Germany will preside over the Council in September. Germany's stated priorities as an elected member of the Security Council include the situation in Afghanistan; its chairmanship of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and the Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committees; Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and the environment and climate change.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence

The Arms Trade Treaty negotiations took place July 2-27, 2012, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. WILPF members from several sections, including Sweden, Spain, Mexico, the Philippines and the United States, participated in training sessions, special events and advocacy.

WILPF Events at the Arms Trade Treaty

On 12 July 2012, the Security Council held an Open Debate on Post-Conflict Peacebuilding. The discussion, grounded in a recent concept paper entitled, “Post-conflict peacebuilding: report of the Peacebuilding Commission,” focused upon the role of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) in facilitating states' transitions from conflict to sustainable peace.

WILPF held a regional conference on the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region in Geneva on June 20-22. The outcome of the presentations was the adoption of a joint statement urging Member States, the UN and international actors to act "Now, not tomorrow" to achieve greater rights and security.

WILPF-US Fact Sheet on UNSCR 1325, the U.S. National Action Plan and Civil Society Consultations

On 25 June 2012, the Security Council held an Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians (PoC) in Armed Conflict. The discussion, which pivoted upon the Secretary-General's recent report (S/2012/376) on current challenges to effective PoC, did not result in the adoption of an outcome document.

WILPF and partners held several special briefings and events during ATT. (See details and summaries)

As noted in the editorial WILPF continues to condemn the violence in Syria. In a recent statement, we reiterated our call for an arms embargo on Syria and demanded that all Member States, including Russia, cease any and all military sales and assistance. The situation is fuelled by the arms trade, both legal and illegal, which has lead to the region being awash with weapons.