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Peacekeepers accused of sexual abuse should face tribunal, says UN study

REPORT

Source: The Guardian

Former UN rapporteur on violence against women calls for determined commitment to investigate peace protectors who allegedly turn predator

14 October 2015

An international tribunal to investigate allegations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers and UN staff would give a clear signal that the world is serious about addressing a problem that has “sullied the overall reputation of peacekeeping missions and profoundly embarrassed the UN”, according to a major global study on the role of women in conflict and peace.

The report – entitled Preventing Conflict, Transforming Justice, Securing the Peace (pdf), and published to mark the 15th anniversary of security council resolution 1325, which sought to put women at the centre of conflict resolution – follows allegations of abuse by peacekeepers and French troops in Central African Republic. The claims resulted in the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, firing the head of mission in CAR and announcing his intention to name and shame countries whose troops stand accused.

The proposed tribunal, created under a treaty between member states, would have the jurisdiction to try UN staff in country offices and all categories of peacekeepers.

“It is truly a frightening phenomenon when your protector becomes a predator,” said the report, led by Radhika Coomaraswamy, a Sri Lankan lawyer who was the first UN special rapporteur on violence against women. “It is crucial that the UN signal a determined commitment to address this issue once and for all.”

The official launch of the report on Wednesday came a day after the Security Council adopted its eighth resolution on enhancing women’s roles in conflict and peace-building. The latest resolution, adopted unanimously, calls on member states to ensure increased representation of women at all decision-making levels in conflict prevention and resolution.

The adoption of resolution 1325 on 31 October 2000 followed decades of lobbying by women’s rights groups. It was regarded as a historic achievement in shifting attention to women’s experiences of conflict and recognising that peace is only sustainable if they are fully included in discussions.

The independent study, which involved widespread consultation, noted that some progress had been made over the past 15 years. Since 2000, 72% of peace agreements have referenced women, compared with 11% between 1990 and 2000, and there has been an increase in the number of senior women leaders at the UN. Bilateral aid for gender equality has also quadrupled over the past decade.

However, only 9% of negotiators on peace deals between 1992 and 2011 were female. Moreover, only 4% of the military involved in peace missions are women, very few prosecutions for sexual violence have been recorded, and funding for programmes to support women in peace and security is “abysmally low”.

The report calls on governments to earmark at least 15% of their budgets for peace and security to programmes affecting women. The creation of a new fund – the global acceleration instrument – will coordinate and disburse money for women, peace and security. A donor conference is planned next year to raise money for the fund.

The report also called for greater efforts to end impunity for crimes against women in conflict, and for member states to address the underlying inequalities that make women more vulnerable to violence. It also recognised the need for adequate reparations for survivors of violence.

The study also said UN Women needed to be better funded, and called for a high-level position to be created within the agency specifically to deal with crises, conflict and emergencies.

Coomaraswamy said the prevention of conflict was central to realising the ambitions of resolution 1325.

“Military spending is at its greatest height,” she told a press conference. “The cycle of escalation must stop.

“We all understand the need to use force, especially in certain contexts – but only as a last resort and after careful deliberation … The UN was set up to make sure swords were put into ploughshares and not the other way round.”

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the executive director of UN Women, said evidence proved that women must be enabled to participate fully at peace tables.

Analysis of 40 peace processes between 1990 and 2013 by the Graduate Institute in Geneva found that peace processes influenced by women’s groups were more likely to culminate in an implemented agreement.

“We must not miss the chance to achieve radical change – moving from treating women’s issues as … peripheral to the business of the UN, to making women and girls the missing answer to creating a peaceful and just world. Every day that women are excluded is a day longer to wait for peace,” she said.

Madeleine Rees, head of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, said the report highlighted the important and difficult job of preventing conflict in the first place. “It’s too late to try to protect women, and anyone else for that matter, in the midst of conflict,” she said. “[The report] raises issues of gender and political economy, emphasises the absolute need for human rights and equality, the rights of women to participate and the benefit that brings. Rightly it is critical of the way in which the multilateral system has dealt with war and peace, and the demand for change is palpable in every chapter.”

She welcomed the recommendation to address sexual abuse by UN staff and peacekeepers. “There are other possible options, but recommending a serious accountability mechanism is a massive improvement on the mere hand-wringing and declarations of moral outrage we get from the senior UN officials at present.”

Abigail Hunt, policy and advocacy manager for Womankind Worldwide, said: “The study correctly identifies that the extensive rhetoric on women, peace and security has not been matched with the funding needed to ensure implementation.

“Womankind has called for many years for a minimum of 15% of all funds in support of peacebuilding to be dedicated to activities addressing women’s needs and advancing gender equality, in line with the UN target. Given the huge shortfall in funding for implementation of [resolution] 1325 and subsequent resolutions the reiteration of this call within the global study is crucial – but tangible solutions are also needed.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon Commends African Member States of the UN for Establishing a Continental Free Trade Area

NEWS STORY

Source: http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/10/13/secretary-general-ban-ki-moon-com...

13 October 2015 - Africa Week 2015 kicked off at Headquarters today [13 October] with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commending African Member States of the United Nations for taking an “important step” this year toward the establishment of a Continental Free Trade Area envisioned in the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

“The year 2015 is indeed a critical time for global action,” the UN chief told the High-level Event on the Role of African Regional and Sub-regional Organizations in Achieving Regional Integration.

“The United Nations system is committed to supporting the 10-Year Implementation Plan of the Agenda 2063, including the efforts of the Regional Economic Communities as they strive to further integration,” Mr. Ban said.

In his remarks to start off Africa Week 2015 at UN Headquarters, Mr. Ban also said “operationalizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – and Agenda 2063 of the African Union – will be a key to our success in ensuring a life of dignity for all.” This event is the first is a series of high-level discussions and events this week held on the margins of the 193-member General Assembly’s annual consideration of the landmark New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and other vital issues concerning for the continent.

“You can also count on my Special Adviser on African issues, Mr. Maged Abdelaziz, for his continuing commitment working together with all Member States and myself also,” he added.

The UN chief also outlined ways in which he has been addressing peace and security challenges in Africa.

“I have recently convened, in close cooperation with the African Union and key sub-regional organizations, High-level Meetings on the situations in the Central African Republic, Congo, Libya, Mali, Somalia and South Sudan,” he said. “Let us also continue to work together to resolve the pressing refugee and migration crisis.”

In his remarks, the President of the General Assembly said the events of 2015 offer an “unprecedented opportunity” for Africa to reduce poverty, foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth, and to integrate into the global economy.

“These initiatives should not, however, be simply about trade liberalization between African countries,” Mogens Lykketoft cautioned. “Rather they should constitute an important pillar of the continent’s strategy for structural economic transformation. They should focus on harmonizing policies, enhancing infrastructure development and promoting public-private partnerships.”

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D.R. CONGO

[Document] RDC: la Céni demande des clarifications sur son financement

INFORMATION

Source: RFI

En République démocratique du Congo, après la démission de l'abbé Malu Malu, la bataille de la succession à la tête de la commission électorale est ouverte. Un nouveau candidat doit être proposé par les huit confessions religieuses du pays. Ce processus de désignation intervient alors que la commission électorale nationale indépendante (Céni) vient d'écrire au Premier ministre pour demander des explications sur les moyens alloués à l'organisation des élections.

13 octobre 2015 - Dans une lettre datée du 9 octobre, dont RFI a obtenu copie (voir ci-dessous), la Céni se plaint des propos tenus par le ministre de l'Economie. Dans l'émission Questions d'actualité sur la radio et télévision nationale congolaise, Modeste Bahati Lukwebo aurait affirmé, selon ce courrier, que la Céni recevait 20 millions de dollars mensuellement pour la prise en charge du processus électoral.

La Commission électorale demande formellement une séance de clarification au gouvernement car, précise-t-elle dans ce document, elle n'a reçu sur les exercices budgétaires de ces trois dernières années que 17 % des fonds alloués par le Parlement. Tous les fonds reçus par le gouvernement sont bien traçables dans les deux rapports annuels de la Céni déposés au Parlement, souligne cette lettre.

« Il y a une volonté de polémiquer, nous ne voulons pas rentrer là-dedans », rétorque le porte-parole du gouvernement Lambert Mendé, ajoutant que ce n'était pas avec la Céni que le gouvernement faisait la reddition des comptes, mais bien avec l'Assemblée.

D'autres sources proches de l'exécutif évoquent des budgets présentés par la commission électorale qui seraient facturés, ou une volonté de se dédouaner avant la désignation du nouveau président.

Mais cette absence de moyens inquiète de plus en plus au sein de la commission électorale. Plusieurs sources internes affirment qu'aujourd'hui même, si des fonds sont rapidement décaissés, seules des élections indirectes pourraient être organisées d'ici début 2016, mais que s'il faut intégrer les jeunes électeurs au fichier électoral ou même les Congolais de l'étranger, aucune élection au suffrage direct ne serait possible avant juin 2016.

Elections en RDC : l’UE conditionne son appui à un calendrier révisé et un plan de décaissement

INFORMATION

Source: Radio Okapi (RDC)

14 October 2015 - L’Union européenne (UE) est disposée à soutenir l’organisation des élections notamment présidentielle et législatives dans les délais constitutionnels en RDC. Dans une déclaration consécutive à la démission du président de la Commission électorale nationale indépendante (Ceni), l’organisation a demandé lundi 12 octobre la publication du calendrier électoral révisé et un plan de décaissement pour apporter son appui.

Elle dit prendre acte de la démission de l’Abbé Malumalu, samedi 10 octobre dernier, de la présidence de la Ceni. Selon un communiqué de la présidence de la République lu à la télévision nationale, il a quitté la centrale électorale pour raison de santé.

Dans sa déclaration, l’UE indique que « le travail du président de la Ceni a permis d'asseoir la crédibilité et l'indépendance de cette institution chargée de garantir la neutralité et l’impartialité dans l’organisation d’élections libres, démocratiques et transparentes ».

Le porte-parole de cette instance internationale affirme attendre la nomination d'un nouveau président afin que la Ceni organise les élections, notamment présidentielle et législative, en respectant les délais prescrits par la constitution.

L’UE exprime sa volonté, dès que le nouveau président de la Ceni sera nommé, d’appuyer le processus électoral en RDC.

Elle dit attendre la publication du calendrier aménagé le plan de décaissement par la Ceni.

L'UE se dit aussi prête à apporter son concours pour permettre au gouvernement, dans le contexte électoral, « d'assurer une plus grande ouverture de l'espace politique », en veillant au respect des droits de l'Homme et des libertés fondamentales, citant notamment :

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La liberté d'expression

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La liberté d'association et de manifestation

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La protection de tous les acteurs politiques, de la société civile, des journalistes et des défenseurs des droits de l'Homme.

Cette protection se fera conformément à la Charte africaine de la démocratie, des élections et de la Gouvernance et aux engagements pris dans le cadre de la Communauté Économique des États de l’Afrique Centrale (CEEAC), a promis l’UE.

RDC : un journaliste burundais arrêté