NGOWatch
Security Council Focuses on
Women, Peace and Security
By the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security
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| Photo/Jenny Perlman |
The participation of women is a key variable in achieving sustainable peace and security. Having recognized this principle in its resolution on women, peace and security, the Security Council, during a working roundtable meeting at the Rockefeller Foundation on the 1 July, discussed the concrete implications of resolution 1325 (2000) on their daily activities.
The Permanent Missions of Canada, Chile and the United Kingdom to the United Nations and the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security co-sponsored this roundtable with Council members. The discussion focus built on the recommendations developed at the first roundtable held in January 2004. In his opening remarks, Ambassador Lauro L. Baja, Jr. of the Philippines stated: “We cannot lose sight of women’s concerns in the reconstruction processes. Sustainable and durable peace can only be achieved when women’s concerns and contributions are incorporated in every aspect of rebuilding the peace, including social and economic reconstruction.”
Using the framework of the “3 Ps”—principles of conflict prevention, participation of women in peace and security, and protection of civilians with consideration to the specific needs of women, men, girls and boys—the roundtable aimed to develop a strategy for advancing the effective implementation of resolution 1325 in the work of the Council (see UN Chronicle, issue 1, 2004).
Ian Martin, Vice-President of the International Center for Transitional Justice and facilitator for the first and second roundtables, drew on his experience in various international peacekeeping missions. Small breakout groups, comprised of Council members, UN officials and civil society representatives, discussed ways in which the principles of resolution 1325 could be more effectively incorporated into the work of the Council, including resolutions, presidential statements and terms of reference for the Permanent Missions. The objectives of the roundtable discussion were to develop a practical tool to facilitate Council members to systematically consider a gender perspective in the drafting of all resolutions, presidential statements and terms of reference, and to launch a forward-looking discussion on expectations, outcomes and strategies for further implementation in advance of the October 2004 anniversary of resolution 1325 and consideration of the Secretary-General’s report.
Some of the key outcomes from the discussion included:
Recognition that all actors and advocates involved in the implementation of resolution 1325 need to de-jargonize what gender mainstreaming really means in different contexts, i.e. in disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation, as well as in conflict prevention.
The need to mandate peacekeeping missions to encourage and support women’s peace-building initiatives.
Gender equality should be seen as one of the essential pillars of all Council resolutions and not simply an add-on. The need for explicit mention of gender in the context of the country or thematic focus of the resolution was highlighted, along with a request for information in reporting disaggregated by gender. The importance of using rapid gender assessments was mentioned as a resource to assist early planning for interventions.
Participants recognized that it is “false security” to assume that because there is a reference to gender or women in a Security Council resolution, the issue would be followed through in practice. The importance of monitoring and reporting mechanisms was seen as most relevant for systematic address, and a resource list of questions was developed based on discussion and inputs to go further in the drafting of country and thematic resolutions.
All Member States are currently being called upon by the Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues to report on what they have done to support the implementation of resolution 1325. This feedback will form part of the Secretary- General’s report to the Security Council in October 2004.
The roundtable’s co-sponsors plan to host in early October outreach sessions with the staff of Permanent Missions of States serving as Security Council members, to draw on the issues raised in the roundtable and invite them to discuss the integration of the resolution’s principles into their daily work. Through these sessions, they also aim to provide useful preparation for the Missions in advance of the fourth anniversary of resolution 1325 and the Council’s consideration of the Secretary-General’s report on its implementation. |
| The members of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security are: Amnesty International; Hague Appeal for Peace; International Alert; International Women’s Tribune Center; Women’s Action for New Directions; Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children; Women’s Division of the United Methodist Church; Women’s Environment and Development Organization; and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. |
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