Women Must Play Greater Role in Conflict Prevention, UN Says

Women Must Play Greater Role in Conflict Prevention, UN Says
New York, Oct 28 2011 10:10AM

The Security Council began a day-long debate today on the role of women in achieving peace and security, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calling for much greater involvement by women in conflict prevention and mediation as essential building blocks in reinforcing democracy.

“Women’s participation remains low, both in official and observer roles This has to change,” he <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=5647">said, pledging that the United Nations would lead by example, and noting that the number of women leading UN peacekeeping, political and peacebuilding missions had gone up to six out of 28 missions over the past year.

The Department of Political Affairs (<"http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/undpa/">DPA), meanwhile, has increased the proportion of women candidates in its roster of senior mediators, team members and thematic experts to 35 per cent.
In the field, our teams are supporting women so they can engage in peacebuilding and conflict prevention, management and reconciliation,” he said.

At the same time Mr. Ban decried widespread and systematic abuses of women’s rights during conflict. “While there is undoubtedly progress, I am deeply concerned about the persistence of serious abuses of women’s rights,” he said.

“Last year at this time, I lamented the mass rapes that had occurred in Walikale, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). My alarm has not diminished. We must respond swiftly and effectively to such crimes wherever and whenever they occur.”

The debate marked the 11th anniversary of the adoption of Council <"http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N00/720/18/PDF/N0072018.pdf?OpenElement">resolution 1325, which demanded action to reverse the egregious and inhumane treatment of women and girls, the denial of their human rights and their exclusion from decision-making in situations of armed conflict, in peacemaking and peacebuilding.

The Council had before it Mr. Ban’s latest <"http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N11/524/12/PDF/N1152412.pdf?OpenElement">report on the issue, presented by UN Women’s Executive Director Michelle Bachelet, in which he voiced concern that implementation had been so uneven.

“Proactive steps must be taken to accelerate implementation of key elements of this agenda, such as strengthening women’s engagement in conflict resolution and deterring widespread and systematic abuses of women’s rights during conflict,” he <"http://www.unwomen.org/2011/10/un-secretary-general-releases-report-on-women-and-peace-and-security/">wrote.

The report covers findings in five areas of the women, peace and security agenda — prevention, participation, protection, relief and recovery, and coordination and accountability for results – noting that there is growing recognition of women’s roles in peace and security, and highlighting an increasing number of innovative measures and good practices.

“Specific actions to address the low numbers of women in conflict resolution and in the implementation of peace agreements are required,” Mr. Ban wrote. “Member State participants in contact groups supporting specific peace processes should offer negotiating parties various incentives, such as training, logistics support or adding a negotiating seat, in order to ensure women’s inclusion on delegations.

“I encourage Member States to increase the number of women in their foreign service and national security establishments and to take steps to ensure that women diplomats are engaged in leadership roles in conflict resolution.”

He welcomed increases in the number of women in police and troops contributed to the UN and urged Member States to do even more. He also called on Member States to strengthen measures to ensure the equal participation of women in peace agreement implementation bodies.

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous also addressed today’s debate.
Oct 28 2011 10:10AM