Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

13. Demands that all armed groups, in particular the FDLR, the LRA, Mai Mai Yakutumba, the Forces Nationales de Libération (FNL) and the AlliedDemocratic Forces (ADF) lay down their arms and immediately cease all forms of violence, human rights abuses and international humanitarian law violations against the civilian population in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region, in particular against women and children, including rape and other forms of sexual abuse, and demobilize;

Noting with great concern the persistence of human rights abuses and humanitarian law violations against civilians in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the killing and displacement of significant numbers of civilians, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and widespread sexual violence, stressing that the perpetrators must be brought to justice,reiterating its firm condemnation of all human rights abuses and international humanitarian law violations in the country, and recalling all its relevant resolutions on women and peace and security, on children and armed conflict, and on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts,

1. Expresses profound regret at the hundreds of deaths, mainly of civilians, including women and children;

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 play in re-establishing the fabric of society and stressing the need for their involvement in conflict resolution in order to take into account their perspective and needs,

17. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to take the necessary measures to ensure full compliance of all MINUSTAH personnel with the United Nations zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, and to keep the Council informed, and urges troop- and police-contributing countries to ensure that acts involving their personnel are properly investigated and punished;

16. Strongly condemns the grave violations against children affected by armed violence, as well as widespread rape and other sexual abuse of women and girls, and calls upon the Government of Haiti, with the support of MINUSTAH and the United Nations country team, to continue to promote and protect the rights of women and children as set out in Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1612 (2005), 1820 (2008), 1882 (2009), 1888 (2009), and 1889 (2009);

15. Encourages MINUSTAH to continue assisting the Government of Haiti in providing adequate protection to the civilian population, with particular attention to the needs of internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups, especially women and children, including through joint community policing in the camps, along with strengthened mechanisms to address sexual and gender-based violence and recalls Security Council Resolution 1894 (2009) and requests the Secretary General to develop, in close consultation with the Government of Haiti, and troop and police contributing countries, and other relevant actors, a comprehensive protection of civilians plan;

Recognizing that strengthening national human rights institutions and respect for human rights, due process, combating criminality and sexual and gender based violence, and putting an end to impunity are essential to ensuring the rule of law and security in Haiti,

Acknowledging that sexual and gender-based violence remains a serious concern, particularly in marginalized districts of Port-au-Prince, internally displaced persons camps and remote areas of the country,

Expressing its serious concern with the increased high number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan, in particular women and children casualties, the increasingly large majority of which are caused by Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups, reaffirming that all parties to armed conflict must takeall feasible steps to ensure the protection of affected civilians, especially women, children and displaced persons, calling for all parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law and for all appropriate measures to be taken to ensure the protection of civilians, and recognizing the importance of the ongoing monitoring and reporting to the United Nations Security Council, including by ISAF, of the situation of civilians and in particular civilian casualties, and noting in this regard the work of the ISAF Civilian Casualties Tracking Cell,