Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE96047
2009-09-16 00:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

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

Tags:  KPKO PHUM PREL CG KWMN 
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INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 7738
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)

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.


--------------
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