Security Council Presidential Statements:

The Presidency of the UN Security Council rotates monthly among the 15-member Council. The role of the President of the Security Council is to set the agenda, oversee any conflict, and issue presidential statements and notes. Presidential statements (known as PRSTs) are similar to declarations in content, tone and format, but they are not legally binding. The adoption of a Presidential statement requires consensus amongst members of the Security Council, although members may also choose to abstain. They are usually adopted when there are significant developments on the ground in a country on the Council’s agenda, or to reinforce important points following open debates or the release of key UN documents. They are also adopted when the Council cannot reach consensus or when the Council is prevented from passing a resolution due to a permanent member’s veto, or threat thereof. Therefore, they often reflect the mood of the Council on a given issue and they outline the Council’s future intentions and course of action. For further details, see UN Security Council website>>

Women, Peace, Security Presidential Statements:

There have been a number of presidential statements on specific aspects of Women, Peace and Security. Since the adoption of Resolution 1325 in 2000 there have been nine PRSTs on Women, Peace and Security (as of January 2011). The language of most presidential statements acknowledged specific accomplishments of the agenda including women’s participation and gender mainstreaming, while also recognizing the areas that still need improvement. Some statements made procedural requests while others made additions to the normative framework.

These Presidential Statements are:

 

  • S/PRST/2010/22 (26 October 2010) 10th anniversary of Resolution 1325.
  • S/PRST/2010/8 (27 April 2010) requested the Secretary-General to undertake more consultation on the global indicators to implement resolution 1325.
  • S/PRST/2008/39 (29 October 2008) followed the open debate on women, peace and security and reinforced aspects of resolution 1325.
  • S/PRST/2007/40 (24 October 2007) sought a report in 2010 on the implementation of the 2008-2009 UN System Action-Plan to implement resolution 1325.
  • S/PRST/2007/5 (7 March 2007) was on women, peace and security on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
  • S/PRST/2006/42 (26 October 2006) reiterated aspects of resolution 1325 and asked the Secretary-General to report in 12 months on implementation of his Action Plan to implement resolution 1325.
  • S/PRST/2005/52 (27 October 2005) reiterated aspects of resolution 1325 on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the resolution.
  • S/PRST/2004/40 (28 October 2004) welcomed the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of 1325 by the UN system and reiterated aspects of resolution 1325.
  • S/PRST/2002/32 (31 October 2002) responded to the first Secretary-General’s report on the impact of conflict on women and girls.

Thematic Presidential Statements:

Many other thematic statements (including protection of civilians during armed conflict, peacekeeping policies, and post-conflict peacebuilding) have specifically recalled SCR 1325 and/or mentioned issues pertinent to Women, Peace and Security.

Thematic Presidential Statements include (sample only):

  • S/PRST/2000/25 (20 July 2000) was on the role of the Council in the prevention of armed conflicts.
  • S/PRST/2000/10 (23 March 2000) was on post-conflict peacebuilding.
  • S/PRST/2000/7 (9 March 2000) was on humanitarian aspects of issues before the Council.
  • S/PRST/2010/20 (13 October 2010) was on post-conflict peacebuilding.
  • S/PRST/2010/22 (26 October 2010) condemned all acts that violate international law committed against women and girls in situations of armed conflict and post-conflict situations.
  • S/PRST/2010/25 (22 November 2010) on the protection of civilians during armed conflict; made particular note on how conflict disparately impacts women.



Country-Specific Presidential Statements:

Presidential statements also cover country-specific matters on the Council's agenda. Since the adoption of SCR 1325 in 2000, references to Women, Peace and Security have been made in the PRSTs issued on a number of countries including Liberia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Kosovo, DRC, Haiti, Sudan, Afghanistan, Uganda/Great Lakes, Sierra Leone, Burundi, and Chad/CAR. While some of these PRSTs are specific to Resolution 1325, others simply call for the increased participation of women in voting, or other broader recommendations. Therefore, country-specific PRSTs vary in content and in scope.

Country-Specific Presidential Statements include (sample only):

  • S/PRST/2010/17 (17 September 2010) was on the situation in the DRC regarding mass rape in late July and early August.
  • S/PRST/2010/3 (16 February 2010) was on the situation in Guinea and contains a reference to Resolution 1888.
  • S/PRST/2009/13 (8 May 2009) on the situation in Chad, the Central African Republic and the subregion.
  • S/PRST/2008/48 (22 December 2008) was on the situation in the Central Lakes Region and condemns all forms of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape.
  • S/PRST/2004/35 (12 October 2004) on the situation in Afghanistan; references women's political participation in the democratic election.
  • S/PRST/2004/32 (10 September 2004) on the question concerning Haiti; calls for the improvement of women's rights.
  • S/PRST/2002/36 (13 December 2002) was on the situation in Liberia, and gives special attention to women's reintegration.
  • S/PRST/2002/8 (28 March 2002) on the situation in Somalia; calls for greater participation of women in peacebuilding processes.