Adopts Presidential Statement S/PRST/2001/31

The Security Council this morning underscored the importance of promoting active and visible mainstreaming of a gender perspective in all its policies and programmes on armed conflict.

In a statement read by its President, Brian Cowen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland, the Council reaffirmed its strong support for increasing women's role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution. The Council renewed its call on States to include women in negotiations and implementation of peace accords, constitutions and strategies for resettlement and rebuilding.

Concerned that there were still no women appointed as special representatives or special envoys of the Secretary-General to peace missions, the Council urged Member States to redouble their efforts to nominate women candidates to the Secretary-General.

Adopting presidential statement S/PRST/2001/31, the Council reiterated its request to the Secretary-General to include, in his reporting, progress in gender mainstreaming throughout United Nations peacekeeping missions and on other aspects relating to women and girls.

The meeting began at 10:41 a.m. and adjourned at 10:45 a.m.

Presidential Statement

Following is the full text of presidential statement S/PRST/2001/31:

“At the 4402^nd meeting of the Security Council, held on 31 October 2001, in connection with the first anniversary of the Council’s adoption of its resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 on women, peace and security, the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

“The Security Council reaffirms its commitment to the implementation of its resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 and welcomes the efforts by the United Nations system, Member States, civil society organizations and other relevant actors in promoting the equal participation and full involvement of

women in the maintenance and promotion of peace and security and in implementing the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000).

“The Council further reaffirms its strong support for increasing the role of women in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and renews its call on States to include women in the negotiations and implementation of peace accords, constitutions and strategies for resettlement and rebuilding and to take measures to support local women’s groups and indigenous processes for conflict resolution. In this regard, it recognizes the efforts of the Mano River Women’s Peace Network in facilitating peace and dialogue in the Mano River Union region. It is encouraged by the inclusion of women in the political decision-making bodies in Burundi, Somalia and in East Timor.

“The Security Council underscores the importance of promoting an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective in all policies and programmes while addressing armed conflicts, in particular peacekeeping operations in keeping with the statement of the President of the Security Council on 8 March 2000.

“The Council, therefore, reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to include, where appropriate, in his reporting to the Security Council, progress in gender mainstreaming throughout United Nations peacekeeping missions and on other aspects relating to women and girls. It expresses its intention to give full consideration to these reports and to take appropriate action. The Council also reaffirms its call for the inclusion of gender components as appropriate, in peacekeeping operations.

“The Security Council renews its support for gender-sensitive training guidelines and material on the protection, rights and the particular needs of women, as well as on the importance of involving women in all peacekeeping and peace-building measures. The Council calls upon all troop-contributing countries to include these elements in their national training programmes for peacekeepers.

“The Council welcomes the specific proposals made by the Secretary-General aimed at strengthening the Best Practices Unit of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations with the appointment of gender advisers at sufficiently senior levels.

“It also welcomes the practical efforts, including the preparation of complementary reports, already made by the United Nations and its agencies, funds, programmes and regional bodies, in particular those participating in the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Inter-agency Task Force on Women, Peace and Security to implement all aspects of resolution 1325 (2000), as well as the timely issuance of the publication Gender Perspective in Disarmament, which gives a clear indication of ways in which women can be fully involved and the benefits to the parties concerned.

“The Security Council notes with satisfaction that the Secretary-General’s study requested under paragraph 16 of its resolution 1325 (2000) on the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, the role of women in peace-building and the gender dimensions of peace processes and conflict resolution

is under way and welcomes the coordinated comprehensive input of the United Nations and all the relevant agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and looks forward to its review.

“The Security Council is concerned that there are still no women appointed as Special Representatives or Special Envoys of the Secretary-General to peace missions, and urges Member States to redouble their efforts to nominate women candidates to the Secretary-General. The Council also urges the Secretary-General to appoint women as Special Representatives and Envoys to pursue good offices on his behalf in accordance with his strategic plan of action (A/49/587, para. 2).

“The Security Council recognizes the need to implement fully international humanitarian and human rights law that protects the rights of civilians, including women and girls, during and after conflicts and calls on all parties to armed conflicts to take special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, and all other forms of violence.

“The Security Council remains actively seized of the matter and expresses its willingness to consider, as appropriate, the gender dimensions of armed conflict in carrying out its responsibility of maintaining international peace and security under the Charter of the United Nations.”

Background

The Security Council met this morning to consider the item on women, peace and security. One year ago today, the Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000), calling on all actors involved in negotiating and implementing peace agreements to adopt gender perspectives that included the special needs of women and girls during repatriation and resettlement, reintegration and post-conflict reconstruction. The gender perspective should also include measures supporting local women’s peace initiatives and indigenous processes for conflict resolution, and involving women in all the implementation mechanisms of the peace agreements, as well as measures to ensure the human rights of women and girls, particularly as they related to the national constitution, the electoral system, the police and the judiciary.

Also by that resolution, the Council expressed willingness to ensure that Council missions take into account gender considerations and the rights of women, including through local and international women’s groups. The Council requested the Secretary-General to provide to Member States training guidelines and materials on the protection of the rights and particular needs of women, as well as on the importance of involving women in all peacekeeping and peace-building measures. The Council invited the Secretary-General to carry out a study and report to it on the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, the role of women in peace-building, and the gender dimension of peace processes and conflict resolutions. It urged Member States to increase the participation of women at decision-making levels.

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