Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Noting again with concern, in spite of the sustained improvement of the overall human rights situation, the persistence of reported human rights and humanitarian law violations against civilians in different parts of the country, including numerous acts of sexual violence, stressing that the perpetrators must be brought to justice, reiterating its firm condemnation of all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Côte d'Ivoire, and recalling itsresolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009) on women, peace and security, its resolutions 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009) on children and armed conflict and its resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts,

Expressing its extreme concern at the deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation and the continued impunity of those responsible for human rights abuses and other atrocities, condemning in particular the targeted attacks against the civilian population, widespread sexual violence, recruitment and use of child soldiers and extrajudicial executions, stressing the urgent need for the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in cooperation with the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and other relevant actors, to end violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and to bring the perpetrators to justice, and calling on Member States to assist in this regard and to continue to provide medical, humanitarian and other assistance to victims,

Noting again with concern, in spite of the sustained improvement of the overall human rights situation, the persistence of reported human rights and humanitarian law violations against civilians in different parts of the country, including numerous acts of sexual violence, stressing that the perpetrators must be brought to justice, reiterating its firm condemnation of all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Côte d'Ivoire, and recalling its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009) on women, peace and security, its resolutions 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009) on children and armed conflict and its resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts,

6. Decides that MINURCAT shall have the following mandate in eastern Chad and the north-eastern Central African Republic, in liaison with the United Nations country team and, as appropriate, in liaison with the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA) and without prejudice to the mandate of BONUCA:
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(f)To contribute to the monitoring and to the promotion and protection of human rights, with particular attention to sexual and gender-based violence, and to recommend action to the competent authorities, with a view to fighting impunity;

12. Welcomes the efforts being undertaken by UNFICYP to implement the Secretary-General's zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and to ensure full compliance of its personnel with the United Nations code of conduct, requests the Secretary-General to continue to take all necessary action in this regard and to keep the Security Council informed, and urges troop-contributing countries to take appropriate preventive action including the conduct of pre-deployment awareness training, and to take disciplinary action and other action to ensure full accountability in cases of such conduct involving their personnel;

Requests the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to ensure full compliance of UNISFA with the United Nations zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuses and to keep the Council informed if cases of such conduct occur;

18. Urges the Congolese Government to approve the multi-year joint United Nations justice support program and to implement it, with the support of international partners, welcomes the positive steps taken by the Congolese authorities to try those responsible for human rights violations, including rape in South Kivu, encourages the Congolese authorities to promote lasting reconciliation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by pursuing these efforts to combat impunity against all perpetrators of human rights and international humanitarian law violations, including those committed by any illegal armed groups or elements of the Congolese security forces;

13. Demands that all armed groups, in particular Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), immediately cease all forms of violence and human rights abuses against the civilian population in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular against women and children, including rape and other forms of sexual abuse, and demobilize;

5. Recognizes the primary responsibility of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its national partners to create propitious conditions for the forthcoming elections, urges the Government as well as all relevant parties to ensure an environment conducive to a free, fair, credible, inclusive, transparent, peaceful and timely electoral process, which includes free and constructive political debate, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, equitable access to media including State media, safety for all candidates, as well as for election observers and witnesses, journalists, human rights defenders and actors from the civil society including women, calls upon the Congolese authorities to ensure secure conditions for the conduct of and unrestricted access to the polls, including through cooperation with MONUSCO, consistent with the mission's role with regard to the protection of civilians and calls upon all parties to respect the results of the polls;