Sexual Violence in Conflict and Arria Formula on Mediation

Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict

On February 23 2012, the Security Council held an open debate on Women, Peace, and Security: Conflict- Related Sexual Violence. 51 statements were made during the open debate, including statements by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence Margot Wallström (SRSG); Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous; Amina Megh

eirb on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (NGOWG); and member state representatives. The closed negotiation of the Security Council resulted in the adoption of the Presidential Statement S/PRST/2012/3. The main focus of the debate was the Secretary-General's Report on Conflict-related Sexual Violence (S/2012/33), which highlights the ongoing incidence of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations relevant to the reporting period (December 2010 to Novem

ber 2011) and also includes for the first time an annexed list of parties responsible for patterns of rape in conflict (as requested by the Security Council in SCR 1960), referred to often as the “naming and shaming mechanism”. Present in the negotiation of the Presidential Statement (PRST) and in the debate itself was the disagreement among States related to the scope and definition of the SRSG's mandate.

Security Council Arria Formula on "Women's role in mediation and post-conflict resolution" on International Women's Day 2012, 8 March 2012

The Permanent Missions of the United Kingdom and Portugal held an Arria formula meeting on International Women's Day to highlight the need for the greater participation of women in mediation and conflict resolution. This Arria meeting was held as an opportunity for dialogue between civil society and the Security Council, marking International Women's Day with an interactive discussion on the challenges, and the progress already made, in this important area. Speakers include Betty Atuku Bigombe, Ugandan State Minister for Water Resources, and Jamal Benomar, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Yemen and Shadia Marhaban, President of the Aceh Women's League (LINA). Minister Bigombe participated in mediation with the Lord's Resistance Army. Jamal Benomar has worked with women mediators in Yemen. Shadia Marhaban participated in mediation of the Aceh peace talks.