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.

For more resources on this Critical Issue, visit PeaceWomen Resource Center >>

Noting with great concern the persistence of human rights abuses and humanita...

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

Noting with great concern the persistence of human rights abuses and humanitarian law violations against civilians in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the killing and displacement of significant numbers of civilians, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and widespread sexual violence, stressing that the perpetrators must be brought to justice,reiterating its firm condemnation of all human rights abuses and international humanitarian law violations in the country, and recalling all its relevant resolutions on women and peace and security, on children and armed conflict, and on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts,

8. Encourages the Haitian authorities to take full advantage of that support,...

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

8. Encourages the Haitian authorities to take full advantage of that support, notably in enhancing Haitian National Police (HNP) capacity, modernizing key legislation and in the implementation of the justice reform plan, to take the necessary steps, including nominations, that will allow superior judicial institutions to function adequately, and to address the issue of prolonged pretrial detentions and prison overcrowding, with special regard to women and children;

Recognizing that strengthening national human rights institutions and respect...

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

Recognizing that strengthening national human rights institutions and respect for human rights, due process, combating criminality and sexual and gender based violence, and putting an end to impunity are essential to ensuring the rule of law and security in Haiti,

Welcoming the appointment of a Prime Minister and a Supreme Court President a...

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

Welcoming the appointment of a Prime Minister and a Supreme Court President and calling on all the relevant political actors in Haiti, in particular the Executive and Legislative branches, to engage in an effective dialogue towards a political agreement that would consolidate a concrete forward agenda for progress in key areas, such as Haiti's security, budget, recovery and development priorities, elections and electoral reform, including the participation of women in the electoral processes and the completion of constitutional reform,

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

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Afghanistan
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Human Rights
General Women, Peace and Security
Participation
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,

4. Recognizes the need for MINUSTAH to assist the Government of Haiti in prov...

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

4. Recognizes the need for MINUSTAH to assist the Government of Haiti in providing adequate protection of the population, with particular attention to the needs of internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups, especially women and children, including through additional joint community policing in the camps along with strengthened mechanisms to address sexual and gender-based violence; and to tackle the risk of a resurgence in gang violence, organized crime and trafficking of children;

31. Further requests MONUC to provide military training, including in the are...

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

31. Further requests MONUC to provide military training, including in the area of human rights, international humanitarian law, child protection and the prevention of gender-based and sexual violence, to the FARDC, including to the integrated brigades deployed in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as part of broader international efforts to support security sector reform;

10. Demands that all armed groups, in particular the Forces Démocratiq...

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

10. Demands that all armed groups, in particular the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), immediately cease all forms of violence and human rights abuse against the civilian population in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular gender-based violence, including rape and other forms of sexual abuse;

11. Requests UNMIT, working with partners, to intensify its efforts to assist...

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

11. Requests UNMIT, working with partners, to intensify its efforts to assist with further training, mentoring, institutional development and strengthening of the PNTL with a view to enhancing its effectiveness, including with respect to addressing the special needs of women,

Noting with great concern the persistence of human rights and humanitarian la...

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

Noting with great concern the persistence of human rights and humanitarian law violations against civilians in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the killing and displacement of significant numbers of civilians, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and widespread sexual violence, stressing that the perpetrators must be brought to justice, reiterating its firm condemnation of all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the country, and recalling all its relevant resolutions on women and peace and security, on children and armed conflict, and on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts,

Pages