DEMARCHE REQUEST: URGING SECURITY COUNCIL SUPPORT OF FOLLOW-UP 1820 RESOLUTION SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 096047 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2019 TAGS: KPKO PHUM PREL CG KWWMN SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: URGING SECURITY COUNCIL SUPPORT OF FOLLOW-UP 1820 RESOLUTION SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT Classified By: IO Acting A/S Nerissa J. Cook for Reasons 1.4(B) and (D) ¶1. (U) This is an urgent action request. Embassies are requested to deliver the below points to UN Security Council (UNSC) Member States at the appropriate level no later than Thursday, September 17, 2009. Department recommends that demarche be delivered at a senior level to China, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and Uganda. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY for Post use only. USUN is currently negotiating a follow-on Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1820 (2008) on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Secretary Clinton is expected to chair the September 30 Security Council session during which we will seek adoption of the resolution. UNSCR 1820 recognized a direct relationship between the maintenance of international peace and security and conflict-related sexual violence, committed the Security Council to considering steps to end these atrocities and punish their perpetrators, and requested a report from the Secretary-General on instances of conflict-related sexual violence. The draft follow-on resolution seeks to strengthen implementation of 1820 in several ways, including by appointing a Special Representative of the Secretary General(SRSG) to provide coherent leadership, coordination and advocacy efforts to address sexual violence at both UN headquarters and the country level. The draft also establishes a task force of experts to monitor implementation of 1820, work with national legal and judicial officials, make recommendations to governments on broader systemic issues, assess the technical and legal capacities of governments facing the challenge of conflict-related sexual violence, and create strategies for the concerned governments on how to improve accountability for sexual violence in armed conflict. Although there is general agreement amongst Security Council members that UNSCR 1820 should be strengthened, some delegations have expressed concern about the details and mechanics of the way ahead. Concerns persist regarding duplication of effort within the UN system, particularly vis--vis ongoing negotiations on the new gender entity, financing of the SRSG and his/her staff, as well as the task force,s mandate and chain of command. END SUMMARY. -------------- �00A;Action Request -------------- ¶3. (C) Posts are requested to approach appropriate host government officials as soon as possible and request assistance in urging governments to support the US-drafted follow-on 1820 resolution. Posts should draw from the points in paragraph 5. Department recommends that demarche be delivered at a senior level to China, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and Uganda. -------------- Objectives -------------- ¶4. (C) Posts should seek to achieve the following: -- Emphasize the United States' commitment to enhancing UNSCR 1820, in particular raising awareness of the problem, offering assistance to governments plagued by STATE 00096047 002 OF 004 SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: URGING SECURITY COUNCIL SUPPORT OF FOLLOW-UP 1820 RESOLUTION SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLI conflict-related sexual violence, encouraging more systematic communications and coordination among UN players at country-level, and ensuring regular reporting on the measures taken to protect civilians from conflict-related sexual violence. -- Urge member states to support the draft resolution, in particular: ¶1. The appointment of a Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) dedicated to addressing conflict-related sexual violence and ¶2. The creation of a task force of experts to work directly with UN field missions and appropriate governments in providing technical and strategic advice to combat and improve accountability for sexual violence in armed conflict. --Encourage member states to support more systematic reporting from the UN Secretary General on incidents of conflict-related sexual violence, as well as, information on steps taken to protect civilians from this type of violence. -------------- -------------- Talking Points for All UN Security Council Member States: -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Begin talking points: -- The adoption of UNSCR 1820 in June 2008, which condemned conflict-related sexual violence and called on all parties to immediately end acts of rape and sexual violence during armed conflicts, was a landmark achievement. -- Unfortunately, perpetrators still go unpunished and thousands of women and children, particularly women and girls, continue to be gang-raped, mutilated, assaulted or forced into sexual slavery in places around the world being wracked by conflict. We still have a great deal to accomplish in order to fully implement UNSCR 1820. -- To successfully halt these atrocities, we must do more to hold perpetrators accountable and develop sustained efforts to prevent new acts of conflict-related sexual violence. Enhancing states, capacities to respond to and prosecute these crimes is critical to achieve this goal. -- Enhancing the visibility of and attention to conflict-related sexual violence and enhancing coordination within the UN system are also critical. At the same time, we must protect the privacy and confidentiality of survivors of sexual violence and their families. -- The follow-on Resolution to 1820 seeks to do just that via the creation of a Special Representative of the Secretary General focused on conflict-related sexual violence, the establishment of a task force of experts, deployment of women,s protection advisors, as well as the requirement for more systematic reporting on conflict-related sexual violence. -- The United States believes that the appointment for a specific period of time of a high-level Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) dedicated to addressing conflict-related sexual violence would focus the UN,s efforts. This person would advance integrated and coordinated approaches to sexual violence, promote accountability for the implementation of Resolution 1820 and play an important advocacy role, raising awareness and promoting the elimination of sexual violence in conflict. -- The establishment of a Task Force of Experts would complement a SRSG, as its focus is not on an overarching and integrated institutional approach to sexual violence in conflict, but on providing direct, targeted technical expertise to countries where sexual violence in conflict is particularly endemic and where accountability needs improvement. These diverse subject-matter experts would come STATE 00096047 003 OF 004 SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: URGING SECURITY COUNCIL SUPPORT OF FOLLOW-UP 1820 RESOLUTION SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLI from within the UN system and be able to expeditiously deploy for short-term, mission-specific timeframes. If asked posts can draw on following points: -- This SRSG would not be duplicative of existing UN bodies that deal with gender issues for several reasons: ¶1. Improving response at the country-level, advocating and raising awareness on the issue of conflict-related sexual violence is a critical role that cannot be handled part-time, particularly when there is a need to respond to urgent situations. ¶2. A high-level person with the authority to elevate the issue of conflict-related sexual violence at the UN and coordinate the UN response to conflict-related sexual violence is critical for promoting integrated approaches, both at headquarters and in the field, to conflict related sexual violence. ¶3. The United States envisions the new SRSG as presiding over UN Action, which unites the work of twelve UN entities with the goal of ending conflict-related sexual violence through better coordination and accountability. ¶4. The Security Council would review the mandate for the SRSG in three years, and determine at that point the SRSG,s relationship with the new gender entity the details of which will be negotiated by the General Assembly. -- The United States also supports the creation of a task force of experts that would deploy to conflict zones to help develop governments, technical and legal capacities to combat sexual violence and bring perpetrators to justice. These teams would work with governments to identify areas of concern, develop comprehensive strategies and improve accountability for conflict-related sexual violence. --The SRSG would organize the task force, which would deploy for short periods of three to six months. While in country, the task force would fall under the authority of the highest-ranking UN official in the field and coordinate with that country,s existing UN Mission, Peacekeeping Operation, or UN Country Team. -- The United States believes that regular reporting on conflict-related sexual violence by the Secretary General is critically important; therefore, we have included in the resolution text language that encourages the Secretary General to ensure more systematic reporting of incidents in all relevant reports, and to submit a dedicated report on the implementation of 1820 by September 30, 2010. -------------- Additional Points for China, Japan, Mexico, Russia and the UK: -------------- -- The United States feels strongly that the SRSG be funded out of assessed funds from the UN budget, as the availability of voluntary funding is not certain. -- The United States is flexible on the type of funding for the SRSG,s staff members. These individuals could be funded entirely from assessed funds, from a mix of assessed and voluntary funds, or be seconded from the entities of UN Action. -- The United States foresees the task force of experts to be comprised of existing UN experts. Voluntary contributions could support the task force,s travel to conflict areas. -------------- Additional Points for China, Costa Rica, Mexico, Russia, Uganda: -------------- --The United States feels strongly that the new SRSG on STATE 00096047 004 OF 004 SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: URGING SECURITY COUNCIL SUPPORT OF FOLLOW-UP 1820 RESOLUTION SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLI conflict-related sexual violence will not duplicate work already being done in the UN system, in particular by the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues (OSAGI). -- OSAGI has a vast mandate, which includes promoting gender equality and implementing gender mainstreaming throughout the UN system. --The proposed SRSG on sexual violence will focus exclusively, full time, on the UN response to conflict-related sexual violence around the world. --The issue of conflict-related sexual violence is significantly urgent and important to warrant an SRSG-level individual. OSAGI cannot provide a person at that level to focus full-time on this critical issue. End points -------------- Reporting Requirement -------------- ¶6. (U) Post is instructed to report the results of its efforts no later than Thursday, September 17. -------------- Point of Contact -------------- ¶7. (U) Department thanks post for its assistance. Please slug all responses for IO/UNP. Department POC for follow-up is: Rebecca Goldenberg,IO/UNP, 202-647-0045, GOLDENBERGRA@State.gov. CLINTON