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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4. Decides further that UNAMA and the Special Representative of the Secretary...

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

4. Decides further that UNAMA and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, within their mandate and guided by the principle of reinforcing Afghan ownership and leadership, will lead the international civilian efforts to, inter alia:

(g). continue, with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to cooperate with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), to cooperate also with relevant international and local non-governmental organizations, to monitor the situation of civilians, to coordinate efforts to ensure their protection and to assist in the full implementation of the fundamental freedoms and human rights provisions of the Afghan Constitution and international treaties to which Afghanistan is a state party, in particular those regarding the full enjoyment by women of their human rights;

14. Calls upon all concerned parties to ensure that the protection of women a...

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

14. Calls upon all concerned parties to ensure that the protection of women and children is addressed in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement as well as the post-conflict reconstruction and recovery phases, including continued monitoring and reporting of the situation of women and children and that all reported abuses are investigated and those responsible brought to justice;

15. Requests UNOCI, within its existing resources and mandate, to continue to...

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

15. Requests UNOCI, within its existing resources and mandate, to continue to bring its full support to the parties in the implementation of the remaining tasks under the Ouagadougou Political Agreement and its Supplementary Agreements, in particular those that are essential to the holding of a open, free, fair and transparent presidential election, to provide technical and logistical support to the Independent Electoral Commission for the preparation and the holding of the elections in a secure environment, to continue to support the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme and the disarmament and dismantling of militias and to continue to contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights, including the protection of women and children, pursuant to paragraph 26 of its resolution 1880 (2009);

13. Reaffirms paragraphs 14 to 17 of its resolution 1880 (2009), calls upon a...

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

13. Reaffirms paragraphs 14 to 17 of its resolution 1880 (2009), calls upon all Ivorian parties, with the continued support of UNOCI, to ensure the protection of civilians, including women and children, to fully implement the recommendations by its working group on Children and Armed Conflict in Côte d'Ivoire (S/AC.51/2008/5), including to adopt a national action plan to address sexual violence, and to ensure that rule of law is strengthened and that all reported abuses are investigated and those responsible brought to justice, and calls in particular upon all parties to take appropriate measures to refrain from, prevent and protect civilians from all forms of sexual violence;

19. Expresses in particular its concern at the continuing sexual and gender b...

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

19. Expresses in particular its concern at the continuing sexual and gender based violence, and urges the Government to continue to take the necessary steps to prevent further violations and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice;

16. Reaffirms the need for all parties to complete in a timely manner the exe...

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

16. Reaffirms the need for all parties to complete in a timely manner the execution of the programme for regrouping and cantonment of combatants, and to begin implementing as soon as possible the programme to dismantle all armed groups, including the militias, and the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme, giving particular attention to the specific need of women and children, and to proceed as well in parallel with the restructuring of the armed forces and the internal security forces;

Condemning all acts of violence, as well as human rights and international hu...

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

Condemning all acts of violence, as well as human rights and international humanitarian law violations, and particularly concerned by the increasing incidents of rapes, including mass rapes,

Condemning all acts of violence, any threat of the use of force, as well as v...

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

Condemning all acts of violence, any threat of the use of force, as well as violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and stressing the need for the Burundian authorities to ensure the safety of civilian populations, in particular with regard to women, children and other vulnerable persons,

Encouraging the Transitional Government to continue, with the cooperation of ...

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

Encouraging the Transitional Government to continue, with the cooperation of ONUB, to enhance women's participation in the political process,

7. Expresses its deep concern at the continuing human rights violations, incl...

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
Extract: 

7. Expresses its deep concern at the continuing human rights violations, including sexual and gender-based violence, and urges the Government to diligently investigate all such reports and take the necessary steps to prevent further violations and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice;

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