VZCZCXRO7541
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RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTRO RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUCNDT #0583/01 1831903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011903Z JUL 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4532
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1716
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RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 1197
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI 0278
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 1551
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0692

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000583 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SOCI UNSC KWMN
SUBJECT: UN SECURITY COUNCIL THEMATIC DEBATE AND RESOLUTION 
ON "WOMEN AND PEACE AND SECURITY" 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (U) Secretary Rice presided over the Security Council 
Thematic Debate on "Women and peace and security: Sexual 
Violence in Situations of Armed Conflict" on June 19. 
Recurrent themes of the debate included that sexual violence 
may be considered a tactic of war, that it may impede the 
restoration of international peace and security, and that it 
is a security issue to which the Council must respond. During 
the debate, the Security Council affirmed that widespread or 
systematic sexual violence can constitute a war crime, crime 
against humanity, and/ or a constitutive act with respect to 
genocide. All speakers underscored the need to prevent sexual 
violence, as well as the need to end impunity by holding all 
perpetrators accountable, including UN personnel. Council 
members and other speakers stressed that more systematic and 
reliable information on sexual violence is needed and 
requested that the Secretary-General submit a report to the 
Council. The need for strengthened individual peacekeeping 
mandates, including civilian protection, was emphasized. The 
resolution also stressed the importance of women's full 
participation in all decision-making and peace processes, 
including at high-levels. At the end of the debate, the UNSCR 
resolution 1820(2008) on "Women and peace and security" was 
adopted by consensus. End Summary. 
 
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MINISTERIAL DEBATE 
------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) The event was well attended with 60 speakers, 
including nine ministers and vice ministers in addition to 
Secretary Rice. Almost all speakers expressed concern about 
the epidemic frequency with which sexual violence is employed 
in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Darfur. All of the 
ministers noted that it is important to address sexual 
violence in armed conflicts because it signals that the 
Council is prepared to take actions to prevent sexual 
violence as well as to punish perpetrators. The summaries for 
the Secretary of State, statements by Croatia, South Africa, 
Burkina Faso, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, and Italy, 
as well as opening statements by UN Secretary-General Ban 
Ki-Moon, UN Deputy Secretary-General Migiro, Foreign Minister 
King-Akerele of Liberia, and other opening speakers will be 
reported SEPTEL. 
 
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CHINA/ RUSSIA 
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¶3. (U) China and Russia emphasized that the Security Council 
should focus its efforts on prevention of conflicts, 
peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction, and that 
sexual violence should be addressed within this context and 
not as a stand alone issue. China and Viet Nam stated that 
states bear the primary responsibility for the protection of 
women, and China noted that generous contributions from the 
international community are required to build such national 
capacities. China and Russia urged all countries, who have 
not yet done so, to take measures to accede to the Convention 
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against 
Women, the International Convention on the Elimination of All 
Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the Convention on the 
Rights of the Child. China, Russia, and Viet Nam noted that a 
duplication of the Secretary-General's efforts must be 
avoided, and they requested that coordination in the 
development of the reports submitted to the General Assembly 
and to the Council be assured. Despite raising objections and 
difficulties during negotiation of UNSCR 1820(2008), China 
and Russia joined the other Security Council members in 
unanimous adoption of the resolution. 
 
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OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Other Security Council members, including Libya, Costa 
Rica, Indonesia, Panama, and Croatia expressed their grave 
concern about sexual violence being used as a tactic of war 
and conveyed their support for the resolution. Libya noted 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000583  002 OF 003 
 
 
that sexual violence is not accepted or promoted in any 
religion and suggested that booklets be developed and 
distributed to peacekeepers and other military personnel 
emphasizing the relevant moral and religious norms that 
prohibit sexual violence. Costa Rica emphasized that 
accountability and security sector reform efforts are not 
sufficient, and that the concentration of international 
efforts must be on the prevention of sexual violence, 
including through listening to the needs and hopes of women. 
Indonesia noted that sexual violence is a violation of human 
rights and international law, and that women must be 
protected at all times- not just during times of armed 
conflict. Panama noted that credible and reliable information 
is needed by the Council to respond appropriately to sexual 
violence and underscored the importance of the requested 
report of the Secretary-General to the Council. Croatia 
expressed its readiness, as a non-permanent member of the 
Council, to take a proactive role in the promotion of women. 
 
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PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) Ambassador Takasu of Japan, Chairperson of the 
Peacebuilding Commission, noted that greater political will 
is needed to spur concrete actions to ensure the full 
implementation of UNSCR 1325(2000) on "Women and peace and 
security". He recommended that the Security Council take 
measures to ensure increased collection of data on the 
impacts of sexual violence, take steps to prosecute 
perpetrators and end impunity, strengthen gender-sensitive 
training programs for peacekeeping and humanitarian 
personnel, and mainstream a gender perspective into all 
Security Council mandates. The PBC, he said, has undertaken 
efforts to ensure that gender is a critical priority in the 
integrated peacebuilding strategies for Burundi and Sierra 
Leone. 
 
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DRC MINISTER 
------------ 
 
¶6. (U) Philomene Omatuku Atshakawo, Minister of Gender, 
Family and Children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 
highlighted that sexual violence in armed conflicts is a 
scandal with far-reaching negative impacts, including the 
promotion of HIV infections and a decrease in food security- 
if women cannot or are fearful to go into the fields, food 
cannot be collected. The DRC also acknowledged the role 
resource exploitation plays in the continuation of its 
internal conflict and in the increased feminization of 
poverty and vulnerability. 
 
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AFRICAN UNION 
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¶7. (U) Ambassador Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and 
Security for the African Union, underscored the importance of 
UN support to ensure the promotion of women's rights and 
protection within regional organizations, specifically the 
AU. Ambassador Stiglic of Slovenia, on behalf of the European 
Union, highlighted that men and boys may be subjected to 
sexual violence during armed conflicts, and that many boys 
have watched their mothers and sisters being raped and run a 
considerable risk of becoming perpetrators themselves. Mr. 
Tupouniua of the Kingdom of Tonga, on behalf of Pacific Small 
Island Developing States, highlighted the link between 
climate change and the security and well-being of women. 
 
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GENERAL DEBATE 
-------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Several common themes emerged in the statements that 
followed: Lichtenstein, Ghana, Slovenia, Australia, Spain, 
New Zealand, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Israel, Iceland, 
Nigeria, Brazil, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada, Ecuador, 
Republic of Korea, Mexico, Austria, Argentina, Argentina, 
Colombia, United Republic of Tanzania, Germany, Kazakhstan, 
Iraq, Rwanda, Philippines, Afghanistan, El Salvador, Tonga, 
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Myanmar, Tunisia, Benin, Mauritania, and 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000583  003 OF 003 
 
 
San Marino. Many countries noted that despite the adoption of 
S/RES/1325(2000) eight years ago, sexual violence in armed 
conflicts persists and is increasing, and that such epidemic 
sexual violence can constitute a threat to international 
peace and security and is therefore within the scope of the 
Security Council. To combat sexual violence, the following 
recommendations were made: gender-sensitive training for all 
peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel; strengthened 
Security Council mandates which include the protection of 
civilians; an increase in the number of female SRSGs and 
Special Envoy appointments; greater participation of women in 
all peacebuilding and peacekeeping missions and 
decision-making, including at high levels; strict enforcement 
of the "zero tolerance" policy; and the exclusion of crimes 
of sexual violence from amnesty provisions. Multiple 
countries emphasized that widespread and systematic sexual 
violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against 
humanity, and/or a constitutive act with respect to genocide, 
and that the Security Council should, where appropriate, 
refer cases of sexual violence to the International Criminal 
Court or ad hoc tribunals. Several countries recommended that 
the Council establish a Working Group to monitor the 
implementation of this resolution as well as 
S/RES/1325(2000), and that a mechanism be developed to share 
best practices and lessons learned. 
 
¶9. (U) US Ambassador Khalilzad, as President of the Security 
Council for June, presided over the vote on the resolution 
which was adopted unanimously as S/RES/1820(2008) on "Women 
and peace and security". 
 
¶10. (U) For a complete summary of the thematic debate, see: 
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sc9364 .doc.htm. 
 
¶11. (U) Other high level speakers at the debate included UN 
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon; Mrs. Olubanke King-Akerele, 
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liberia; Mr. Srgjan Kerim, 
President of the UN General Assembly; Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro, 
UN Deputy Secretary-General; Major-General Patrick Cammaert, 
Former Division Commander of MONUC; Mrs. Jadranka Kosor, Vice 
Prime Minister and Minister of the Family, Veterans' Affairs 
and Intergenerational Solidarity of the Republic of Croatia; 
Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister for Foreign Affairs of 
the Republic of South Africa; Mr. Djibril Yipene Bassole, 
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Burkina Faso; Ms. Patricia 
Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, Attorney-General for 
England and Wales of the  Government of the United Kingdom; 
Mr. Charles Michel, Minister of  Development Cooperation of 
Belgium; Ms. Rama Yade, Secretary of State for Foreign 
Affairs and Human Rights of France; Mr. Vincenzo Scotti, 
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Italy; and 
Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign 
Affairs of China. See SEPTEL for further details of their 
statements. 
Khalilzad