THIRTY-SIXTH PROGRESS REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN CÔTE D’IVOIRETHIRTY-SIXTH PROGRESS REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Code: S/2015/320

Period of time and topic: UNOCI mandate implementation, recommendations for extension, and situation report since 12 December 2014

Women, Peace and Security

The report is slightly skewed towards issues of women’s participation in the women, peace and security agenda. The UN-facilitated platform on elections includes women among its national stakeholders (S/2015/320 para. 14). Promoting women’s participation in the electoral process is also a part of UNDP’s electoral assistance project (S/2015/320 para. 15). UNOCI also conducts trainings and awareness raising activities to promote women’s participation in elections (S/2015/320 para. 53). The president, more broadly, committed to consolidating women’s rights and increasing their participation in building democracy in line with CEDAW at the launch of the Conseil national de la femme, including launching a group of professional women to contribute to national socio-economic development at decision-making levels (S/2015/320 para. 52). The first national mechanism to enhance gender balance in all institutions is an improvement ahead of the elections, but the report notes that more work needs to be done (S/2015/320 para. 84). Additionally, the government’s efforts to improve gender balance in the gendarmerie through including women in the training academy is supplemented by the Peacebuilding Fund’s infrastructure project to accommodate female recruits (S/2015/320 para. 36).

In regard to women’s protection, sexual and gender-based violence, along with harmful traditional practices such as FGM/C, continues to be a characteristic of the human rights situation (S/2015/320 para. 44, 84). Although the number of reported violations has decreased, the report still notes cases of rape, FGM/C and attempted forced marriages of girls (S/2015/320 para. 48). The report highlights the need for the UN to continue to verify cases of rape and other sexual abuses as prosecution rates remain low and many survivors still use traditional mechanisms to settle cases (S/2015/320 para. 50). UNOCI therefore conducts activities to strengthen accountability for sexual violence at legal aid clinics and supports the action plan of the committee of national experts on conflict-related sexual violence. UNOCI was also present at the Open Day on human rights and international humanitarian law where national leaders reiterated their commitment to address impunity for CRSV (S/2015/320 para. 51). UNOCI also conducts sensitization activities for returnees and community members on sexual violence (S/2015/320 para. 54). Furthermore, in December 2014, the ICC confirmed charges of crimes against humanity, including rape, against Charles Blé Goudé (S/2015/320 para. 18). Additionally women and children comprised most of those newly displaced by armed attacks in the reporting period (S/2015/320 para. 60).

Additionally, the report includes sex-disaggregated data on women’s participation in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Intercommunal Dialogue sessions; the number of female combatants who participated in DDR activities; the number of women supported by community violence reduction programs; and women’s participation in UNOCI, and UNOCI’s police component (S/2015/320 paras. 21, 23, 39, 40, 42, 63, 67). The report also notes UNOCI’s work to comply with the zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and that there have been no allegations of misconduct (S/2015/320 para. 69).

References in Need of Improvement

The report could have been stronger in its response to its women, peace and security mandate in resolution 2162 (2014). The report should have expanded its reporting on UNOCI’s support to the government in security sector reform to not only include improving gender balance in the gendarmerie but also providing training on SGBV to all security and law enforcement agencies (S/2015/320 para. 36). To be even stronger, the report should have included women and women’s civil society organizations in the design and implementation of all training and gender-equality programs to ensure they meet women’s needs, protect their human rights, and are survivor-centered (S/2015/320 para. 36). Additionally, the report could have been more responsive in its reporting of DDR programs and activities by detailing how UNOCI takes women into account when designing DDR programs and how the government plans to develop solutions for sustained social and economic integration of former female combatants, instead of only providing data (S/2015/320 paras. 39, 40; S/RES/2162 (2014) OPs. 8, 19(d)). Similarly the report should have specified if the women benefiting from community violence reduction programs are former combatants or women living in areas to which combatants are returning (S/2015/320 para. 42). The report’s overall consideration of women in DDR could have been stronger if it took the needs of both former female combatants and women associated with armed groups under consideration and included women and women’s civil society organization in the design and implementation of all DDR programming to ensure it meet women’s needs and respected their human rights. Similarly the report should have specified if the women benefiting from community violence reduction programs are former combatants or women living in areas to which combatants are returning. The report’s overall consideration of women in DDR could have been stronger if it took the needs of both former female combatants and women associated with armed groups under consideration and included women and women’s civil society organization in the design and implementation of all DDR programming to ensure it meet women’s needs and respected their human rights (S/2015/320 paras. 39, 40, 42).

The report could have been stronger in the area of women’s participation by being broader and more detailed and including women’s civil society organizations. Firstly, the report could have been stronger by considering women as voters, candidates and monitors in elections at all levels to include their unique protection and participation needs, including access to electoral processes and the involvement of women’s civil society organizations (S/2015/320 paras. 14, 15, 53). The report’s consideration of women’s participation in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and intercommunal dialogues could have been much stronger by going beyond providing data and including information on women and women’s civil society organizations’ participation in the design and implementation of the work of the commission and the dialogues to ensure all processes address the needs of women, promote their human rights, address impunity for crimes against women, including SGBV, and respect the rights of survivors (S/2015/320 paras. 21, 23). The mention of the Conseil national de la femme and increasing women’s participation in democracy building and consolidating women’s rights could have been much stronger by detailing if women who are qualified and representative of women in the country are part of the council at decision-making levels, if women and women’s civil society organizations are involved in any efforts to increase women’s participation or promoting their rights, and what increasing women’s participation in building democracy means in terms of women’s civil society organizations’ participation and building the capacities of women to participate in government and institution building, including how it can aid in enhancing gender balance in all institutions (S/2015/320 paras. 52, 84). The reference to a compendium of professional women should have also included if the women are qualified and representative, if women and women’s civil society organizations are involved with the creation of the compendium and its activities, and how the compendium will have the ability and governmental and institutional influence to economically empower women (S/2015/320 para. 52). The references to women’s participation in UNOCI, especially its police component, should have included how UNOCI is increasing the number of women deployed, incorporating gender training for all personnel, and how UNOCI is incorporating women at all decision-making levels in its structure to allow UNOCI to more easily interact with women and women’s civil society organizations and incorporate women’s concerns into its operations (S/2015/320 paras. 63, 67).

The report also has space for improvement in its reporting on women’s protection concerns. While the report notes crimes of SGBV against women and girls and continuing impunity for those types of crimes, it could have been stronger by being more detailed about efforts by UNOCI to end impunity, including through consulting with women and women’s civil society organizations to ensure that all investigations and processes respect survivors human rights and address women’s concerns, including strengthening the capacities of legal aid clinics (S/2015/320 paras. 48, 50, 51, 84). The mention of UNOCI providing sensitization training on sexual violence could have been much more detailed, including if the trainings are part of DDR programs, as they address returnees, if women participate in the trainings, and if women and women’s civil society organizations participate in the design and implementation of the trainings to ensure they meet women’s concerns, including those of female former combatants (S/2015/320 para. 54). Similarly, the report could have been much more detailed on the action plan by the committee of national experts on conflict-related sexual violence, including how women and women’s civil society organizations are involved in the design of the plan, if the plan represents women’s concerns and respects the rights of survivors, if the plan has adequate resources to meet women’s needs, if women and women’s civil society organizations are members of the committee of national experts, and if women have access to the committee of national experts to raise concerns about the future direction of the plan and committee itself (S/2015/320 para. 51). Activities surrounding the Open Day where national leaders reiterated their commitment to end impunity for CRSV should have included women and women’s civil society organizations in the design and implementation of all activities surrounding the events of the Open Day, including ensuring that calls to end impunity respect the rights of survivors and address the concerns of women (S/2015/320 para. 51).

In its consideration of humanitarian aid and displaced women, the report should have included if female IDPs and refugees have equal access to gender specific supplies and service provision, including psychosocial, sexual and reproductive health services, and their participation and protection is ensured in the design of camps and any processes, instead of merely providing information that women and children comprise most of those newly displaced (S/2015/320 para. 60).

Additionally, the report could have been stronger by separating women’s unique concerns and needs from those of youth and children (S/2015/320 paras. 14, 44).

Missed Opportunities

The report completely misses the opportunity to respond to resolution 2162 (2014)’s mandate for UNOCI to address SGBV. The report fails to include any efforts by UNOCI to protect and promote women’s human rights, with special attention to SGBV, to support the government in addressing SGBV, including contributing to a strategy with the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict entities or to provide specific protection for women affected by armed conflict through ensuring gender expertise and training in line with resolutions 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), and 2106 (2013) (S/RES/2162 (2014) OP. 19(g)). Additionally, the report makes no mentions of progress made towards ending SGBV by all groups responsible (S/RES/2162 (2014) OP. 16).

Ideal Asks for WPS Transformation

The report should be improved with an explicitly reference to all genders, emphasizing diverse masculinities and femininities, including the dynamics between and amongst genders as well as the power relations and hierarchies at play, and the intersection of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, class and age across all political peace and security processes.