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Dear Colleagues,

In preparation for the GA Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8th and final meeting next week on the theme of conflict prevention/ peace, WILPF, CWGL, GNWP, and the Global Justice Center have drafted an open advocacy letter asking Co-Chairs and UN Missions involved to push to to strengthen the link between the development agenda and the conflict prevention and peace-building agenda from a gender perspective.

Given the gap in this area, we would appreciate your support and organizational sign on.

If you would like to sign on on, please contact me, Abigail Ruane at Peacewomen - abigail@peacewomen.org, by Wednesday 5th February.

__________________________________________________

TO: Co-Chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals and all UN Missions in the GA OWG on SDG regional groups

DATE: 31 January 2014

RE: GA Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consideration of the theme of conflict prevention, post-conflict peacebuilding and the promotion of durable peace, rule of law and governance

Excellences:

As the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) concludes its eighth and final thematic session this week and prepares to draft a proposal on the SDGs, it is critical to strengthen the link between development agenda and the conflict prevention and peacebuilding agenda from a gender perspective.

In SDG negotiations addressing the theme of conflict prevention, post-conflict peacebuilding, and the promotion of durable peace:

1. We remind you of the existing commitments, indicators, and targets already in place and urge you to use and build on them

Build on international human rights and international humanitarian law, CEDAW General Recommendation 30 on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations; Beijing Platform Area E on Women in Armed Conflict; the UN’s 7 Point Action Plan for Gender Responsive Peacebuilding, and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda including SCR 1325, 1820, 1888, 1889, 1960, 2106, and 2122, as well as the (2010) WPS Global Indicators, selections of which are here attached for your ease of reference.

Prioritize investments strengthening human rights commitments including Critical Area E of the Beijing Platform for Action which links gender equality and the call for the control of excessive arms expenditure, and Article 26 of the UN Charter which calls for armaments to divert the least of the world’s human and economic resources. Reducing military spending and redirecting funding to development and gender equality is an investment in conflict prevention and peace.

2. We urge you to ensure gender sensitive discussion on all goals, targets and indicators

Ensure a comprehensive human rights framework to the SDGs which addresses obligations to empower women socially and economically and respect, protect, and fulfil women’s human rights progressively, using maximum available resources including in conflict prevention, conflict, and post conflict situations. Apply this framework to all women, including those most at risk such as refugees and forcibly displaced.

3. We call on you to strengthen accountability of both state and non-state actors to end impunity and uphold women’s human rights

Scale up success by strengthening accountability of state and non-state actors for gender equality and women’s human rights, including through gender budgeting, ensuring women’s full and equal participation in all decision-making, governance and peace negotiations, and strengthening of women led civil society.

As you develop a proposal on SDGs, we ask that you build on existing agreements rather than reinvent the wheel, and take action to ensure that goals move from words to implementation and impact.

SIGNED

Center for Women’s Global Leadership

Global Justice Center

Global Network of Women Peacebuilders

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

Illustrative Targets
(Beijing Platform for Action Area E “Women and Armed Conflict” Objectives):

• Increase the participation of women in conflict resolution at decision-making levels and protect women living in situations of armed and other conflicts or under foreign occupation
• Reduce excessive military expenditures and control the availability of armaments
• Promote non-violent forms of conflict resolution and reduce the incidence of human rights abuse in conflict situations
• Promote women’s contribution to fostering a culture of peace
• Provide protection, assistance and training to refugee women, other displaced women in need of international protection and internally displaced women
• Provide assistance to the women of the colonies and non-self-governing territories

Illustrative Indicators

(WPS Global Indicators, listed in the 2010 Secretary General Report)

Number	Indicator
Prevention
1a	Prevalence of Sexual Violence
1b	Patterns of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations Text of recommendations section to report on: • Types of measures (proposed vs. implemented) • Types of violations • Type of perpetrator • Specific groups affected (ethnicity, geographical location, age)
2	Extent to which United Nations Peacekeeping and Special Political Missions include information on violations of women and girls’ human rights in their periodic reporting to the Security Council
3a	Extent to which violations of women’s and girls’ human rights are reported, referred and investigated by human rights bodies Report on: • Number and types of cases reported, referred and investigated • Account of actions taken / recommended to address violations
3b	Number and percentage share of women in governance bodies of National Human Right Bodies (NHRB)
4	Percentage of reported cases of sexual exploitation and abuse allegedly perpetrated by uniformed, civilian peacekeepers and/or humanitarian workers that are acted upon out of the total number of referred cases
5a	Extent to which measures to protect women’s and girls’ human rights are included in Peacekeeper Heads of Military Components and Heads of Police Components Directives
5b	Extent to which measures to protect women’s and girls’ human rights are included in national security policy frameworks. Existing and new gender-specific language to report on: • Type of document • Context analysis of security threats to women and girls • Types of measures
6	Number and type of actions taken by the Security Council related to resolution 1325 (2000) Report on: • Count of actions • Types of actions: request inquiry, setup a specific mechanism, mandate peace keeping operations, impose sanctions, authorize the use of force, establish an international tribunal, refer a situation to ICC • Type of document (i.e. resolution, PRST)
7	Number and percentage share of women in the Executive leadership of relevant regional and sub-regional organizations involved in preventing conflict Regional and sub-regional organizations will include those identified in A/RES/55/285.
Participation
8	Percentage of peace agreements with specific provisions to improve the security and status of women and girls
9	Women’s share of senior UN positions in field missions
10	Percentage of field missions with senior level gender experts
11a	Representation of women among mediators, negotiators and technical experts in formal peace negotiations
11b	Women’s participation in an official observer status at the beginning and the end of formal peace negotiations
12a	Women’s political participation in parliaments and ministerial positions. Report on women’s share of: • Seats in parliament • Ministerial positions
12b	Women’s political participation as voters and candidates. Report on women’s share of: • Persons registered to vote • Persons who actually vote • Parliamentary candidates
13	Extent to which Security Council missions address specific issues affecting women and girls in the Terms of Reference and Mission Reports
Protection
14	Index of women’s and girls’ physical security. Survey-based indicator to measure three dimensions: • Perceptions of physical security of women and girls (by location, time of day) • Proxy variables measuring how women’s and girls’ ability to participate in public life has been affected • Proxy variables measuring how women’s and girls’ regular activities have been affected
15	Extent to which national laws to protect women’s and girls’ human rights are in line with international standards
16	Level of women’s participation in the justice and security sector
17	Existence of national mechanisms for control of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SA/LW).  This indicator reports on: • Existence of a national coordination agency on SA/LW or National Focal Point (paragraphs 4 and 5 of Section II of the POA) • Record keeping on holdings and transfers of SA/LW (para 9 in section II of the POA)
18	Percentage of (monetary equivalent, estimate) benefits from temporary employment in the context of early economic recovery programmes received by women and girls
19	Percentage of referred cases of sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls that are reported, investigated and sentenced
20	Hours of training per capita of decision-making personnel in security and justice sector institutions to address SGBV cases
Relief and Recovery
21a	Maternal mortality rate
21b	Net Primary and secondary education enrolment rates, by sex
22a	Proportion of budget related to indicators that address gender equality issues in strategic planning frameworks
22b	Proportion of budget related to targets that address gender equality issues in strategic planning framework
23a	Proportion of total disbursed funding to Civil Society organizations that is allocated to address gender equality issues
23b	Proportion of total disbursed funding to support gender equality issues that is allocated to Civil Society organizations
24a	Proportion of disbursed Multi Donor Trust Funds (MDTFs) used to address gender equality issues
24b	Proportion of total spending of UN system used to support gender equality issues
25	Extent to which Truth and Reconciliation Commissions include provisions to address the rights and participation of women and girls
26a	Percentage of (monetary equivalent, estimate) benefits from DDR programmes received by women and girls
26b	Percentage of (monetary equivalent, estimate) benefits from DDR programmes received by women and girls