NGOWG ACTION ALERTS & UPDATES
Prepared for the 1325 PeaceWomen E-Newsletter

1325 PEACEWOMEN E-NEWS ISSUE #70
15 November 2005

MAKING PEACE WORK FOR WOMEN: SCR 1325 FIFTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY
New York, October 17-28, 2005
Iraq, Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Colombia…NO Women. NO Peace.
To mark the 5th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security brought six leading international peacemakers to United Nations Headquarters in New York. These six women peacebuilders met and spoke with senior UN officials, government representatives, and civil society leaders, as well as international press, on ways to fully involve women in peace and security decision-making in their countries.

On October 25th the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations hosted an Arria-style Security Council meeting. Four civil society representatives were able to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Council members on ways to better integrate the provisions of SCR 1325 in the daily work of the Security Council.

On October 27th the Security Council, under the Presidency of Romania, held an Open Debate on the role of women in peacemaking and peacebuilding. Two civil society representatives—Sweeta Noori from Afghanistan and Helen Dandi from Cote d’Ivoire—addressed the Council on the implementation of SCR 1325 in their countries.

The NGO Working Group in partnership with women peace advocates from around the world called on the Security Council and governments to:

1. Develop national policies to ensure women’s equal participation in peace and security decision-making
2. Ensure women’s equal participation and integration of women’s concerns in the work of the Peacebuilding Commission
3. End impunity for gender-based violence and protect women’s human rights
In addition, the NGOWG and the six women peacemakers organized and participated in a number of panels during the week, including a panel on the Responsibility to Protect and Security Council Resolution 1325, on National Implementation of SCR 1325, and on the Role of Women in National Elections.
In collaboration with the Department of Public Information, NGOWG organized 26 interviews and press events.

For the schedule of events and in-depth information CLICK HERE

1325 PEACEWOMEN E-NEWS ISSUE # 68
4 October 2005

From Local to Global – Making Peace Work for Women: NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security - Five Years On Report

Five years ago, the United Nations unanimously adopted Security Council Resolution 1325 (SCR 1325). The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (NGOWG), which was formed to advocate for a Security Council resolution on women, peace and security, has spent the past five years dedicated to advancing the implementation of the provisions of the resolution.

The NGO Working Group is pleased to announce the publication of From Local to Global: Making Peace Work for Women, Security Council Resolution 1325 - Five Years On Report. This report provides insight into the implementation of SCR 1325 at the United Nations level. It examines the progress made by the Security Council in their work as well as in Open Debates. It examines the key bodies responsible for implementing the resolution’s provisions – such as the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. It also takes into consideration how the lack of directly allocated resources has impeded progress and implementation.

The Report also examines the crucial role of Member States in leading the way to realizing the provisions of SCR 1325 at the local and national level. It looks into the process and the creation of National Action Plans and policy on women, peace and security. It also presents innovations and strategies used by civil society at the local, regional and international level to advance the work on women, peace and security. It considers the power of communication and advocacy – such as translation campaigns to make SCR 1325 available to local communities, the use of global media such as community radio and the Internet, as well as initiatives such as consultations, workshops and peace education.

Above all, this Five Years On Report poses a central question: What would a world in which the principles enshrined in 1325 look like? When peace works for women, it provides a crucial component for creating sustainable peace and development locally and globally. It is our hope that the readers of this report keep this critical vision in mind.

To download the PDF version of this report, please CLICK HERE

1325 PEACEWOMEN E-NEWS ISSUE # 66
30 August 2005

World Leader’s Summit : the Peacebuilding Commission

The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security has been closely following the preparations for the World Leader's Summit which will take place in New York on September 14-16, 2005. Among the many proposals for consideration by the world leaders at the Summit is the establishment of a UN Peacebuilding Commission to assist states in transition from war to sustainable peace. Although the proposal has been met with great enthusiasm by member states as well as civil society, many details related to its composition as well as reporting line are still under negotiations. The NGOWG strongly support the establishment of the peacebuilding Commission and calls for the inclusion of civil society, and particularly women's groups, in its work. We also call for predicable financing for the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Support Office.

For a more extensive comment on this issue please visit:

http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ngo/ngostatements/Peacebuildingcomm.html

1325 PEACEWOMEN E-NEWS ISSUE # 65
30 July 2005

Call for Candidates for October 2005 Advocacy on Women, Peace and Security at UN Headquarters
October 2005 marks the five-year anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (SCR 1325) on women, peace and security.

The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security is calling for candidates who have been actively working on SCR 1325 and related women, peace and security issues, in areas affected by violent conflict, to participate in our October Advocacy Program at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The objective of the October Advocacy Program is to ensure that women’s experiences and concerns in areas affected by violent conflict are heard at UN Headquarters. Advocates will develop concrete recommendations on issues of women, peace and security for the work of the Security Council, UN Agencies, Member States and civil society. These recommendations will be communicated to audiences at strategic events, panels, and meetings at UN Headquarters.

The October Advocacy Program will run approximately 10-12 days (estimated time frame: 18 October-1 November). Selected participants will be provided with travel, accommodation and a per diem stipend for the duration of the program.

Criteria for Candidates

• Involved in work relating to women, peace and security in areas of violent conflict, post-conflict or areas where there is escalating violence and/or militarization.
• Have used SCR 1325 or its provisions in work at the local, national or regional levels.
• Experience working with local/grassroots groups, including women’s organizations.
• Experience in public speaking, advocacy and fluency in at least one of the UN languages.
• Available to spend 10-12 days at the end of October in New York for the program.

We welcome candidacies for this important advocacy program at UN Headquarters in October.
Please submit a resume and letter of interest to (e-mail or fax preferred) by 8 August 2005:

Gina Torry
Coordinator
The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security
777 UN Plaza, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10017
E-mail: NGOWGCoordinator@peacewomen.org

For the full ‘Call,’ CLICK HERE.

1325 PEACEWOMEN E-NEWS ISSUE #63
30 June 2005

Women, Peace and Security on the Agenda at the First-Ever Informal General Assembly Civil Society Hearings

The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security joined select representatives of civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector to be heard by Governments at the first-ever Informal Interactive Hearings of the United Nations General Assembly held on June 23rd and 24th at UN Headquarters in New York.

Participants were invited to present on development, security and human rights issues as input to the upcoming 2005 World Summit, the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly (14 to 16 September 2005).

The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security was represented by (Speaker) Ms. Vina Nadjibulla of the Women’s Division of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church and (Active Participant) Ancil Adrian-Paul of International Alert in the “Freedom from Fear” segment of the Hearings. In the speech given by Ms. Nadjibulla to members of the General Assembly, the Working Group called for the vital inclusion of a gender perspective and the equal participation of women’s groups and civil society in the work of the proposed Peacebuilding Commission.

The Working Group made an urgent call to Governments and the United Nations “to end impunity for violence against women,” including strengthening reporting mechanisms for gender-based violence.

“Ensuring that justice is done is essential if we are to convince men with guns that there is no impunity in committing crimes against women. Bringing perpetrators to justice is an essential part of re-establishing the rule of law.”

For the full speech by Ms. Nadjibulla, CLICK HERE.

The President of the General Assembly is expected to convey the results of the Hearings in an outcome document that will be issued as an official General Assembly document prior to the September Summit.

Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, the Women’s Environment and Development Organization, and WILPF, all members of the NGOWG, were also present at the Hearings and were given an opportunity to speak. For WILPF’s intervention, CLICK HERE. Excerpts of the two other interventions will be available shortly. Please contact Gina Torry for more information about these interventions: NGOWGCoordinator@peacewomen.org.

1325 PEACEWOMEN E-NEWS ISSUE #61
24 May 2005

Introducing the New NGOWG Coordinator

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new Coordinator of the NGOWG on Women, Peace and Security, Gina Torry.

Gina Torry holds a Masters of Science in Gender and Development Studies, with special concentration on international human rights law and the sociology of development, from the London School of Economics and a B.A. from the American University of Paris.

Prior to joining the NGOWG on Women Peace and Security, Gina worked in the Gender Unit in the Global Policy Section of the Division of Policy and Planning at the United Nations Children's Fund Headquarters in New York. There, she worked on gender equality issues relating to social and economic policy, including coordinating UNICEF's participation at Beijing +10/ the 49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. In the Africa Program at the Center for Reproductive Rights, Gina was instrumental in a project that used the human rights framework to address HIV/AIDS and PMTCT in Botswana.

Gina takes over from Cora True-Frost who is currently working as a legal researcher with the Defense of the Special Court for Sierra Leone in Freetown and will commence graduate legal studies in August at Harvard Law School with a concentration in International Human Rights Law.

To contact Gina Torry:
Tel. +1 (212) 682-3633, ext. 3121
Fax: +1 (212) 682-5354
Email: NGOWGCoordinator@peacewomen.org
777 United Nations Plaza, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10017

1325 peacewomen e-news issue #59
26 April 2005

Response to the Secretary-General's Report, In Larger Freedom: Integrating Gender Equality into National-level Priorities for September Summit
April 2005

The NGO Working Group on Women Peace and Security (NGOWG) welcomes the report of the Secretary-General “In Larger Freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all” as a key contribution to the preparations for the World Leaders’ Summit in September 2005 (September Summit). We share the view of the Secretary-General that development, peace and human rights are inextricably linked and that their realization should be underpinned by the rule of law. Furthermore, we support his call for a new security consensus based on the recognition that all threats are interconnected and that “in today’s world no state, however powerful, can protect itself on its own.”

While the NGOWG agrees with many of the recommendations proposed by the Secretary-General, we are deeply concerned by the lack of gender analysis and gender perspectives in the report. Gender equality is mentioned only as an aspect of development and is absent from the sections on security, human rights and institutional reform. Furthermore, only one recommendation (5j) incorporates women-specific and gender-specific language...

For the full position paper, visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ngo/ngopub/InLargerFreedomresponse.html

For a printer-friendly version of this document on NGOWG letterhead, please email Cora True-Frost, Coordinator, at: coratruefrost@peacewomen.org.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Summary of SCR 1325 Workshops at CSW 2005
April 2005
The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (NGOWG) facilitated two interactive workshops on Security Council Resolution (SCR) 1325 on women, peace and security during the 49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women at UN headquarters in New York (28 February - 11 March 2005). The first session, co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of the United Republic of Tanzania to the UN on 4 March 2005, featured panelists Sharon Bhagwan Rolls of femLINKpacific: Media Initiatives for Women (Fiji), Khin Ohmar of the Women's League of Burma (WLB), Marie Leigh Parker of the Mano River Women’s Peace Network (MARWOPNET), and Ana Maria Jimenez of the Colombian Commission of Jurists.

The second session was held on 7 March 2005, and featured panelists Solange Habonamina, President of Collectif des Associations et ONGs Feminines du Burundi (CAFOB), Kate McCullough, Chairwoman and former employee of the Northern Ireland Women’s European Platform (NIWEP), and Dana Myrtenbaum, an Israeli lawyer and human rights activist who works for the promotion of women’s rights and peace in Israel at Isha L’Isha. The NGOWG was pleased to facilitate the participation of over 56 representatives from 49 different global NGOs. A list of the participants and their contact information is annexed hereto.

During both sessions, participants engaged in lively discussion regarding the impact of SCR 1325 on their work and the obstacles to its full implementation. More importantly, several women’s organizations’ representatives from around the globe shared their initiatives and successes in bringing SCR 1325 to their own communities...

For the full workshop summary, visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ngo/CSW/2005/1325workshopsummary.pdf.

1325 PeaceWomen E-Newsletter Issue #57
30 March 2005

Recommendations to the Drafters of the Terms of Reference for the UN Security Council Mission to Haiti
16 March 2005
On the occasion of the drafting of the Terms of Reference for the upcoming Security Council (SC) Mission to Haiti (13-16 April 2005), the NGOWG on Women, Peace and Security shared a series of recommendations for incorporating UN Security Council Resolution 1325 into the Terms of Reference.

Recognizing the many demands on both SC Members and women in Haiti during this brief SC mission, and recalling SC Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security,

The NGOWG recommends that the Security Council:

1. Meets with local and national women's organizations. Further, the SC should schedule and arrange these meetings as soon as possible in order to: allow adequate timing for coordination; maximize inclusion of rural women's groups; and to secure funding for the organizations, if necessary, for any related costs.

2. Holds a meeting with Senior Gender Advisor, Nadine Puechguirbal, during this mission.

3. Incorporates a gender perspective and women-centered approach throughout this mission, including in the resulting report(s) and/or mandate, inter alia, by ensuring gender-knowledgeable staff participate in each phase of this SC mission. Gender-knowledgeable staff should: assist in advance coordination of the mission, attend meetings during the mission, and assist in drafting the resulting report and/or mandate.

The recommendations are available at:http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ngo/ngostatements/HaitiSCMissionTORrecs.html

For updates on the preparations for the Security Council mission to Haiti, visit the UN Security Council news index at: http://www.un.org/sc/unsc_news.shtml or http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/

For women, peace and security resources on Haiti, CLICK HERE.

For more information about women, peace and security issues in Haiti, visit UNIFEM’s Haiti profile at:
http://www.womenwarpeace.org/haiti/haiti.htm

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Urgent International Attention Needed to Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
21 March 2005
The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (NGOWG) expresses its grave concern about the situation faced by the population in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), particularly women and girls, during this time of conflict. Women active in grassroots organizations in the DRC have contacted the NGOWG to ask for its support and to request that UN headquarters give attention to the world’s bloodiest war, act to stop the atrocities, and support elections in the DRC…

For the full statement, CLICK HERE.

For the French translation of this statement, CLICK HERE.

For more NGOWG updates, CLICK HERE.

1325 PeaceWomen E-Newsletter Issue #56
16 March 2005

Report on the 49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
The NGOWG held two interactive workshops on “SCR 1325 in Action” during CSW, which enjoyed widespread participation. Women from civil society globally shared their best practices regarding using SCR 1325 as a tool to support their work on women, peace and security at the local and national levels.

Action: Visit www.peacewomen.org/un/ngo/back.html soon to read the NGOWG’s report from the interactive workshops.

In addition, the NGOWG was invited to conduct a training session on SCR 1325 with the International Indigenous Women Forum to raise awareness among civil society CSW participants.

The NGOWG also had the opportunity to intervene at International Women’s Day to ask panelists about SCR 1325 and to present a statement to the CSW Plenary on 9 March. The NGOWG reminded Member States that the participation of women in political decision-making, prevention of conflict and protection of women and children must be incorporated into resolutions at CSW this year and lamented the valuable time lost because of the United States’ proposed amendment.
Our statement is available online at: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ngo/ngostatements/CSWPlenary8March05.doc

For the webcast, visit: http://www.un.org/webcast/2005.html

Questionnaire: Results to be included in Five Years On Report
The NGOWG wishes to thank the more than 75 respondents who filled out the Questionnaire to gauge civil society’s awareness of SCR 1325. The results of the survey will be included in a SCR 1325 Five Years On Report to be released this October.

Action: Visit www.peacewomen.org/un/ngo/back.html soon to fill out the new questionnaire, designed to measure civil society initiatives presently underway.

For more NGOWG updates, CLICK HERE.

1325 PeaceWomen E-Newsletter Issue #55
1 March 2005

1325 Workshops at the 49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
The NGOWG invites you to attend our workshops on using SCR 1325 as a powerful tool to support your work on women, peace and security. The workshops will feature the work of women’s organizations from the field on 1325 and will be held:

   • Friday, March 4, 2005: 3:00pm - 4:45pm at UN Conference Room B, co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Tanzania

   • Monday, 7 March: 1:15 - 2:45pm at the Church Center, 8th floor in the Boss Room

Action: Check the CSW calendars for more information, available at: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/Beijing10%20/beijing10index.html


Questionnaire: Results to be included in Five Years On Report
The NGOWG has released its questionnaire seeking information on your use of SCR 1325. Please take no more than 15 minutes to respond to the questionnaire and further implementation of SCR 1325. The results of the survey will be included in a SCR 1325 Five Years On Report to be released in October 2005.

    • Action: You can find the online questionnaire on our website: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ngo/5YearsOn/Questionnaire.html


National Action Plan alert
The NGOWG wants to hear your opinions on developing national action plans for implementing SCR 1325. If you have comments, information or suggestions on national level action plans for SCR 1325, please contact us.

   • Action: Email Cora True-Frost at coratruefrost@peacewomen.org, or call at +1 (212) 682-3633, ext. 3121

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Action Alert
Due to news from our contacts with women activists in the DRC, the NGOWG urges you to contact your representatives to urge international action regarding the ongoing conflict in DRC.

   • Action: Read the NGOWG’s statement, available on our website.
         - Please also contact your country’s permanent representative to the UN (list of all permanent representatives available at:             http://www.un.int/index-en/webs.html) to inform them of your concern.

1325 PeaceWomen E-Newsletter Issue #53
2 February 2005

Millennium Declaration
The NGOWG provided recommendations on how to thoroughly incorporate women’s issues and a gender perspective to drafters of the upcoming Secretary-General report on the Millennium Declaration. The report is scheduled to be released in March 2005 and will focus the issues for consideration at the Millennium +5 Summit in September 2005, based largely on the findings in the Millennium Project’s report and the High Level Panel Report. At present, the UN states that due to security and space concerns, civil society will not be permitted to participate in the high-level Summit. The NGOWG and many other NGOs communicated to Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette at a meeting on January 24, 2005, that civil society must have the opportunity to participate with the world leaders during the Summit, not only during the DPI/NGO conference preceding the Summit from 8-10 Sept. For more information on the UN’s current plan for civil society interaction, see http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N04/583/08/PDF/N0458308.pdf?OpenElement

Action:

• Please send requests for civil society interaction to the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service at: Tel +1 212 963-3125, Fax +1 212 963-8712, Email: ngls@un.org
  
• Please also contact your country’s permanent representative to the UN (list of all permanent representatives available at: http://www.un.int/index-en/webs.html)

49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women Workshops: 1325 in Practice
We invite you to participate in an NGOWG workshop on using SCR 1325 as a powerful tool to support your work on women, peace and security. Two opportunities to participate:

• Friday, 4 March (time and location to be determined) and
• Monday, 7 March, 1:15-2:45pm, UN Church Center, 777 UN Plaza (44th Street and 1st Avenue), 8th floor.
  

Action: Check the CSW calendar on PeaceWomen’s Beijing+10 webpage for more information:
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/Beijing10%20/beijing10index.html

1325 PeaceWomen E-Newsletter Issue #49
4 October 2004

Letter to UN Member States on Security Council-Civil Society Relations
17 September 2004

In response to the recommendations to strengthen Security Council-civil society relations in the Cardoso Report* and the Secretary General’s Report**, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, wrote an open letter to UN Member States on the integration of the Council’s commitments to UNSC Resolution 1325, in light of the recommendations put forward in the reports.

Dear Ambassador:

The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security notes with appreciation the spirit of the Cardoso report, We the Peoples (A/58/817), and the Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Report of the Panel of Eminent Persons on United Nations–Civil Society Relations (A/59/354).

Pursuant to sections 1 (b) (13-14) of the above mentioned Secretary-General’s report, we urge you to put forth the following recommendations to the Security Council:

• Require that all country-specific and thematic reports and briefings from the Secretariat include a gender analysis and input from women’s groups, organizations and networks.

• Institutionalize meetings with women’s groups, organizations and networks during Security Council missions to the field.
Not only should these meetings be institutionalized, but they should also be structured efficiently to enable women adequate time to prepare. Further, these meetings should be held at appropriate hours and in appropriate venues. Monies should be available to women from the proposed UN Trust Fund (see Section 2 of the SG report), or other regular budget and voluntary funds, in order for the women to travel to meet the Council members. In preparation for UNSC missions to the field, New York and Geneva-based NGOs and UN departments, agencies and programmes should be approached for names of civil society partners in the field.

• Hold regular seminars between Council members and civil society organizations in addition to regular Arria Formula meetings.
Council members should insist that the seminars, as well as the Arria Formula meetings, are characterized by Mission participation at the highest level, gender balance among the speakers, as well as an integrated gender perspective in the presentations. Funding should be available to bring women from conflict-affected regions to participate in both the seminars and Arria meetings.

We applaud the work of the Council in recent years to strengthen its relationship with civil society. We further commend the recent initiative of the Philippines to ensure that civil society representatives had the opportunity to speak formally to the Council and the efforts of the United Kingdom, Chile and Canada (non-SC member) in co-sponsoring, with the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, two Security Council-focused roundtables*** (January and July 2004), which addressed the integration of Security Council thematic resolutions into the country-specific work of the Council.

Yet, we believe that in order for the Council to achieve more effective work on international peace and security, it should pursue a stronger and more systematic working relationship with civil society organizations, and in particular, women‘s organizations and networks.

Thank you for your careful consideration of our recommendations during your deliberations in the General Assembly.

Sincerely,

NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security


*Cardoso report, We the Peoples: Civil Society, the United Nations and Global Governance (A/58/817)

**Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Report of the Panel of Eminent Persons on United Nations–Civil Society Relations (A/59/354)

***For the Roundtable reports, CLICK HERE.

For the pdf version of this letter, CLICK HERE.

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