The African Union should urge the United Nations Security Council to set up a commission of inquiry to document the worst human rights abuses in Somalia, an essential first step in creating justice and accountability.

The United Nations Security Council should make sure that its existing commitments to protect civilians during armed conflict are actually carried out.

The Southern Sudan government, the United Nations, and international donors should urgently address critical failures to protect civilians from ethnic violence. On June 23, 2009, the parties to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended Sudan's long civil war between the southern Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the National Congress Party, donors, and international supporters will meet in Washington, DC to review implementation of the agreement, including security arrangements.

The defeat on June 18 in the UN Human Rights Council of efforts led by Egypt and Sudan to end the scrutiny of Sudan was an important step.

The United Nations Human Rights Council should reject the Sudanese government's request to terminate the mandate of the special rapporteur on human rights in Sudan.

Members of the United Nations Security Council should press for the surrender and trial of President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and others wanted for serious crimes committed in Darfur. On June 5, 2009, the Security Council, which mandated the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes in Darfur, will be briefed by the ICC prosecutor on its investigation, including on the Sudanese government’s failure to cooperate.

The introduction of legislation in the US Senate and House of Representatives earlier this week to commit the United States to comprehensive efforts to help civilians threatened by one of the world’s longest-running and brutal insurgencies is a crucial step forward for US policy in the region.

Sudan's Government of National Unity should act to prevent a recurrence of clashes by military units and ensure justice for abuses committed in the Southern Sudanese town of Malakal in February 2009.