Feature
Security Council Resolution 1325 Turns 5
Date: 31 October 2005
October 2005 marks the fifth anniversary of landmark Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. The resolution (commonly referred to often as "1325") addressed, for the first time ever, the impact of conflict on women, recognizing women's role in preventing and resolving conflict, and calling for the equal participation and full involvement of women in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and security. The watershed political framework that resolution 1325 provides recognizes the relevance of women, and a gender perspective, to negotiating peace agreements, planning refugee camps and peacekeeping operations and reconstructing war-torn societies.
Since its adoption, resolution 1325 has served as a catalyst for women all over the world to mobilize in their efforts to achieve equal participation. Women at the grassroots level in many conflict-ridden countries have used this resolution as an advocacy tool to lobby for their inclusion in peacebuilding and reconstruction processes in their countries, including in elections and constitution-making bodies. The resolution has been translated into 70 languages with 10 more in the pipeline. Gender advisors in peacekeeping operations have now become a standard feature. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union, and the Organization of American States have all adopted resolutions endorsing resolution 1325, while a few countries are developing concrete national action plans to implement it.
While previous reviews of the level of implementation have revealed progress achieved in a number of areas, these reviews have also clearly shown that much stronger and coordinated efforts are needed to reach the goal of full implementation. At the recent World Summit held in September 2005, world leaders reiterated the importance of women's role in peacebuilding and the prevention and resolution of conflict, reaffirming their commitments to full implementation of resolution 1325. They also explicitly condemned "all violations of the human rights of women and girls in situations of armed conflict and the use of sexual exploitation, violence and abuse," and committed to "elaborating and implementing strategies to report on, prevent and punish gender-based violence."
For more information, see:
- Facts and Figures on Women, Peace and Security (PDF, 569KB)
- UN Must Translate Pledges on Women, Peace and Security Into Action, Officials Say (UN News Brief)
- Securing a Just and Sustainable Peace: Strengthening Women's Effective Participation in Peace Processes, speech by Noeleen Heyzer at the Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security.
- Security Council Resolution 1325 – A Tool Box
- WomenWatch Feature on the Fifth Anniversary of SC Resolution 1325
Activities Around the Globe to Commemorate 1325
Over the last five years, October has become a month of celebration and commemoration of women's efforts to build peace and resolve conflict, with hundreds of organizations around the world holding events and activities.
- UNIFEM Activities (PDF, 115KB)
- Activities of Civil Society Groups
- Activities at UN Headquarters in New York (PDF, 307KB)
To mark the anniversary, UNIFEM also launched a report entitled Securing the Peace: Guiding the International Community towards Women's Effective Participation throughout Peace Processes (PDF, 677KB). The publication highlights the importance of women's involvement at all stages of peace processes in order to ensure sustainable and long-term peace. The opportunities afforded in the transition from war to peace open a window to address root causes of conflict and to transform institutions, structures and relationships within society. Concrete recommendations are offered to support women's effective participation at all stages of a peace process, promote gender-sensitive peace negotiations and agreements, and encourage the mainstreaming of a gender perspective throughout the implementation of peace accords.
