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DE RUEHC #5284 1700030
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 180028Z JUN 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 065284 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC UN KWMN PHUM
SUBJECT: URGENT DEMARCHE REQUESTED -- JUNE 19, 2008 
SECURITY COUNCIL THEMATIC DEBATE ON FOLLOW-UP TO SC 
RESOLUTION 1325 AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT AND 
POST-CONFLICT SITUATIONS. 
 
REF: STATE 56632 
 
¶1.    This cable contains an action request.  See paragraph 5. 
 
¶2.    Summary: Embassies Beijing, Moscow, Hanoi, and Jakarta 
are urgently requested to demarche host governments at the 
highest possible level to support consensus adoption on 
Thursday, June 19, of a U.S. resolution in the Security 
Council on Sexual Violence in Situations of Armed Conflict, 
and to recede from suggested amendments that would eliminate 
or weaken essential elements of the resolution. 
 
¶3.    Background.  The United States holds the Security 
Council Presidency for June 2008 and pursuing a series of 
activities related to implementation of the recommendations 
in Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and 
Security.  Secretary Rice has agreed to preside over a public 
debate in the Security Council this Thursday, June 19, on an 
important aspect of SC Resolution 1325:  sexual violence in 
armed conflict situations.  This will be a ministerial-level 
debate, and a number of foreign ministers have already 
confirmed their attendance. 
 
¶4.    In connection with this discussion, the U.S. has 
introduced a draft resolution.  The original text of the U.S. 
draft resolution is set forth in Reftel.  The draft 
resolution is in the final stages of negotiations, and 
discussions are being held at the Permanent Representative 
level in New York in an effort to resolve the few remaining 
differences.  China and Russia, supported by Indonesia and 
Vietnam, are opposing three important elements of the 
resolution: a Statement of the Council,s willingness to 
consider appropriate steps to address widespread and/or 
systematic sexual violence when addressing specific threats 
to international peace and security (OP 1); a statement of 
the Council,s intention to consider the appropriateness of 
sanctions against perpetrators of such violence when 
establishing state-specific sanctions regimes (OP 5); and a 
request to the Secretary General to report on situations in 
which sexual violence has been widely or systematically 
employed (OP 13). 
 
¶5.  Action Request:  The planned adoption of this resolution 
by consensus is closely linked with the Secretary's presence 
at the Security Council.  Department asks posts to draw from 
the following talking points to host governments, and to make 
the demarches on Wednesday, July 18, at the highest possible 
level. 
 
¶6.  BEGIN TALKING POINTS. 
 
-- You may know that during our June 2008 Security Council 
Presidency, the United States has decided to focus on follow 
up to SC Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, with 
an emphasis on sexual violence in situations of armed 
conflict. 
 
-- This Thursday, June 19, Secretary of State Rice will 
preside over a Security Council thematic debate on these 
issues.  In connection with that discussion, the U.S. has 
introduced a resolution. 
 
-- Negotiations are in the final stages.  Delegations have 
worked constructively to arrive at a strong text.  But a 
small number of remaining differences threaten to prevent 
consensus adoption of the resolution.  We appeal to your 
government to instruct your United Nations mission to join 
consensus on this resolution. 
 
--- This resolution is fully consistent with a number of 
resolutions the UNSC has already adoption by consensus. 
Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, which was 
adopted in 2000 and to which this resolution is a follow-up, 
is an important example.  Resolution 1612, which passed in 
2005, calls for monitoring and reporting on the protection of 
children during armed conflict.  Resolution 1674, adopted in 
2006, deals with the situation of civilians in armed conflict. 
 
--- Your delegation in New York has objected to language in 
OP 1 and OP 5 of the draft text that states the Council,s 
willingness to consider appropriate steps, including possible 
sanctions directed against the perpetrators of widespread 
and/or systematic sexual violence, when dealing with specific 
conflict situations. 
 
--- But these provisions do not commit the Council to take 
any particular steps.  They merely affirm the Council,s 
intention to "consider" whether such measures are appropriate 
in future situations. 
 
--- Second, these provisions simply restate a principle that 
the Security Council is already observing in practice.  For 
instance, the situations in Darfur, the Democratic Republic 
of Congo, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are under the Council's 
scrutiny because of threats to peace and security that 
consisted in part of, or were aggravated by widespread 
atrocities against civilian populations, including sexual 
violence, and putting an end to such violence has been an 
important goal of the missions established by Security 
Council resolutions to deal with these situations. 
 
--- There is a specific and recent precedent for the Security 
Council,s willingness to consider sanctions against 
perpetrators of sexual violence in armed conflict.  SC 
Resolution 1807, adopted in March of this year to address the 
situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lists 
those who commit serious violations of international law by 
targeting women and children for sexual violence in violation 
of international law among those on whom sanctions may be 
imposed under the resolution. 
 
--- Your delegation is also objecting to language in OP 13 
that requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council 
on situations of armed conflict in which sexual violence has 
been widely or systematically employed against civilians. 
But this language does not prejudge any particular situation, 
and it does not tell the Secretary General what information 
he should report.  It is designed simply to ensure that 
information is reported to the Security Council so that the 
Council can have the information it needs to fulfill its 
functions. 
 
---  We believe the credibility of the Security Council is at 
stake on this resolution.  The Security Council made clear in 
2000 that the situation of women in conflict situations is 
central to the issue of peace and security and that it 
belongs on the Security Council agenda.  The Security Council 
often takes follow up action on a given country or regional 
issue. Ever since SC Resolution 1325 passed in 2000, many 
have praised the resolution but have noted that its good 
precepts need to be implemented. 
 
---  What we are asking for now is a very modest step forward 
--- a statement of commitment, and reporting and information 
sharing.  It is important that the Council not be seen as 
taking a step backward on the issue of sexual violence in 
conflict situations by passing a resolution that calls 
attention to the problem but does little or nothing toward 
solving it. 
 
 
END TALKING POINTS. 
RICE