[SPONSORED]: KIGALI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE DECLARATION (KICD) Africa Convention of Women in Security Organs

Background

The International community has long recognised the importance of fully involving women and effectively participating in peace efforts for the maintenance and promotion of sustainable peace and security. The UN Security Council has adopted seven Resolutions ("UNSCRs”) on Women Peace and Security.

UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security was the first landmark Resolution to be adopted in 2000, and there have been six related resolutions since then, namely; UNSCR 1820 in 2008, UNSCR 1888 adopted in 2009, UNSCR1889 of 2009, UNSCR 1960 of 2010, and UNSCR 2106 and 2122 adopted in 2013.

These resolutions provide member states with the framework for implementing and monitoring the Women, Peace and Security agenda and stress the importance of women’s full and meaningful participation in all aspects of peace building and conflict recovery as well as the role of the international community in working together to reduce the impact of conflict on women and girls, and to promote their active participation in conflict prevention and peace building. These declarations have also reaffirmed that sustainable peace hinges on an approach that integrates political, security, development and human rights, including gender equality concerns.

Though the participation of women in formal peace processes has been inching up, a study of 31 major peace processes between 1992 and 2011 revealed that only 9% of negotiators were women and 3% of the military in UN missions are women; majority of these women are employed as support staff.

KICD

African Security Organs have made firm commitments and considerable progress to support the move to end violence against women and girls. In response to the 2008 "Call for Action” by the UN Secretary General in the Global campaign – UNiTE campaign to end Violence Against Women and Girls” (VAWG) – the Africa UNiTE campaign was later in January 2010, launched in Ethiopia.

Rwanda`s security Organs in partnership with the One-UN Rwanda launched the campaign in Kigali in October 2010 in high level international conference under the theme: "The Role of African Security Organs in Ending Violence Against Women and Girls”.

The conference was concluded with a proclamation and signing of the Kigali International Conference Declaration (KICD).

Currently, 42 African countries have participated in KICD. Since 2010, five Annual General Meetings (AGM) have been held on a rotational basis, of which one of the key outcomes of the conferences was a unanimous decision to establish a permanent secretariat in Rwanda dubbed ‘Africa’s Centre for Security Organs Coordination of Actions to end Violence Against Women and Girls (AFSOCA-VAWG).

The main objective of AFSOCAVAWG is to coordinate and implement decisions of KICD.

In pursuant to the KICD declaration that calls upon Africa’s Security Organs to continue to take concrete measures in ending VAWG, different activities have been implemented so far including;

-Construction of the secretariat facility Elaboration of a protocol on AFSOCCA-VAWG,

-Legal enforcement to KICD

-Five-year strategic plan Roadmap of activities for Africa’s Security Organs in ending VAWG.

-Two Command Post Exercises (CPX) for all-Africa security organs’ have been conducted to improve and harmonize approach to ending VAWG in a peaceful, post conflict and conflict situations.

Women in Security Organs Convention

The KICD is organizing the first ever ‘Regional Convention of Women in security Organs’ to be held from 28-29, November 2016 at the Kigali Convention Center. This Women Convention is in line with the implementation of the resolutions of the 5th KICD AGM held in Algiers-Algeria in March 2016.

The convention will coincide with the ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.’ It is expected to bring together high ranking women in security organs across the region, experts in peace and security and other high level officials from governments, the UN Family, Civil Society Organisations and Development Partners. The convention is organized under the theme "Women’s impact in security: rethinking strategy”.

The main objective of the women’s convention is to reflect on the significant role of women in security organs, share experiences, challenges, lessons learnt and renew commitment in order to enable participants to better understand the emerging international crimes and threats in relation to VAWG, and how women is security organs can position themselves to prevent and respond to them.

Participants to the 4th KICD AGM join other Rwandans during the 16 days of activism campaign under the theme: Turn back crime to end violence against women and girls, Kigali 2014.

INAUGURATION OF THE REGIONAL CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE (CoE)

The first ever ‘Regional Convention of Women in Security Organs’ will also include the official inauguration Regional Center of Excellence facility at the RNP General Headquarters in Kacyiru constructed with the support of the World Bank. It is a comprehensive system which has been put in place for the collection, management and sharing of GBV-related best practices and information.

The Centre will also host the KICD Secretariat and coordinate its activities.

Services of CoE

Act as a research center

Capacity building facility

Advocacy Data collection Information exchange

Documentation of best practices

Synchronize community Policing outreach programs

Liaison with relevant institutions, and other initiatives

Establish appropriate legal and organizational frameworks to support member states

LAUNCH OF ISANGE BOOK

One of the resolutions of KICD is the adoption of Isange One Stop Centre as the holistic approach against sexual and gender based violence. In implementing the services of Regional Center of Excellence, particularly on data collection, the convention will also include the officiate the launch of Isange One Stop Centre book – the book is titled "Rwanda’s Holistic Approach to Fighting Gender Based Violence and Child abuse: The Isange One Stop Centre Model.”

The book documents the Isange model and involved services. It provides a brief social context that necessitated a number of interventions and how the lessons learned helped to inform a holistic response mechanism. It details how different entities contributed diverse capacities and capabilities that ensure holistic care for victims of Gender Based Violence and Child Abuse.