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DE RUCNDT #0541/01 1711642
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191642Z JUN 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4459
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHCO/AMEMBASSY COTONOU 0141
RUEHFN/AMEMBASSY FREETOWN 1243
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 1186
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 1538
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA 1205
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0341

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000541 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SOCI UNSC KWMN
SUBJECT: ARRIA FORMULA MEETING ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY 
 
REF: A. STATE 56632 
 
     ¶B. STATE 54684 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: As part of a US-led initiative to bring more 
attention to the problem of sexual violence in armed 
conflict, the UK hosted a meeting on June 11 to bring 
together members of the Security Council, NGO representatives 
and UN officials to discuss the role of peacekeepers in 
protecting women. Briefers at the so-called "Arria Formula" 
meeting shared the results of a conference held in Wilton 
Park, UK May 27-29, at which USUN Permanent Representative 
Ambassador Khalilzad and UKUN Deputy Permanent Representative 
Karen Pierce spoke. The need for more precise Security 
Council mandates and doctrine, to help guide peacekeepers in 
the field was stressed. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) At the Arria Formula meeting for Security Council 
members, NGOs and UN agencies at 3pm on June 11, 2008, 
chaired by DPR Karen Pierce of the United Kingdom, three 
panelists addressed the conclusions reached at the Wilton 
Park Conference (May 27-29, 2008) and offered further issues 
and recommendations to be considered on: "Women targeted or 
affected by armed conflict: What role for military 
peacekeepers?". Panelists included Lt General Jasbir Singh 
Lidder of India, Ms. Julienne Lusenge of SOFEPADI-RDC of the 
Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ms. Victoria K. Holt of 
the Stimson Center. Comments were also welcomed from civil 
society. The Chair began the session by noting that current 
peacekeeping responses to sexual violence are ad hoc and 
varying due to ambiguous mandates. She outlined the task to 
fill the gap between policy created in NY and the realities 
on the ground at the missions. 
 
¶3. (U) Lt General Lidder, former force commander of UNMIS, 
highlighted that a holistic approach to peacekeeping which 
includes timely deployment of forces, clearly defined 
directives, advanced planning, strong rules of engagement, 
and a shift to a focus on the rule of law and human rights in 
recovery and development stages of peacekeeping, is necessary 
to create an environment that protects civilians, including 
women and girls. Lt General Lidder noted that there is 
currently inadequate participation of women in all 
peacekeeping activities and that it is operationally 
essential that recruitment efforts aimed at women in all 
sectors (military, police, medical, language translation, and 
civil society groups) be augmented. Lt General Lidder also 
recommended that the Zero Tolerance policy be respected and 
accountability be insured for all violations. 
 
¶4. (U) Ms. Julienne Lusenge shared that at least 40 women, 
including girls as young as 3 and women as old as 99, are 
raped each day in the Democratic Republic of Congo with 
little to no accountability. This epidemic of sexual violence 
prevents women and girls from carrying out everyday 
activities such as collecting water or even going to school. 
This negatively affects the entire community, not just women. 
Ms. Lusenge stated that, "Sexual violence is like a spider 
web; it touches victims, husbands, children, neighbors and 
destabilizes the nation". She said that sexual violence is a 
matter of security and therefore is an issue upon which the 
Security Council must act. She also remarked that some 
peacekeepers who initially came to help are now themselves 
perpetrators of sexual violence. Ms. Lusenge shared that 
because of her activism against sexual violence, she and her 
family have been forced into hiding. 
 
¶5. (U) Ms. Holt posed the question, "What does civilian 
protection mean?" and noted that the interpretation of 
"protection" varies depending on context. She explained that 
when asking several military personnel to define protection, 
they responded that it simply means avoiding casualties. When 
pushed to rethink protection, their responses shifted to, 
"shoot the bad guys". Ms. Holt then recommended that Security 
Council mandates be more explicit in their definitions of 
civilian protection to avoid such varying interpretations. To 
this end, Ms. Holt suggested that pre-deployment trainings, 
such as scenario based trainings, and in-mission trainings on 
sexual violence be implemented. 
 
¶6. (U) Comments and recommendations from civil society were 
also made. Human Rights Watch stated that sexual violence is 
not a new issue and that there is a continued need to seek, 
gain and react appropriately to information and reports on 
sexual violence to help end impunity. Human Rights Watch 
agreed that a robust peacekeeping mandate is needed before 
troops are deployed. 
 
 
¶7. (U) CARE recommended that Security Council Resolutions be 
more robust and address coordination at the country-level 
with better coordination within the UN system. As information 
and testimonies of sexual violence are so sensitive and can 
put victims and witnesses at risk, special efforts must be 
put forth to safeguard such information. CARE also expressed 
that current resources available to fight sexual violence are 
inadequate and need to be increased and that the process of 
recovery for communities will be lengthy, possibly taking up 
to 3, 5 or even 10 years. 
 
¶8. (U) Amnesty International commented that a focus must be 
given to accountability as there can be no peace without 
justice. Amnesty said that many times the Security Council 
reports are not comprehensive on sexual violence, and without 
adequate reports, there is no possibility that mandates will 
be sufficient. Amnesty recommended that Security Council 
reports be more extensive and analytical on sexual violence. 
If no reports exist on sexual violence for a conflict area, 
then the Security Council must ask why not and ensure that a 
reporting mechanism is implemented. 
 
¶9. (U) The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom 
stressed that participation of women is crucial in the fight 
against sexual violence. WILPF stated that sexual violence is 
tied to gender inequalities and that increased women's 
participation in all economic, social and political 
activities is needed to help decease inequalities. Women must 
be asked what threatens them, what their concerns are, and 
how they can be involved in prevention and protection. 
 
¶10. (U) The International Crisis Group highlighted that the 
language of SCR1325 is timid with words such as "encourages" 
or "urges" and should be more forceful with language such as 
"demands". ICG proposed that concepts such as a Security 
Council Working Group, benchmarks and other mechanisms to 
ensure accountability would be helpful. 
 
¶11. (U) Security Council members had the opportunity to 
respond and ask questions to panelists and civil society. 
Libya supported the idea of a Security Council Working Group. 
Libya would also like to see local religious leaders use 
their influence to better educate local populations as well 
as peacekeepers to help prevent sexual violence. Libya hopes 
that the draft Resolution is adopted by consensus and 
believes that it will send a strong message that the Security 
Council is working to end sexual violence in conflict zones. 
 
¶12. (U) France expressed that sexual exploitation and abuse 
fully comes under the Security Council mandate as it is a 
clear threat to international peace and security. France also 
noted that peacekeepers need more guidance, and it is the 
role of the Security Council to improve this guidance. 
 
¶13. (U) Costa Rica referred to Ms. Holt's discussion of the 
multiple interpretations of protection and said that a more 
explicit definition of civilian protection is needed. Costa 
Rica also stated that cooperation with the ICC, the 
implementation of SCR1593, better arms controls, and 
increased coordination and resources are all necessary. 
 
¶14. (U) Burkina Faso expressed that providing gender 
education and sensitivity training to peacekeepers, young 
people, students, the military and the community as a whole 
is imperative. Burkina Faso suggested that the Secretary 
General's periodic reports include specific information on 
sexual violence. Burkina Faso also noted that as the UN 
peacekeeping agenda becomes increasingly decentralized with 
an increased use of hybrid and regional forces, more support 
needs to be given to those forces, particularly to the AU, to 
address sexual violence. 
 
15.(U) The United States expressed that the link between 
sexual violence and the maintenance of international peace 
and security is at the heart of the discussion about what the 
Security Council can do. 
Khalilzad