Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Recognizing the significant challenges that remain across all sectors, including continuing problems with violent crime, in particular the high rates of sexual and gender-based violence, especially involving children,

Emphasizes the need for expanded efforts by the Liberian authorities to address the root causes of conflict, reinvigorate national and local reconciliation processes, promote land reform, advance constitutional and institutional reforms, especially of the rule of law and security sectors, combat sexual and gender-based violence, and build trust between Liberian citizens and state institutions and processes, and requests the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to assist such efforts through the use of his good offices and political support;

Expresses its continued concern that women and girls in Liberia continue to face a high incidence of sexual and gender-based violence, reiterates its call on the Government of Liberia to continue to combat sexual violence, particularly against children, and gender-based violence, to combat impunity for perpetrators of such crimes, to provide redress, support and protection to victims, including through public information campaigns and by continuing to strengthen national police capacity in this area and to raise awareness of existing national legislation on sexual violence, and encourages the Government to reinforce its commitment in this regard, including by funding the implementation of its national action plan on sexual and gender-based violence and improving women and girls’ access to justice;

(ii) To support the strengthening of efforts by the Government of Liberia to combat sexual and gender-based violence, including its efforts to combat impunity for perpetrators of such crimes;

Emphasizes that the Government of Liberia bears primary and ultimate responsibility for security and the protection of its population with special attention to combatting sexual and gender-based violence and combatting impunity for perpetrators of such crimes, and urges the Government to prioritize the effective and rapid development of the security agencies, especially the LNP, which is the priority law enforcement agency tasked with civilian policing responsibilities, including through the timely provision of sufficient financial resources and other support, adequate training and development of senior management;

Gravely concerned at the lack of effective implementation of its resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014) and 2258 (2015) and recalling in this regard the legal obligations of all parties under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as all the relevant decisions of the Security Council, including by ceasing all attacks against civilians and civilian objects, including .......  sexual and gender-based violence, as well as all grave violations and abuses committed against children,

Welcomes the efforts being undertaken by UNDOF 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 preventive and disciplinary action to ensure that such acts are properly investigated and punished in cases involving their personnel;