Statement by Ms. Dubravka Šimonovic, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its causes and consequences at the High-level Panel Discussion

Organized by the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa
59th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Banjul, 23 October 2016

Honourable Commissioners,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Dear panelists, 

First of all, let me express my gratitude for inviting me to participate in this panel. It is a great honour being here and addressing the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights for the first time since I took on this United Nations mandate of the Special rapporteur on Violence against Women, its causes and concequences.

I would like to start by thanking the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa Ms. Lucy Asuagbor for sending me her mandate’s inputs related to the adequacy of global international framework on violence against women. There inputs, included in my thematic report that I have just presented to the United Nations General Assembly on 10 October this year, together with other views received from invited global and regional mechanisms dealing with women's rights and violence against women, are forming an interim report on this topic .

I have also invited States, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to send me their inputs and so far I have received more than 200 submissions.

 I intend to continue this debate and voices from regional mechanisms, States and non-governmental organizations from Africa are important for this global process of examination of the current state of international human rights framework and practice in relation to violence against women.

Let me also mention that in my first vision setting report present at the Human rights Council in June this year, I have called for stronger cooperation between global and regional mechanisms dealing with women's rights and violence against women and for joint and complimentary use of global and regional instruments, in order to employ synergies between them and to accelerate implementation of all of them.

For example, at the Inter - American level the Belem do Para Convention should be used jointly with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Convention), the Beijing Platform for Action (BPA) and the UN Security Council Resolution 1325(Resolution 1325) . 

At the European level, the Istanbul convention should also be used jointly with the CEDAW Convention, BPA, and 1325.

The same goes for the Maputo protocol that should be used and implemented jointly with the above instruments. Majority of the States that have not yet ratified the Maputo protocol, have ratified the CEDAW Convention that contains similar obligations on global level.

In exercising my global mandate on violence against women I will certainly use them jointly and for that reason I am very happy to be here, to participate in panels and to discuss possibilities for future stronger cooperation.

Now let me briefly look at situation of women in conflict, as tasked by this panel.

Let me recall that at the same time as the adoption of Security Council Resolution1325, a landmark in the Security Council’s efforts towards greater protection of women’s human rights in time of conflict in 2000, the first mandate-holder on violence against women, devoted a full report to examining violence against women perpetrated and/or condoned by the State during times of armed conflict (E/CN.4/2001/73). 

From that time on we have seen significant progress in developments at normative level in this area, such as the adoption of the follow-up Security Council resolutions and the development of national action plans for the implementation of this agenda.

Let me also mention adoption of General recommendation No. 30 on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women that elaborates on the very important links and the complementarity between the CEDAW Convention, the Security Council Resolution 1325, and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, with the main massage: we should use them jointly and not separately.

I have learned that the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights at its 19th Meeting this year adopted Resolution 322 on human rights in conflict situation and will conduct a study on human rights in conflict situations in Africa, with a view to developing a comprehensive strategy and framework on the same.

I hope that women’s rights and violence against women agenda will be fully integrated and addressed in this study.

In spite of these normative developments, unfortunately, in reality women continue to be underrepresented in peace and mediation processes of today.

Women’s participation in peace negotiations remains below ten percent of those formally involved.

Since 1992, women have constituted less than 8 per cent of negotiating delegations in United Nations-mediated peace processes, and less than 3 per cent of peace agreement signatories.

 Out of 585 peace agreements concluded between 1990 and 2010, only 16 per cent contained references to women.

Now it is time to look at some good practices.

Precisely in this region, I have come across a promising practice: namely the Kigali International Conference Declaration (KICD) on the role of security and police organs to end violence against women and girls.

I participated in its 5th General Assembly earlier this year in Algiers, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women's in Africa Ms. Lucy Asuagbor and Ms Soyata Maiga, Vice Chairperson of the Commission.

This Kigali Declaration, signed by 43 African States, focuses on the involvement of the security organs or the police in the process of combating violence against women and girls since such authorities are the first-respondents in cases of violence and have a key role to play in the prevention andprosecution of perpetrators and protection of victims/survivors of violence.

Building on this practice, including its achievements and challenges, I intend to spearhead a process for the elaboration of a global code of conduct for police/law enforcement and security officers dealing with violence against women and girls.

Let me conclude by emphasizing the fact that international and regional human rights mechanisms must continue to hold States accountable for violations of women’s human rights in time of conflict as their obligations to prevent and eliminate violence against women are not derogated at those times.

 These obligations entail that a comprehensive approach to prevent and fight violence against women be adopted, an approach which targets social transformation and the empowerment of women, be it through education, skills training, legal literacy, access to productive resources and importantly participation in all spheres of life.

Lasting peace requires a legitimate and representative State, which can only come about with full and equal participation of women.

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