UNITED NATIONS: POST-WAR PEACE
BUILDING STILL A BOYS CLUB by Thalif
Deen
NEW YORK (IPS) - When the 15-member UN Security
Council unanimously adopted its landmark "Resolution 1325" in
October 2000, it conveyed a strong political message to the
international community: that there can be no lasting peace in
post-war rebuilding without active participation of women.
The resolution, described as the first in which the Security
Council addressed the role and experience of women in armed
conflicts, called on warring parties to adopt "a gender perspective"
on peace negotiations and "gender mainstreaming" in all UN
peacekeeping missions.
But nearly six years later, there are
growing complaints that the political thrust of that historic
resolution still remains unimplemented, and that there is now a need
for a fulltime UN special representative to pursue the resolution
into reality.
UN Under-Secretary-General Anwarul Karim
Chowdhury, who piloted that resolution in his capacity as then
Bangladeshi ambassador and president of the Security Council, says
that gender perspectives are still not fully integrated into the
terms of reference in peace operations -- both in new Council
resolutions and in UN peacekeeping missions.
"We continue to
find reports that women are still very often ignored or excluded
from formal processes of peace negotiations and elections, and in
the drafting of new constitutions or legislature frameworks," he
told IPS.
Addressing an international conference in Britain
last month, Chowdhury declared: "I believe it would be purposeful
for the United Nations to have a fulltime advocate and monitor for
1325 -- a kind of a special representative of the secretary-general
for 1325."
June Zeitlin of the Women's Environment and
Development Organisation (WEDO) said the passage of Security Council
Resolution (SCR) 1325 was a milestone because for the first time the
Council officially recognised the vital and indispensable role women
play in conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacebuilding.
"Unfortunately, only a baby step has been taken in the
implementation of SCR 1325 by the Security Council and member
states," she told IPS.
A recent review of Security Council
resolutions in 2005 by the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
shows that less than 10 percent of the resolutions adopted recalled
or reaffirmed SCR 1325 (six out of 70).
This is not
surprising given the very weak mechanisms for accountability,
contrasted with other Security Council thematic issues, such as
children in armed conflict, she added.
"The Chowdhury
proposal for a full-time UN special representative on 1325 is long
overdue. It will help to provide the necessary leadership and
visibility to spur action at both global and national levels,"
Zeitlin added.
"Five years have already passed. Let's not
wait until the 10th anniversary of SCR 1325 to take the necessary
steps to achieve women's full and equal participation in all aspects
of peacebuilding," she added.
Cora Weiss, president of the
International Peace Bureau and Hague Appeal for Peace, said there
has never been a Security Council resolution with better known
numbers.
"The resolution hasn't been fully implemented
because including women (in peace processes) seems to be threatening
to men who want to hold the seat of power... we don't want to take
their power away, we want to share it," Weiss told IPS.
She
said that 1325 rocks the boat too much for the status quo. "But life
will never change and we will never 'give peace a chance' unless we
bring women to the table: peace women, human rights women,
environmentally sensitive women, gender sensitive women.."
Chowdhury's proposal is right on time and essential, she
said, "before more women are raped, abused, exploited or ignored in
decision making and peace processes".
"If the United Nations
can demonstrate a model of decency, of equality and respect for
women, it will rub off on the communities it serves," she declared.
Charlotte Bunch of the Centre for Women's Global Leadership,
said the United Nations has fallen short on implementation of many
of its commitments on women, including 1325.
Therefore, the
proposal for a full-time UN Special Representative on 1325 "would be
a good thing as we do need stronger mechanisms for government
accountability on 1325".
"This needs to happen at multiple
levels and a special representative has been proposed before and
would be a good step toward putting some muscle into the
implementation of the resolution," Bunch told IPS.
She said
it would also be useful to have other mechanisms -- similar to what
exists on children and armed conflict at the country level --
specifically with gender focal points.
Bunch also said that
it was her understanding that new Assistant Secretary-General
Carolyn McAskie has made it clear that the newly-created
Peacebuilding Commission is to be mandated to include gender, and
that she intends to make this a serious priority.
"The key,
of course, will be to get member states on the commission to take it
seriously as well," she added.
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