UGANDA has pledged to implement the United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions on sexual violence and women’s participation in peace and security initiatives, the director for gender and community development in the gender ministry, Jane Mpagi, has said.
She was speaking during a threee-day workshop organised by the United Nations Population Fund and United Nations Development Fund for Women in Entebbe recently.
Mpagi said the existing structure of National Women’s Councils would be used in the implementation of the resolutions safeguarding women against sexual violence during war.
The UN security technical experts and women activists met to discuss the successful implementation of Uganda’s National Action Plan on two UN Security Council resolutions 1,325, 1,820 and the Goma Declaration.
Resolution 1,325 addresses women and gender. It also calls for women’s participation in all peace and security initiatives.
It states: “All parties to armed conflict should respect fully international laws applicable to the rights and protection of women and girls, especially as civilians.”
The resolution also urges UN member states to ensure increased representation of women at all decision-making levels in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflict.
Resolution 1,820 states that sexual violence is a tactic of war and a serious matter. It calls for clearer and stronger guidelines to prevent sexual violence against civilians and asserts women’s participation as critical in all processes related to stopping sexual violence during conflicts.
The resolution also adds that violence when used as a tactic of war in order to deliberately target civilians can intensify situations of armed conflict.
As a result, the resolution demands for the immediate end of sexual violence against civilians.
“We want to see the laws and policies, which have been developed in line with the resolutions and we are going to promote the resolutions basing on these developments,” remarked Mpagi.
