A/HRC/28/49
particular in Unity, Lakes, Jonglei and Western Equatoria States. Those sensitization
initiatives included training for journalists, women’s groups, religious and civil society
organizations, hospital social workers, returnees and primary and secondary school
students. UNMISS also engaged in human rights awareness-raising activities and dispute
resolution mechanisms with community leaders and displaced persons in its protection of
civilians sites. In accordance with Security Council resolution 2155 (2014), emphasis was
placed on women’s right to participate fully in decision-making and the prevention and
resolution of conflict.
54.
On 25 November 2014, as part of efforts to address gender-based violence,
including conflict-related sexual violence, UNMISS and its partners launched the annual
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, including radio talk shows
and awareness-raising activities throughout the country.
55.
On 11 December 2014, UNMISS, in collaboration with the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, trained 15 media observers in Juba on
information-gathering and human rights investigation methodology. Similar training
focusing on investigating, reporting and advocacy has been carried out for civil society
organizations.
V. Conclusion
56.
One year into the conflict in South Sudan, the human rights situation there
remains grave. Though the scale and severity of the conflict have recently declined,
there has been persistent fighting, notably in Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei States,
accompanied by gross human rights violations and abuses, including killings, conflictrelated sexual violence and large-scale displacements of civilians. With very little
meaningful progress having been made towards a political resolution of the crisis,
there is a risk that the armed conflict may intensify, with a further devastating impact
on civilians. In addition to the conflict, intercommunal violence continues to be of
serious concern. There also continues to be a notable deterioration in the exercise of
freedom of expression, with incidents of threats and intimidation of civil society,
detention of journalists and censorship of the media.
57.
While both forces engaged in the fighting have continued to commit serious
human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law,
neither side has taken any concrete steps to date to hold perpetrators to account or to
seriously pursue justice and redress for the victims. In the light of the marked failure
by both parties to the conflict to hold perpetrators accountable, it is hoped that the
African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan, established to investigate
ongoing crimes and human rights violations and abuses, will publish its findings soon
as a step towards ensuring meaningful accountability for human rights violations and
abuse and ending the cycle of violence and impunity in the country.
VI. Recommendations
58.
The recommendations the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights made in his report to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-seventh session
remain largely unimplemented and continue to apply. The High Commissioner
reiterates those recommendations, broadening their scope, and adds new ones.
13
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