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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) 
 
¶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