Security Council Resolution 1888 (2009)
“Sexual violence in conflict could not be separated from the broader security issues in the Council. It must be made socially unacceptable, and it should recognized that it was not cultural but criminal.” (Hillary Clinton, September 30 2009)
On September 30th 2009 the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1888 that called for further development regarding sexual violence in armed conflict. Although steps for action against sexual violence towards women and children have been discussed extensively and outlined through past resolutions such as 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008) atrocious acts against women and girls continue to resonate during conflict. Resolution 1888 calls upon the Security-General to appoint a special representative to coordinate efforts to effectively prevent and end sexual violence towards women in armed conflict.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised the adoption of the resolution and its necessary urgency, “With its resolution today, the Security Council is sending an unequivocal message – a call to action.” He stressed the crucial need for the United Nations system to effectively implement the resolution and to strengthen women’s empowerment through a new gender entity recently agreed upon by the General Assembly saying that, “Women’s empowerment must be at the heart of our global work for peace and development.”[1]
Council President Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State of the United States praised the unanimous adoption of the resolution and addressed the on-going battle that has continued to plague women in conflict areas. She demanded that immediate action should be taken to protect women and children through effectively trained troops in addition to, “local police receiving better training, rule of law must be strengthened, and survivors must be ensured full access to justice and protection throughout the judicial process.” Hillary Clinton remarked on the universal impact of sexual violence against women, “It shreds the fabric that weaves us together as human beings, it endangers families and communities, erodes social and political stability, and undermines economic progress.”[2] During her speech she called attention to the damage that rape had done to communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other areas of conflict. Secretary Clinton also praised the progress occurring in Chad and Sudan, where UN peacekeepers have clear instruction to specifically protect local populations against sexual and gender-based violence.[3]
The text outlines several measures to confront sexual violence during conflict such as: the participation of women in peacekeeping missions, the deployment of a team of experts to conflict situations, and a call for women protection advisors to ensure appropriate protection for women and children from sexual violence in peacekeeping operations.
Member states widely praised the onset of resolution 1888, specifically the call for a special representative to hold a position of leadership and take the necessary steps to diminish sexual violence in conflict areas such as Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and more recently the events in Guinea. Vietnam and Croatia both commented on their support for last year’s resolution 1820 (2008) and praised the progress to date. Vietnam followed by commenting on the need for strong coordination within the United Nations to develop a comprehensive approach to sexual violence in the initial steps of the peace process. Austria praised the resolution’s call for a Special Representative, referring for the need for stronger leadership in conflict areas. He recalled the unacceptable fact that civilians continued to be subjected to violence in areas where peacekeeping missions have been deployed. In addition to the appointed representative the resolution calls for a team of experts to be deployed in coordination with the national government and the United Nations system in order to uphold humanitarian law. In accordance with this view Costa Rica added that it would be appropriate to build on past initiatives such as the United Nations Standing Police Capacity and to use strategic interventions and technical assistance to help states establish effective measures in addressing sexual violence.
Member States promoted the need to empower women through participation, as Secretary-General Ban remarked, “Women’s empowerment must be at the heart of our global work for peace and development.”[4] John Sawers, representative of the United Kingdom commended the progress made since resolution 1325 (2000), however, remarked that the problem still persists, “The message from today’s meeting should be that women can never be truly empowered while they remain threatened by sexual violence, and that peace cannot take root when half the community-the female half-live in fear and trepidation.”
The resolution also recalls national government’s responsibility to put an end to impunity in order for justice to be rightfully served. Reinforcing this view, Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgham, representative of Libya, pointed out that perpetrators of sexual violence irreversibly maimed survivors, and called for the adoption of legislation to ensure that those crimes did not go unpunished, in reference to the violence occurring in Democratic Republic of the Congo and more recently Guinea.[5] Several other Member States mentioned the need to end impunity for instance China recalled the need to follow international human rights law and that perpetrators should be fully prosecuted.
Member States were all supportive of the measures in Resolution 1888 and the need to continue taking effective steps to combat sexual violence towards women in conflict and to not only to protect women in conflict but to also empower them in decision-making and peace processes. Resolution 1325 (2000), Resolution 1820 (2009), Resolution 1888 (2009) and more recently in October, Resolution 1889 (2009) have all been passed with great praise and have brought continued attention to the situation of women and girls in conflict areas. International peace and human security will continue to falter if the urgency to take action against sexual violence of women in conflict does not progress. In the words of Hillary Clinton, “So we must act now to end this crisis not only to protect vulnerable people and to promote human security, but to uphold the legitimacy of this body.”
[1] Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
[2] SC/9753
[3] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
[4] Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
[5] SC/9753