Côte d’Ivoire (S/2013/751)
The Report of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1572 (2004) concerning Côte d’Ivoire, dated 19 December 2013 (S/2013/751) reports on the imposed sanctions and its enforcement. The report is divided into the following five sections: Introduction; Background; Summary of the activities of the Committee; Violations and alleged violations of the sanctions regime; and Observations and conclusions. The report discusses the violations of the sanctions regime despite changes brought to the regime itself to provide a streamlined procedure for exemption requests. Finally, the report notes the absence of a mandate and proper capacity and resources needed to monitor the sanctions regime by Ivorian customs personnel.
Women, peace and security issues are not referenced in this report.
The report misses numerous opportunities to include a gender perspective when reporting on sanctions violation. Further, the report fails to include perpetrators accountable for sexual and gender-based violence within designated travel bans, asset freezes and other measures. Finally, the report fails to incorporate a gender lens within efforts for the implementation of the measures imposed as well as actions taken on behalf of the information regarding alleged violations or non-compliance.
In relation to the recommendations put forth in the June 2013 MAP, the report’s record is inadequate. The MAP calls for the need to address impunity for sexual and gender-based violence as well as report on the barriers to women’s full participation in justice and reconciliation processes as well as the role of women in peacebuilding, security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes.[1] The Council could strengthen its efforts in including a separate criterion for reporting on sexual and gender-based violence.
The absence of women, peace and security in the Report of the Security Council Committee of 19 December 2013 (S/2013/751) is on par with the previous Report of the Security Council Committee of 31 December 2012 (S/2012/981). Neither report incorporates a gender lens when discussing and reporting on violations of human rights abuses in regards to the sanctions regime in Côte d’Ivoire.
[1] http://womenpeacesecurity.org/media/pdf-MAP_June2013.pdf
The report of the Secretary-General dated 24 December 2013 (S/2013/761) is a midterm report providing updates on major developments since the SG report dated 26 June 2013 (S/2013/377) extending the mandate of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) until 30 June 2014. The report is divided into the following fifteen sections with an addition of three annexes: Introduction; Political situation; Security situation; Regional issues; Reform of security and rule of law institutions; Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; Extension of State authority; Human rights; Media; Economic situation; Humanitarian situation; Safety and security of personnel; Deployment of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire; Strategic planning of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire; and Observations. The report includes an improved and more detailed list of strategic benchmarks that can be used to measure progress.
Women, peace and security issues are referenced on numerous occasions in relation to the protection and prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (para. 29, 46, 47 and 76). The involvement of women in the discussion of reconciliation efforts is mentioned in the report (para. 25 and 69). The report also includes women’s participation and gender disaggregated for the mission’s police and civilian personnel as well as attention to the zero tolerance efforts for UNOCI personnel (para. 60, 61 and 63). Finally, the report adds a gender perspective to all main benchmarks (annex 1).
The report misses numerous opportunities to include women in regards to the participation within political and peacebuilding efforts. It further misses the gender component within the DDR processes as well as the full participation of women in security sector reform. Although the improved benchmarks provided in the annex adds a positive perspective for gender mainstreaming within the mission, the report fails to record the activities and actions that would constitute its current progress.
In relation to the recommendations put forth in the June 2013 MAP, the report’s record is inadequate. The MAP calls for an inquiry of barriers that inhibit women from fully participating in the justice and reconciliation, peacebuilding, security sector reform and DDR processes[1]. Although, the report raises its concerns on the increase of sexual and gender-based violence, more can be done with including women at all levels of justice and political decision making processes in order to ensure impunity is being properly addressed.
The Secretary-General report of 24 December 2013 (S/2013/761) improves from the previous SG report of 26 June 2013 (S/2013/377). The current report improves with an added annex enhancing the strategic benchmarks making it more detailed and objective in order to measure progress of achievement. These benchmarks include a gender proponent in each area making the current report more proactive for action. However, from the time of the previous SG report, an increase in sexual and gender-based violence was recorded putting into question the implementation of prevention and awareness-raising activities or the lack there of.