Minister Dlamini Zuma to participate in UN Security Council Thematic Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations

New York – South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will participate in a Thematic Debate of the United Nations Security Council on Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations at the UN Headquarters on Thursday 19 June 2008.

The United States of America, as the current President of the UN Security Council has convened an Open Thematic Debate, in which Minister Dlamini Zuma will participate on the invitation of US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.  Secretary of State Rice will also preside over the meeting. 

The debate will be held under the Council’s agenda item, “Women, Peace and Security, with a particular emphasis on rape and other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict,” and will focus on sexual violence as a tactic of war and is expected to highlight the widespread and systematic use of sexual violence in conflict situations, while drawing international attention to the need to address this problem.

The debate will also aim to take forward Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security which, since its adoption has seen slow and uneven progress towards achieving its objective.  The participation of women at decision-making levels in conflict resolution and peace processes has not increased significantly, and the number of women military observers, civilian police, Envoys, and Special Representatives of the Secretary-General in peacekeeping missions is still disappointingly low.

Participants in the Thematic Debate will include:

• Belgium: Charles Michel, Minister for Development Cooperation
• Burkina Faso: Foreign Minister, Djibril Yipènè Bassolé
• China: Ambassador LIU Zhenmin, Deputy Permanent Representative
• Costa Rica: Ambassador S.E Sr. Jorge Urbina, Permanent Representative
• Croatia: Mrs. Jadranka Kosor, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of the Family, Veteran’s Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity
• France: Mme Rama Yade, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights
• UK: Patricia Scotland - Baroness Scotland of Asthal, Attorney General for England and Wales
• Indonesia: Ambassador Dr. R.M. Marty M. Natalegawa, Permanent Representative
• Italy:  Vicenzo Scotti, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
• Libya: Foreign Minister, Abdel-Rahman Shalgam
• Panama: Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias, Permanent Representative
• Russian Federation: Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative
• US: Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice
• Vietnam: Ambassador Le Luong Minh, Permanent Representative

Background

South Africa hosted a workshop on Gender Mainstreaming in Peace Missions arranged by the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UNDPKO) in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) in Pretoria in February 2007.

The objective of the workshop was to initiate discussions within Troop and Police Contributing Countries with a view to developing strategies to support gender mainstreaming in peace missions in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000).

South Africa, Nigeria, Argentina, and Pakistan were chosen as pilot countries for the documentation of good practices and lessons learnt on gender mainstreaming in peace missions.  South Africa’s report was submitted to the UN in April 2008.

Relevant findings from the SA report vis-à-vis sexual violence in armed conflict:

• There is practical evidence that the deployment of women enhances the impact of peacekeeping, especially for women and children in conflict areas. The deployment of women facilitates engagement with local women through the setting up of women’s desks in IDP and refugee camps which assists women to talk about their needs and trauma, including information sharing on sexual harassment, abuse and rape experienced by women in their day to day lives.
• The South African Department of Defence conducts awareness and sensitization training on the following issue to all battalions before deployment - Law of Armed Conflict; Violence against Women; Sexual Harassment and Rape; Shared Values.  The aim of this sensitization is to ensure that soldiers understand the importance of international law and that violating them is committing a war crime.
• South African Police Services (SAPS) women participate in the development and implementation of a women’s desks in the camps to share information on sexual harassment, abuse and rape experienced by women in their day to day lives. This is an initiative that assists women to talk about their trauma in the process.
• Furthermore, the presence of women peacekeepers has a positive transformational impact in terms of redefining the roles that women can play in all aspects of peace processes and national reconstruction and development.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

17 June 2008