Who is Responsible for Implementation?

The responsibility for implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) belongs to multiple actors, including the UN system, Member States, and parties to conflict. This section deals with the implementation by the UN system.

About this section: PeaceWomen & UN - UN Implementation

The PeaceWomen Map of the UN System aims to share information and show how UN entities and bodies implement Women, Peace and Security (including their work through the UN System-Wide Action Plan). The UN system Map allows users to view each UN entity and access their policies, action plans and reports.
Please click here to view the UN system Map.

In addition, we refer you to the theme “UN Implementation of 1325” under PeaceWomen Portal, and we invite you to visit this section of our site for more general information, latest news and resources on UN implementation.

Latest Developments UN Implementation of SCR 1325

It is clear that there remain serious gaps in UN implementation and there is still no systematic or overarching planning within the UN system.

In the Security Council Presidential Statement of 26 October 2010 S/PRST/2010/22: The Council “…requests the Secretary-General to propose in his next annual report a strategic framework to guide the UN’s implementation of the resolution in the next decade, which includes targets and indicators and takes account of relevant processes within the Secretariat.”

Currently, a process of identifying targets, operationalizing indicators, and intensifying efforts to contribute to the result-based outcomes, is underway within the UN. It is being produced within the inter-agency Task Force on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).

Prior to this request, the UN was produced what is known as the UN "System-wide Action Plan" (SWAP) on SCR1325. Details of these process are below.

UN System-wide Action Plan on SCR 1325

The endeavor to create a System-wide Action Plan has proven to be very challenging due, in part, to the lack of leadership and coordination within the UN, and also because of the scale of the UN system. It also reflects the previous issues of inconsistent gender mainstreaming as well as inconsistent coherence and accountability of the UN System in itself. The plan has not functioned effectively as a planning tool and has been severely criticized for being little more than an audit of activities.

Some results have been achieved but the evaluation of the 2008-2009 SWAP shows that women, peace and security has not been a priority for the UN system and the results have not met the expectations nor the recommendations of the Secretary General in his report (S/2006/770). It is hoped that the development of global indicators and a new entity UN Women will address some of these problems and challenges in showing new leadership on implementing SCR 1325 within the UN system.

In 2004, the Security Council requested that all UN entities develop action plans for the implementation of Resolution 1325.

In October 2005, the Secretary General presented a UN System-wide Action Plan (SWAP) to the Council in Report (S/2005/636). This was the first SWAP of 2005-2007.

In 2006, a reconceptualized SWAP was called for which resulted in the second SWAP of 2008-2009.

In October 2007, the Security Council took note of the updated System-Wide Action Plan in its Presidential Statement (S/PRST2007/40) and called on the Secretary-General to: “update, monitor and review the implementation and integration of the Plan; conduct a system-wide evaluation in 2010 of progress achieved in implementing the Plan in 2008-2009, and report thereon to the Council”.

At the annual Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, which marked the 10th anniversary of the Security Council resolution 1325 (October 2010), the Secretary-General presented a report (S/2010/498) on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 (SCR 1325). The Report included a section with an update on the United Nations System-Wide Action Plan (SWAP). It stated that the SWAP has proved to be disappointing when it comes to measuring real achievement as well as coordinating planning strategies between the different UN bodies. Referring to the SWAP, the Report noted that while it provided a framework to map activities driven by UN bodies related to women, peace and security, neither the initial plan, nor the reconceptualization and report from 2007 have shown the expected results in real implementation.

Further Background on System-Wide Action Plan

In the 2004 open debate on Women, Peace and Security, through the Presidential Statement (S/PRST/2004/40), the Security Council called for a System-Wide Action Plan (SWAP) for the UN System in its implementation of the women, peace and security agenda. This SWAP was to be submitted in October 2005. The Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues (OSAGI), as coordinator of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Women, Peace and Security (IANWGE) took on the task of developing the first SWAP of 2005-2007. This was done with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Women, Peace and Security through consultations with the UN bodies, Member States as well as civil society.

The intent was to bring more coherence in the work of all UN bodies to further the implementation of SCR 1325, as well as provide policy for a better coordination of activities.

The purposes of the System-Wide Action Plan are stated as:
• Formulate concrete strategies, actions and programmes, in a consistent and effective manner, to advance the role of women in peace and security areas;
• Ensure more efficient support to Member States and other actors in national and regional level implementation of resolution 1325 (2000);
• Strengthen the commitment and accountability of the United Nations system at the highest levels; and
• Enhance inter-agency cooperation.

In 2006, the Secretary General recommended in the report (S/2006/770) to reconceptualize the SWAP in order to improve the first SWAP. The recommendations were as follows:

a) During 2007, the remaining year of the current Action Plan, use the information contained in the Action Plan to develop an electronic databank knowledge and information management system, through which United Nations entities can record progress, good practice and lessons learned;
(b) Working through the Inter-Agency Task Force on Women, Peace and Security, start the preparation of a new focused action plan, which should be a tool for a holistic and coherent United Nations strategy that fully takes into account synergies within the United Nations system;
(c) Develop or strengthen an accountability framework and mechanisms at all levels of implementation, in particular individual accountability of senior management both at the Headquarters and country levels;
(d) Hold heads of entities, special representatives and envoys of the Secretary-General responsible for mainstreaming a gender perspective into policies and programmes and full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000);
(e) Clearly articulate the roles and specific complementarities of various entities in implementing the resolution;
(f) Define a common set of goals, system-wide standards and indicators for measuring progress and success within the specified time frame;
(g) Establish systematic monitoring and reporting procedures that would guarantee the enhanced accountability for the implementation of the commitments undertaken.

In October 2007, the Security Council took note of the updated System-Wide Action Plan in its Presidential Statement (S/PRST2007/40) and called on the Secretary-General to: “update, monitor and review the implementation and integration of the Plan; conduct a system-wide evaluation in 2010 of progress achieved in implementing the Plan in 2008-2009, and report thereon to the Council”.

In 2007 the Task Force on Women, Peace and Security of the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) developed a results based reporting template for the United Nations System-Wide Action Plan for the period 2008-2009. Thirty-three United Nations entities provided information about initiatives they planned to undertake to implement SCR 1325 (2000) in 2008 and 2009.

A second SWAP was developed covering the years 2008-2009. All 32 UN entities have added to the SWAP activities planned through their programmes and projects linked to the implementation of 1325.

Related Links

Inter-Agency Task Force on Women, Peace and Security*
Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women*

*Note: With the recent launch of UN Women, these organizations will work through this new entity.