UNSC Open Debate on Gender Conflict and Peacekeeping

Security Council's Open Debate on Gender, Conflict and Peacekeeping, 25 July 2002

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland holds the Presidency of the Security Council during the month of July 2002. Under the United Kingdom Presidency, the following open session on Conflict, Peacekeeping and Gender was held. Ambassador Greenstock of the UK held a meeting earlier in the week with representatives of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, at which he invited them to raise issues of importance to their organizations that are relevant to the open meeting discussion. At the open session, Ambassador Greenstock said, "I can say that the exchange that I had with the working group was very informative. These groups have done enormous amount of work on the mainstreaming agenda, on the issue of women and families in areas of conflict". The UK mission circulated a short note outlining the main points raised at that meeting. The UN is providing a LIVE WEBCAST of the Security Council meeting on: Conflict, Peacekeeping and Gender. [Webcast: Archived Video -morning session-2h37min] [Webcast: Archived Video -afternoon session-1h34min].

The website for the UK Mission can be found at: http://www.ukun.org/

Press Releases:
- UN Security Council Press Release: Council hears arguements for broader, more systematic participation of Women in Peacekeeping, Peace-building Operations
- UN News: Security Council urged to incorporate gender perspective in approaches to peace
- United Kingdom Press Release: Background paper: Open meeting of the Security Council: conflict, peacekeeping and gender
- UN Wire: Security Council Holds Session On Women In Peace Operations
- ReliefWeb: Council hears arguments for broader, more systematic participation of women in peacekeeping, peace-building operations
- Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Security Council Discusses Participation of Women in Peacekeeping and Peace-building Operations 25 July 2002

Objectives of the Open Security Council Debate:
- To provide an opportunity for the UN system to bring Member States up to date on its activities relating to
implementation of SCR 1325 and wider “women, peace and security” issues, both at headquarters and in the
field, and to highlight any problems or obstacles;

- To provide an opportunity for Angela King to present the merging findings from the study commissioned by SCR
1325 and to float recommendations likely to appear in the next Secretary-General’s report;

- To provide Members States an opportunity to comment on those emerging findings and on the wider “women,
peace and security” issues;

- To focus on the contribution of the Security Council can make, by the way it frames peacekeeping mandates
and through its oversight of operations on the ground, to practical work forwarding the interests of women and
children in areas of conflict.

Format of the Debate:
The meeting will began with a 5-minute presentations from each of the following:

- Under Secretary-General Jean-Marie Guehenno (DPKO): DPKO’s activities under SCR 1325 and other
integration of gender perspectives in peacekeeping, both at HQ and in peacekeeping missions;

- Angela King, Assistant Secretary-General and Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on gender Issues: updates on the preparation of the study
commissioned by the SCR 1325;

- Noeleen Heyzer, Director of UNIFEM (pdf) - (html format): gender issues at the field level, drawing on the emerging conclusions from
the “independent expert assessment” (a study commissioned by UNIFEM conducted by two independent experts in conflict and gender).

These short presentations were followed by a dialogue between the speakers and member States. The President gave the floor to three non-Council members, then to two
Council Members to make five minute speeches. There was also an opportunity to put questions to the speakers.

Statements by Member States:
- Bulgaria: Mr. Tafrov
- Cameroon: Ambassador (French)
- China: Mr. Wang Yingtan
- Colombia: Mr. Franco (Spanish)
- Republiqee de Guinee: Mr. Boubacar Diallo (French)
- Ireland: Ms Philomena Murnaghan
- Mauricius: Ms. Huree-Agarual
- Mexico: Mr. Adolfo Aguilar Zinser (Spanish)
- Norway: Mr. Ole Peter Kolby
- Russian Federation: (Russian)
- Syria (will be available in the UN records)
- Singapore: Mr. Mahbubani
- United States of America: Mr. John D. Negroponte
- United Kingdom: Ambassador Greenstock

Statements by Non-Members States:

In accordance with the usual practice, representatives are invited to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of hte Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure:

- Australia: Mr. Bassim Blazey C
- Canada: Mr. Heinbecker
- Chile: Mr. Maquieira
- Denmark: Mr. Ellen Margrethe Loj
- Grenada: Dr. Lamuel Stanislaus
- Jamaica (html): Joan E. Thomas
- Japan: Mr. Yoshiyuki Motomura and Japanese Assistance to Women in Afghanistan (un-official document)
- Liechtenstein: Mr. Christian Wenaweser
- New Zealand: Mr. Tim Mcivor
- Nigeria: Chief Arthur C.I. Mbanefo
- Republic of Korea: Mr. Sun Joun-yung