BACKGROUND

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history
The NGO Working Group (NGOWG) on Women, Peace and Security formed in May 2000 in order to develop a United Nations Security Council resolution on women, international peace and security. With the unanimous adoption of Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security on 31 October 2000, the NGO Working Group shifted its focus to the support and monitoring of implementation of Resolution 1325.


MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
As of March 2005, the NGOWG consists of: Amnesty International*; Femmes Africa Solidarité; Gender and Security International Network*; Hague Appeal for Peace; International Alert; International Women’s Tribune Centre*; Women’s Action for New Directions; Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children*; Women’s Division of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church; Women’s Environment and Development Organization*; and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

*Affiliate members participate in the initiatives of the NGOWG on a case-by-case basis.

PARTNERS
The NGOWG collaborates with civil society groups, UN actors and UN member state in its work on SCR 1325. Civil society partners include: other women’s peace groups and networks, human rights and humanitarian organization and research institutions. UN and member state partners include:
• UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
• UN Inter-Agency Taskforce on Women, Peace and Security
• UN Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI)
• Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW)
• Friends of 1325, a group of UN member states who are advocates for the implementation of SCR 1325


OUR MISSION
The NGOWG’s mission is to collaborate with the United Nations, its member states and civil society towards full implementation of SCR 1325, including ensuring the equal and full participation of women in issues relating to peace and security. Using SCR 1325 as our guiding instrument, the NGOWG promotes a gender perspective and respect for human rights in all peace and security, conflict prevention and management and peacebuilding initiatives of the United Nations.

OUR VISION
Sustainable peace depends on the full participation of women in all decision-making to prevent violent conflict and to protect all civilians. The NGOWG believes that a broad and positive impact on the lives of all people experiencing conflict will result from full implementation of SCR 1325 and promotion of the Beijing Platform for Action, CEDAW and other supporting instruments. We further believe that implementation of SCR 1325 is a necessary tool for the prevention of armed conflict and to facilitate inclusion of gender in the ongoing peace and security discourse taking place within the UN and internationally.


RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Among its many accomplishments, the NGOWG has:

• Released the report, “Four Years On: An Alternative Report and Progress Check on the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325,”14 October 2004;

• Successfully advocated for the participation of a female lawyer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the Security Council Open Debate on women, peace and security, 28 October 2004;

• Initiated and co-organized two Security Council Roundtables with Security Council members from senior posts including Ambassadors, as well as representatives from select UN agencies and civil society organizations which resulted in concrete recommendations for integrating SCR 1325 into the work of the Security Council, January and July 2004; and

• Co-organized a workshop during the 48th session of the Commission on the Status of Women with activists from around the world. “UN Security Council Resolution 1325: Moving Forward” in order to generate targeted actions/strategies to advance SCR 1325, 10 March 2004.

For more accomplishments, CLICK HERE (see Documentation & Events).

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