CHILE: National Action Plan To Implement UN Women's Rights Resolution

On 3 August 2009, President Michelle Bachelet of Chile signed the National Action Plan to implement the United Nations Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, making Chile the first Latin American country to do so. Security Council Resolution 1325 calls for women to be fully involved in peace and security missions throughout the world and mandates the use of a gendered perspective on peacekeeping, reconstruction, and armed conflict.

Through the implementation of the Action Plan, Chile will use a gendered lens when promoting human rights; promote the participation of women in peacekeeping missions; apply a gendered focus in international cooperation policies; create more awareness of gender, security, and conflict in civil society and public servants; and promote the use of Resolution 1325 globally.

In signing the Chile's National Action Plan, President Bachelet stated that “it's not a matter of preparing more women for war, but rather avoiding wars and contributing to lasting peace that will ensure the respect for human rights of all people, either in this country, in the region or in the world” (UN-INSTRAW). She also went on to say that, “women should not be considered only as victims. They are also holders of rights, capable of deciding their destiny and of assuming a main role in post conflict processes” (UN-INSTRAW).