Women, Peace and Security - February 2024

The NGO Directorate has ordered the suspension of several civil society organizations as well as the freezing of their bank accounts, while the Communications and Media Commission (CMC) issued a directive banning the use of the term “gender” and ordering all media outlets to replace the term “homosexuality” with “sexual deviance”. [...] Israel/Palestine The current escalation of violence comes amid the more than half-century long occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), and the humanitarian crisis has worsened as a result of not only the violence, but the pre- existing air, land and sea blockade, in place since 2007, which saw the erosion of infrastructure and services across Gaza. [...] The Security Council must: • Demand an immediate and sustained cessation of hostilities and further demand all parties immediately stop all unlawful attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure and humanitarian actors; call on all actors to uphold international human rights and humanitarian law, and all relevant Security Council resolutions, including on women, peace and security; and work toward. [...] • Call on the government of Israel to immediately and fully comply with the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice to protect Palestinians in Gaza from acts of genocide, including refraining from acts under the Genocide Convention and taking immediate and effective measures to ensure provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. [...] Security Council members should articulate their unwavering support for an inclusive Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process with the full, equal and meaningful participation of diverse women, youth and civil society of all political backgrounds from all regions of Yemen, including in the truce and ceasefire negotiations, as well as broader political and peace processes.