S/RES/1894 (2009)
Stressing the particular impact that armed conflict has on women and children,
including as refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as on other civilians
who may have specific vulnerabilities including persons with disabilities and older
persons, and stressing the protection and assistance needs of all affected civilian
populations,
Noting the adoption of the African Union Convention for the Protection and
Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (2009),
Noting with grave concern the severity and prevalence of constraints on
humanitarian access, as well as the frequency and gravity of attacks against
humanitarian personnel and objects and the significant implications of such attacks
for humanitarian operations,
Recognizing the need for States in or emerging from armed conflict to restore
or build accountable security institutions and independent national judicial systems,
Recalling the inclusion of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide
in the statutes of the ad hoc international criminal tribunals and the Rome Statute of
the International Criminal Court, and emphasizing in this regard the principle of
complementarity,
Recognizing the importance of reparations programmes in response to serious
violations of international humanitarian law and gross human rights violations,
Recognizing the importance of empowering vulnerable civilians through
education and training as a means to support efforts to halt and prevent abuses
committed against civilians in situations of armed conflict,
Recognizing the valuable contribution to the protection of children in armed
conflict by the SRSG on Children and Armed Conflict and the Security Council
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, including its conclusions and
recommendations issued in line with resolution 1612 (2005), and recalling
resolution 1882 (2009), which aims to strengthen the protection of children in
situations of armed conflict,
Recalling its decision in resolution 1888 (2009) to address violence against
women and children in situations of armed conflict by requesting the SecretaryGeneral to appoint a special representative and to identify and take the appropriate
measures to deploy rapidly a team of experts to situations of particular concern with
respect to sexual violence in armed conflict,
Noting the practice of briefings to Security Council members by the Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on behalf of the United Nations’
humanitarian community, both through formal and informal channels,
Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the protection of
civilians of 29 May 2009 (S/2009/277) and its annex on constraints on humanitarian
access, which identify the core challenges to the effective protection of civilians,
namely enhancing compliance with international law; enhancing compliance by
non-State armed groups with their obligations under international law; enhancing
protection through more effective and better resourced United Nations peacekeeping
and other relevant missions; enhancing humanitarian access; and enhancing
accountability for violations,
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