the country and of regional cooperation to this end, including through its ongoing cooperation with the International Criminal Court and encourages MONUSCO to use its existing authority to assist the Congolese Government in this regard;

14. Welcomes the ongoing efforts of the Congolese authorities to fight agains...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Democratic Republic of the Congo
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Human Rights
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Displacement and Humanitarian Response
Extract: 

14. Welcomes the ongoing efforts of the Congolese authorities to fight against impunity and encourages their continuation, including against perpetrators of human rights abuses and international humanitarian law violations, including sexual violence, and against those responsible for illegal exploitation of natural resources, including those committed by any illegal armed groups or elements of the FARDC;

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