[APWW-Meet] UN Security Council

[mavic@iwtc.org]

Welcome to the APWW-Meet
An announcement list of the Asia Pacific Women Watch network
working for the advancement of the status of women.
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Dear friends,=20

We request you to use and distribute as widely as possible this media
advisory regarding a new resolution on sexual violence that will be the
subject of an open debate at the UN Security Council on June 19, 2008.
Please revise or put locally relevant text whenever and wherever you
think it is necessary--please see the last paragraph in this advisory.=20

Please email me and cc my colleague  Hashini Rajapaksha
<hashini@iwtc.org> if you have any questions. We hope to send you
updates in the coming days. =20

Thanks very much,

Mavic=20
Mavic Cabrera-Balleza
Senior Programme Associate=20
International Women's Tribune Centre
Tel: 1 212 6878633=20
Fax: 1 212 661 2704
Email: mavic@iwtc.org=20
Website: www.iwtc.org <http://www.iwtc.org>=20

Press Advisory=20

On June 19, the United Nations Security Council is set to debate the
relevance of sexual violence in conflict to its work.  The debate may
result in the adoption of a historic resolution which would require the
Council to analyze and address the occurrence of sexual violence in all
conflict-affected situations on its agenda.  Until now, the Council's
record on raising concerns on this issue has been inconsistent, only
recently issuing strong statements on the appalling levels of sexual
violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo-a conflict that has
been marred by unconscionable violence for years-and hardly any mention
of rape and other forms of sexual abuse in Cote d'Ivoire, where
nongovernmental and humanitarian organizations systematically have
documented continued use of such violence by all sides of the conflict.

The Security Council is mandated by the UN Charter to address situations
that threaten international peace and security, including violations of
international law (such as rape) that raise to this level.  The Council
consists of 15 member states, all of whom would have to agree to the
proposed resolution on sexual violence for it to pass.  The  Council is
composed of China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States--the
five permanent members and Belgium, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia,
Indonesia, Italy, Libya, Panama, South Africa and Vietnam--the
non-permanent members.=20

[enter locally relevant para here including something like this: "XXNAME
OF PERSONXX from XXNAME OF ORGANIZATIONXX, an NGO specializing in
XXMANDATEXX, is available to talk to the press on the need for stronger
international action to prevent and punish sexual violence."]




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