UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1820 The International Women’s Tribune Centre monitored closely
the adoption of Resolution 1325 and worked actively as a member of the NGO
Working Group on Women, Peace and Security to lobby government missions. IWTC
also actively reached out to women’s groups particularly in the Global South to
ensure that their voices are heard in the discussion around the
Resolution.
For additional information on the work of IWTC on Resolution
1820, please contact: Mavic Cabrera-Balleza at [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UN Security Council Adopts Resolution 1820 (2008) to End
Sexual Violence in Conflict
New York, June 19, 2008 --The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1820 (2008) today demanding the "immediate and complete cessation by all parties to armed conflict of all acts of sexual violence against civilians, expressing its deep concern that, despite repeated condemnation, violence and sexual abuse of women and children trapped in war zones was not only continuing, but, in some cases, had become so widespread and systematic as to 'reach appalling levels of brutality."
The 15-member Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1820 (2008), which noted that "rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity or a constitutive act with respect to genocide. It also affirmed the Council's intention, when establishing
and renewing State-specific sanction regimes, to consider imposing targeted and graduated measures against warring factions who committed rape and other forms of violence against women and girls."
The Resolution also noted that women and girls are "particularly targeted by the use of sexual violence, including in some cases as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instill fear in, disperse and/or forcibly relocate civilian members of a community or ethnic group. Emphasizing that such violence could significantly exacerbate conflicts and impede peace processes, the Resolution affirmed the Council's readiness to, where necessary, adopt steps to address systematic sexual
violence deliberately targeting civilians, or as a part of a widespread campaign against civilian populations."
Nearly all of the speakers including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro; and Olubanke King-Akerele, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Liberia made reference to Resolution 1325 as the comprehensive framework for women, peace and security and the fact that it has not been fully implemented.
Also participating in the debate were the Vice-Prime Minister of Croatia, and the Foreign Ministers of South Africa and Burkina Faso, senior ministers and government officials from the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Italy, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The other country missions who presented statements were: China, Libya, Viet Nam, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Panama, Russian Federation, Japan (in his capacity and as Chairperson of the Peacebuilding Commission), Liechtenstein, Ghana, Slovenia (on behalf of the European Union),
Australia, Spain, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Israel, Iceland (also on behalf of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden), Nigeria, Brazil, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada, Ecuador, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Austria, Argentina, Colombia, United Republic of Tanzania, Germany, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Rwanda, Philippines, Afghanistan, El Salvador, Tonga (on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Myanmar, Tunisia, Benin, Mauritania and San Marino. The Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union also addressed the debate.
The Open Debate on Women Peace and Security was presided by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The
resolution was co-sponsored Security Council members: Belgium, Burkina Faso, Croatia, Costa Rica, France, Italy, Panama, South Africa, UK and USA, as well as some 32 other UN member states.
