Central African Republic (S/PV/7017)

During this meeting, the Security Council discussed the current situation in the Central African Republic. The Council got a chance to hear from: Mr. Babacar Gaye, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic; Ms. Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; Mr. Ivan Šimonović, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights; and the representative of CAR, Mr. Doubane. Among the main issues that were discussed during this meeting were the current challenges being faced by CAR, such as the fragility of the State since the institutions of power disappeared and the suffering of the population who face violations of human rights and abuses including sexual violence.

This meeting included several references to  widespread abuses that include sexual and gender-based violence against women and children, who are considered as the main victims of such violence, and as such, the meeting reaffirmed their need for justice. Further, the meeting included one relevant remark in regards to women’s involvement in the country’s political life, reaffirming that the representation of women remains low with only three women out of 34 members of the Cabinet despite the fact that they hold key ministries such as foreign affairs and rural development. Finally, this meeting also included several references to civil society and human rights.

The meeting record missed the opportunity to address WPS issues in a balanced way. omen were mostly portrayed as victims of violence and sexual abuse and not as agents of change. The meeting also missed several opportunities to included sex-disaggregated data.