On 31 October 2010, the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security took place. This document sparked a new way of thinking about the impact of conflict on women and their role in peace processes. The resolution highlights concerns regarding crimes against women in conflicts and women’s rights during the conflict resolution process. It further gives guidance to policymakers and international peace-brokers and peace-keeping initiatives.
The EU fully supports the UNSCR 1325 and subsequent documents. As for its implementation the EU has a comprehensive approach which recognises the close links between peace, security, development and gender equality. It propagates the need to promote the participation and the protection of women in conflict situations and peace building, and it also promotes the need to ensure that these actions are supported by wider development considerations, such as the promotion of women’s economic security and opportunities and their access to health services and education
Whilst much progress can be recorded on the implementation of UNSCR 1325, there are also shortfalls that remain to be addressed, such as financing of solutions for women’s needs in post-conflict recovery plans, high levels of sexual based violence in some conflicts, and in post-conflict situations. Women are still being marginalized in peace processes, the consequence is that women’s concerns aren’t reflected in peace agreements.
The EUMM will join the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the UNSC Resolution 1325. On 3 November, Field Office Zugdidi will invite female representatives of civil society, local government as well as the business community to discuss the roles that may be played by these sectors in the peace process. This event will be opened with a skype-link to Brussels, by Director General for Human Rights, Ms Katariina Leinonen. Following this, in the second week of November, EUMM HQ and EUMM Field Offices Mtskheta and Gori will hold an event at EUMM HQ in Tbilisi, during which a wide variety of presentations will be delivered, focusing on various aspects of UNSCR 1325, such as confidence building between the conflict parties.
