Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Reaffirming its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) on women, peace, and security and reiterating the need for the full, equal, and effective participation of women at all stages of peace processes given their vital role in the prevention and resolution of conflict and peacebuilding; reaffirming the key role women can play in re-establishing the fabric of recovering society and stressing the need for their involvement in the development and implementation of post-conflict strategies in order to take into account their perspectives and needs,

Stressing in this context the importance of further progress by the Afghan Government in ending impunity and strengthening judicial institutions, in the reconstruction and reform of the prison sector, and the rule of law and respect for human rights within Afghanistan, including for women and girls, and in particular women's rights under the Constitution to fully participate in the political, economic and social spheres of Afghan life,

Recalling its resolutions 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), 1674 (2006), 1738 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009) on women and peace and security, and its resolutions 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009) on children and armed conflict,

7. Calls upon all parties to promote and protect human rights, including those of women and people belonging to vulnerable groups, to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian and international human rights law, and calls for those responsible for serious violations of such law, including sexual violence, to be held accountable;

24. Recalls paragraph 7 of 1960 (2010) and paragraph 9 of 1998 (2011), regarding sexual and gender-based violence and children in armed conflict and welcomes the information-sharing between the Committee and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and for Sexual Violence in Conflict, in accordance with their respective mandates and as appropriate;

Reiterating its firm condemnation of all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Côte d'Ivoire, condemning all violence committed against civilians, including women, children, internally displaced persons and foreign nationals, and other violations and abuses of human rights, and stressing that the perpetrators must be brought to justice, whether in domestic or international courts, and welcoming the close cooperation of the Ivorian Government with the International Criminal Court in this regard,

Recalling its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) on women, peace and security, its resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009) and 1998 (2011) on children and armed conflict and its resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts,

12. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to take the necessary measures to ensure full compliance in MINURSO with the United Nations zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and to keep the Council informed,and urges troop-contributing countries to take appropriate preventive action including pre-deployment awareness training, and other action to ensure full accountability in cases of such conduct involving their personnel;

43. Welcomes the Afghan Government's commitment to strengthen the participation of women in all Afghan governance institutions, including elected and appointed bodies and the civil service, supports efforts to accelerate implementation of the National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan (NAPWA), to integrate its benchmarks into the National Priority Programmes and to develop a strategy to implement fully the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law, including services to victims, recalls that the promotion and protection of women's rights are an integral part of peace, reintegration and reconciliation, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to include in its reports to the Security Council relevant information on the process of integration of women into the political, economic and social life of Afghanistan;

42. Recognizes that despite progress achieved on gender equality, enhanced efforts, including on measurable and action oriented objectives, are necessary to secure the rights of women and girls and to ensure all women and girls in Afghanistan are protected from violence and abuse, enjoy equal protection under the law and equal access to justice, strongly condemns discrimination and violence against women and girls, in particular violence aimed at preventing girls from attending schools, stresses the importance of implementing Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010), notes the mainstreaming commitments introduced therein, and of ensuring that women fleeing domestic violence are able to find safe and secure refuge;