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UK MINISTERS AGREE A UK
NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY
March 8, 2006 -(FCO News) UK Ministers announced on 8 March - International
Women's Day - an action plan to address the disproportionate effects
of conflict on women and girls. The cross-government action plan
sets out how the UK will implement UN Security Resolution 1325.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Department
for International Development, along with other Government departments,
have worked together to produce the plan.
Commenting on the launch of the action plan, Foreign Office Minister
Kim Howells said:
'Women and girls are more likely to suffer from discrimination and
abuse during conflicts. UN Security Resolution 1325 recognises this,
and underlines the essential role of women in preventing conflict
and as full participants in post-conflict peacebuilding and reconstruction
efforts.
'Today's cross-government National Action Plan commits the UK to
implementing this important resolution - for example by enhancing
the role of female military and police personnel in peace operations
and by making gender a key planning component of peacekeeping operations.'
Notes for editors
The National Action Plan links humanitarian, conflict, defence and
diplomacy work, all important to conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
It demonstrates the commitment of the UK government as a whole to
this important work.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Ministry of Defence (MOD),
Department of International Development (DFID), and other Government
departments are all equal stakeholders in the development of the
Action Plan which will cover, amongst other action points:
* ensuring gender perspectives are included in all Security Council
mandates for peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations;
* ensuring planning for UN Peace Support Operations includes gender
components;
* continuing to deploy UK female military and police personnel in
peace support operations;
* auditing of UK armed forces PSO training to ensure it deals adequately
with the areas covered by UNSCR 1325; and
* including programming on women's issues in strategies under the
Africa and Global Conflict Prevention Pools eg in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, the UK supports the electoral commission and
women's organisations in developing a shared strategy and action
plans to ensure women's full participation in the elections as voters,
potential leaders, civic educators and election observers.
Background
UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, was adopted unanimously
by the Security Council in October 2000. The Resolution not only
recognised the disproportionate effect of conflict on women, but
underlined the essential role of women in the prevention of conflict
and as full participants in post-conflict peacebuilding and reconstruction
efforts.
UNSCR 1325 tasks the UN system and its Member States to ensure that
gender considerations are thoroughly integrated into all aspects
of its security work, from conflict prevention to post-conflict
reconstruction, inter alia by:
* increasing the participation of women in conflict resolution and
peace processes;
* incorporating gender perspectives in peacekeeping operations and
in the training of peacekeepers;
* taking special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based
violence;
* taking into account, in planning for disarmament, demobilisation
and reintegration, the different needs of male and female ex-combatants.
The UN Secretary-General's report of 13 October 2004, on implementation
of UNSCR 1325, requested that Member States develop their own National
Action Plans to implement UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
The UK was a driving force behind UNSCR 1325, and has continued
to support its implementation through practical projects and work
with other states at the UN and elsehwere.
From: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1140688344594
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