20th Anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325
20th ANNIVERSARY OF UNSCR 1325:
The first UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 1325), recognizing the concrete link between the security of states and the security of women, adopted in October 2000, is marked as a landmark resolution. There are 4 'pillars' in the resolution: participation in decision-making around all forms of conflict resolution, protection (dealing with violence against women in conflict), prevention (of armed conflict), and the bringing of gender perspective to relief and recovery efforts. This resolution was the product of much advocacy and lobbying by civil society organizations.
“1325 is much more than a number or a resolution. UNSCR 1325 is a historic watershed political framework that shows how women and a gender perspective are relevant to negotiating peace agreements, planning refugee camps and peacekeeping operations and reconstructing war-torn societies for sustainable peace.”
https://www.peacewomen.org/why-WPS/solutions/resolutions
At its core, the women and peace and security agenda is a crisis-prevention agenda. In conflict-affected countries, women’s organizations and networks are a lifeline for their communities and at-risk groups. In the past two decades, the Security Council has adopted 10 resolutions on women and peace and security, all of which were centred on the importance of women’s human rights and the leadership of women in preventing and responding to crises. Many of the best examples of leadership during the pandemic have come from women, yet women lead only 7 per cent of countries.
One of the key challenges since the UNSCR 1325 was passed is the slow pace of implementation. Most activists are frustrated that progress has been so slow. This is the recent report on recommendations from activists: https://wpsn-canada.org/priorities-for-action-recommendations-from-women-peacebuilders-to-the-wps-focal-points-network-for-2021/
The United Nations entered 2020 envisioning to make it a milestone year for progress towards realizing global commitments on gender equality and women and peace and security. In the face of the unprecedented crisis unfolding as a result of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the resolve to fulfil those commitments has not waned –if anything, the sense of urgency has increased.