NGOWG Update

In response to the campaign of mass rape occurring on 10 - 12 of June 2011, in South Kivu town of Fizi, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (NGOWG) drafted a statement, calling for the immediate attention and action of Security Council member states and heads of UN agencies, including DPKO, DPA, UN Women, and UN Action.

Specifically the NGOWG believes that the UN's current investigations into the attacks in the Fizi area must not become yet another “lessons learned” exercise, destined to gather dust in unread UN manuals and archives. This is a pivotal moment to implement measures old and new that will guarantee non-repetition of such attacks. Prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations must be conducted into these crimes in accordance with international standards and, where there is sufficient admissible evidence, the perpetrators must be brought to justice in a process that ensures protection of victims and witnesses and foresees the provision of health services to the victims.

The wider culture of impunity for this and other crimes must be ended through a comprehensive reform of the judicial system and the security sector. In addition, the international community – including the Security Council, the UN system, and donor countries – must invest all available political, technical and financial resources in leveraging the DRC executive, judiciary and legislature to meet their responsibility to respect, protect and fulfill the rights of all Congolese.

Please download the full statement, here.

In addition, the NGOWG has released the July 2011 version of its Monthly Action Points (MAP) on Women, Peace and Security for the UN Security Council. For July, in which Germany has the Security Council presidency, the MAP provides recommendations on country situations including: Afghanistan, Cote d'Ivoire, Sudan, South Sudan, West Africa and Sierra Leone. The July MAP also discusses current developments in the Council's implementation of its Women, Peace and Security commitments.

Please download the full MAP here.