Finally – Resolution 2242 has now been adopted. After hard negotiations, revisions and discussion among the Security Council, the Member States has now defined some broad actions to improve implementation of the landmark women, peace and security-agenda. Through resolution 2242 (2015), adopted unanimously ahead of the high-level open debate yesterday, 13 October, the Security Council commits to integrate women, peace and security concerns across all country-specific situations on its agenda.
Resolution 2242 relates to new knowledge about countering violent extremism and terrorism and includes improved working methods to better integrate gender perspective in peace operations in order to address accountability deficits. On terrorism, the Council urged States and the United Nations to ensure the participation and leadership of women’s organizations in devising strategies to counter terrorism and violent extremism. In the peacekeeping field, resolution 2242 urges that gender analysis and gender expertise is included throughout all stages of UN missions. What more; it calls for a revised strategy and demands that the UN double its number of women in peace-keeping missions within five years. Resolution 2242 also calls for States to address charges of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers; to assess strategies and resources around the implementation of the women, peace and security agenda; and to provide financial and technical assistance to women involved in peace processes.
Another very important part of the resolution is the expressed intention to offer consultations on the implementation of women, peace and security. In this area, the Council also agreed upon an informal Expert Group to convene meetings where the civil society will be invited to brief during its country-specific considerations. For us, as a part of civil society, this means that our demand for context-specific implementation of resolution 1325 may get extra attention and that the expertise and experience of us as a CSO and that of our partners will be considered. To integrate a gender-perspective in all UN activity is a broad goal which we hope will be achieved.
During the meeting, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon acknowledged the pivotal link between gender equality and international peace and security. He made a comment about women’s leadership as a central ingredient of achieving this goal; “At a time when armed extremist groups place the subordination of women at the top of their agenda, we must place women’s leadership and the protection of women’s rights at the top of ours”. We hope that this is not just rhetorical words and that an integration of a gender-perspective in all UN activity, although it is a broad goal, will be achieved.
We are suggesting:
50% women on all decision-making positions in the UN system
50% women in international courts
50% women in mediation and dialogue teams
50% women in post-conflict reconstruction
We are hoping for:
Gender-budgeting in all UN activity
Gender perspective on all UN peace-keeping operations
Gender analysis before any UN decision
We are looking forward to:
Inclusion of women in civil society consultation
Consideration of women in culture- and country specific planning
Transparent nominations of the first female UN Secretary General
