UN SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION ON WOMEN, PEACE AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 USUN NEW YORK 000414 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO, IO/UNP, IO/PSC, S/WE, AF, DRL/MLA, G/IWI E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2018 TAGS: PREL PHUM MARR KWMN UNSC CG SUBJECT: UN SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY Classified By: Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassdor Alejandro Wolf f, Reasons: 1.4(b)(d) ¶1. (U) This is an action cable. Please see paragraphs 13 and 14 below. SUMMARY ¶2. (C) During the U.S. presidency of the Security Council in June 2008, USUN will focus attention on the role of women in conflict, with an emphasis on the escalating problem of sexual and gender-based violence that occurs during civil wars and insurgencies. To highlight this problem, USUN proposes to hold a public meeting of the Security Council on June 19. We propose to seek a Ministerial-level meeting if Secretary Rice's schedule permits her to preside over the discussion. Separately, USUN proposes to seek adoption of a Security Council resolution that day that would complement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000),the first effort by the Council to comprehensively treat the subject of women, peace and security. ¶3. (C) To build support for the resolution, USUN plans to arrange an oral briefing by the Secretary-General on the implementation of SCR 1325, with an emphasis on what UN peacekeeping forces and national governments can do to increase protection from rape and end impunity. USUN, along with a UN coalition of 12 agencies and offices known as "UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict" and possibly the DRC delegation to the UN in New York, will also sponsor a showing for Security Council delegations and others in the UN community of a just-released HBO film on rape in DRC. To support the effort, UKUN will host an Arria-style meeting (an informal meeting of Council members with NGOs) to convey the conclusions of an upcoming UK-hosted conference on the role of military peacekeepers relative to women affected by armed conflict. The result of these efforts should culminate in adoption of the new resolution during the ministerial meeting. To sustain focus on this subject after June, USUN will systematically address the role of women in subsequent Council discussions of peacekeeping missions and country-specific situations. End Summary. RESOLUTION ¶4. (SBU) The Security Council in October 2000 adopted resolution (SCR) 1325, which dealt for the first time in a comprehensive manner with the question of women, peace and security. The resolution highlighted several main issues, including: 1) the impact of armed conflict on women, including increased rape and other sexual violence against women and the impunity of combatants for such crimes, 2) the need to involve women in conflict resolution and peace processes, and 3) the need for more female peacekeepers. Since that time, the Council has issued five presidential statements (PRSTs),but no new resolutions. In contrast, the Council has adopted six resolutions dealing with the issue of children affected by armed conflict (CAAC),and has established a working group on CAAC which reviews the monitoring and reporting mechanism coordinated by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for CAAC. Many SC members, other UN member states and civil society actors have noted the disparity in the treatment by the Council of women vis-a-vis children, a gap that appears USUN NEW Y 00000414 002 OF 005 more troubling in the light of persistent violence against women in conflict situations. ¶5. (C) The P-3 missions in New York, plus Belgium and Italy, have begun preliminary discussions on a draft resolution to follow-up on SCR 1325, in particular focusing on the aspect of sexual violence. Escalating reports of rampant brutal rapes involving mutilations and atrocities in Eastern DRC and other countries make this a timely issue. The UK and France have proposed that the draft resolution contain the following elements: reaffirm SCR 1325; call for an end to sexual violence in conflict situations; draw a link between rape and future peace and security; address impunity, access to justice, peacebuilding, and training; and request improved/expanded reporting on the subject from the Secretary-General. We do not/not foresee establishment of a monitoring and reporting mechanism similar to that for children affected by armed conflict. Sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers, which is already being addressed in the Council, would not be a focus of this resolution, in order not to divert attention from the steps needed to protect women from local military and rebels forces. The resolution will also highlight the need for more women peacekeepers, more women UN envoys and Special Representatives (SRSGs),and greater involvement of local women in peace processes and negotiations. PUBLIC SC MEETING ¶6. (C) Ambassador Khalilzad discussed with Secretary Rice on April 25 her interest in furthering high-level attention to this topic in the Security Council. Should Secretary Rice's schedule permit her to preside over the Council meeting on sexual violence in conflict-affected situations, we would invite other Council members to participate at Foreign Minister level, ideally with a month's lead time. We anticipate that such a ministerial-level meeting, known as a "Thematic Debate," would begin with remarks by the Secretary-General, who launched in March a campaign to end violence against women, followed by the other fourteen members of the Council and then Secretary Rice's remarks as President of the Council. Ministers and representatives from non-Security Council member states would have an opportunity to speak after the Council members. It would not be necessary for the Secretary to remain for all non-Council members' speeches. We are exploring options for involving a member of Secretary Rice's Women Leaders' Group, such as Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro and/or Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, at the beginning of the Council debate. The public meeting would take place from 10 am to 1 pm on Thursday, June 19, and continue from 3 - 6 pm, if necessary. ORAL BRIEFING ¶7. (C) The PRST adopted in October 2007 asked the SYG to submit by October 2008 "a follow-up report on the full implementation of resolution 1325, incorporating information on the impact of armed conflicts on women and girls in situations that are on the agenda of the Council, and also information on their protection and on the enhancement of their role in peace processes." The PRST also specifies that the Council "may request the SYG to give an oral briefing on the progress of the report." Ambassador Khalilzad will send USUN NEW Y 00000414 003 OF 005 a letter to the SYG requesting that this oral briefing be given during the US Security Council presidency in June in the week before the public meeting, and request that it focus on the incidence of sexual violence in conflict situations, and measures taken to address sexual violence and impunity. Ambassador Sawers, Permanent Representative of the UK and President of the SC in May, intends to send a letter to the SYG on behalf of Council members spelling out in greater detail the priorities the Council would like to see addressed in the SYG's report and oral briefing. The oral briefing will take place in the informal consultations chamber to allow for a frank exchange with the Secretariat on the shortcomings and strengths of the report. ¶8. (C) The SYG has designated his Special Adviser for Gender Issues (OSAGI),Rachel Mayanja, to compile the 1325 report. Indications from other SC members, other UN offices dealing with violence against women, and our own meetings with OSAGI suggest that this small office is overwhelmed by this wide-ranging task and needs direction and support to be able to produce an adequate report. (Comment: The SYG would have made a better choice in delegating responsibility for writing this report by assigning it to UN Action, which is comprised of DPA, DPKO, OCHA, OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNFPA, UNCHR, UNICEF, UNIFEM, WFP and WHO, and chaired by the UNDP Assistant Administrator for Conflict Prevention and Recovery, Kathleen Cravero. As a second-best option, we are encouraging UN Action, and the UN entities it represents, to give the maximum possible support to OSAGI in compiling the report. Another possibility for producing better reporting would be an independent report by an independent expert with the stature of Graca Machel, who produced a CAAC report almost ten years ago, or Prince Zaid, who produced a report on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by peacekeepers more recently. We have not, to date, approached the SYG to urge him to appoint an independent expert to compile a report. End comment.) PUBLIC AWARENESS - FILM ON RAPE IN DRC ¶9. (SBU) To raise public awareness of the scope and magnitude of the atrocities being committed in Eastern DRC, USUN, along with the DRC Mission to the UN and UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict will co-sponsor for Council delegations, other UN member state delegations and UN officials, a screening of the recently-released HBO documentary film "The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo" followed by a panel discussion. The UN will set up a live video feed with the peacekeeping mission in Kinshas, MONUC, so that MONUC violence against women expert Nicola Dahrendorf, and perhaps, if considered appropriate, the Deputy Force Commander, can take part in the panel discussion. A knowledgable NGO representative (possibly from the International Rescue Committee),an appropriate USG official and possibly the DPKO desk officer for DRC, Kevin Kennedy, and/or the Permanent Representative of DRC, Ambassador Atoki Ileka, could round out the panel. PUBLIC AWARENESS - WILTON PARK CONFERENCE ¶10. (SBU) The UK, Canada, DPKO and UNIFEM have organized a conference to be held in Wilton Park, UK, May 27-30, on the topic: "Women Targeted or Affected by Armed Conflict: What Role for Military Peacekeepers?" Ambassador Khalilzad has USUN NEW Y 00000414 004 OF 005 been invited to participate in a panel on SC mandates and whether mandates or rules of engagement could "enable protection personnel to improve women's security in conflict and post-conflict." USUN understands that senior DOD officials may have been invited to participate in the conference as well. UN participants include DPKO U/SYG Jean-Marie Guehenno, U/SYG for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes, former MONUC Commander Major-General Patrick Cammaert, MONUC SRSG Alan Doss, UN Military Adviser Major General Per Arne Five, former Commander of Canadian forces in Afghanistan Major General Timothy Grant, AU Special Envoy for Darfur Salim Salim, and UNDP Assistant Administrator for Crisis Prevention and Recovery Kathleen Cravero. ¶11. (SBU) The UK Mission plans to host an Arria-style meeting in early June to share with Council members the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Wilton Park conferences' high-level military, civilian, policy-making, and academic participants. The Conference and the Arria-style meeting will inform the discussion within the Council on what can and should be done to prevent violence against women in conflict, and help fine tune the Council's follow-up to SCR 1325. OTHER SC RELATED ACTIONS ¶12. (C) To sustain action on this matter in the aftermath of this series of events, USUN and other like-minded SC members have agreed to act systematically during Council discussions of peacekeeping missions and country-specific situations. We will raise such questions as whether sexual violence is widespread and egregious, whether perpetrators are held to account, whether women are involved in peace negotiations, whether security sector reform takes into account the needs of women, and other relevant questions. The UN has not had a systematic approach to ensuring that such gender issues are taken into account. We intend by routinely asking for information to send a signal that the US and likeminded Council members expect, as part of the promotion of international peace and security, that the UN system tackle these issues seriously and consistently. ACTION REQUEST ¶13. (C) USUN requests confirmation that the Secretary's schedule will permit her to preside at a public meeting of the Security Council on the subject of sexual violence in conflict situations during the U.S. Presidency of the Security Council. USUN will work with the Department on inviting Security Council and other interested foreign ministers to the Thematic Debate. A draft letter of invitation can be found in paragraph 15 below. ¶14. (SBU) USUN also requests Department to address the subject of sexual violence and the role of women in peacekeeping when preparing talking points, instructions and statements for Council discussions of country-specific situations and mandate renewals. DRAFT INVITATION LETTER ¶15. (U) USUN recommends that the Department send the following letter to the foreign ministers of the other fourteen members of the Security Council. Begin suggested USUN NEW Y 00000414 005 OF 005 text: Dear Colleague, As you are aware, the United States has the honor of occupying the Presidency of the Security Council for June ¶2008. During that month, it is the intention of the United States to highlight the growing severity of sexual violence in conflict and draw international attention to the need to deal with this too-often overlooked problem. I would like to invite you to participate on June 19, 2008 in a ministerial-level public thematic debate in the Security Council on Women, Peace and Security, with a particular emphasis on rape and other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict. We hope that, by turning international attention to the increasing scope and brutality of incidents of rape and other sexual violence committed by parties to armed conflict in situations on the agenda of the Council, we may be able to discuss possible responses which could begin to curtail these abhorrent practices, bring to an end the impunity overwhelmingly enjoyed by perpetrators and help protect women and girls from the atrocities which are increasingly being brought to light. In conjunction with this public thematic debate, it is our intention to adopt a resolution that will focus on addressing sexual violence in situations of armed conflict, building upon the references to this problem that are mentioned in Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security. I would be greatly honored if you were to participate personally in this important meeting. We will shortly be sharing a concept paper with your ministry and your delegation in New York. Very truly yours, The Honorable Condoleezza Rice Secretary of State End suggested text. Khalilzad