Security Council resolution 1888 (2009) [on sexual violence against women and children in situations of armed conflict]

Demands that all parties to armed conflict immediately take appropriate measures to protect civilians, including women and children, from all forms of sexual violence; requests that the UN Secretary-General appoint a Special Representative to provide coherent and strategic leadership, to work effectively to strengthen existing UN coordination mechanisms, and to engage in advocacy efforts, in order to address sexual violence in armed conflict, while promoting cooperation and coordination of efforts among all relevant stakeholders, primarily through the inter-agency initiative "United Nations Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict"; calls upon the Secretary-General to identify and take the appropriate measures to deploy rapidly a team of experts to situations of particular concern with respect to sexual violence in armed conflict; decides to include specific provisions, as appropriate, for the protection of women and children from rape and other sexual violence in the mandates of UN peacekeeping operations, including, on a case-by-case basis, the identification of women's protection advisers (WPAs) among gender advisers and human rights protection units, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the need for, and the number and roles of WPAs are systematically assessed during the preparation of each UN peacekeeping operation; requests the Secretary-General to ensure that technical support is provided to troop and police contributing countries; requests the Secretary-General to continue and strengthen efforts to implement the policy of zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse in UN peacekeeping operations; requests that the Secretary-General ensure more systematic reporting on incidents of trends, emerging patterns of attack, and early warning indicators of the use of sexual violence in armed conflict in all relevant reports to the Council; decides to review the mandates of the Special Representative and the Team of Experts within two years, and as appropriate thereafter.

Adopted unanimously, 6195th meeting

7 p.

Issued in: Resolutions and decisions of the Security Council, 1 August 2009-31 July 2010 - S/INF/65 - (SCOR, 64th year).