Reconstruction and Peacebuilding

The Reconstruction and Peacebuilding theme focuses on the application of a gender perspective to peacebuilding. The response of local, national, and international systems to women’s priorities in post-conflict situations can significantly impact stability and development.

The realisation of women’s right to full participation in preventing, resolving and recovering from conflict, is critical to building sustainable peace and the fulfilment of human security. Furthermore, the response of local, national and international systems to women’s priorities in post-conflict situations, can significantly impacts the stability and development of communities.

The engagement of women in early stages of peacemaking can increase gender analysis in post-conflict planning, lead to improved outcomes for women, and enhance their capacity to participate in longer-term peacebuilding. However, women’s rights and concerns should not be dependent on the presence of women in peace processes. Systems must be in place to ensure their inclusion is standard operating procedure.

In SCR 1325, the Security Council recognises that addressing the unique needs of women and girls during post-conflict reconstruction requires integrating a gender perspective at all stages (1325,OP8). The Security Council acknowledges the need to counter negative societal attitudes regarding women’s equal capacity for involvement, and calls for the promotion of women’s leadership and support for women’s organizations (1889,OP1). In addition, the Security Council requests training on the protection, rights and needs of women in all peacebuilding measures (1325,OP6).

To achieve this, the Security Council tasks the Secretary-General to report on challenges and make recommendations relevant to the participation of women and gender mainstreaming in peacebuilding and recovery efforts (1888,OP19). In response, the Secretary-General issued a report on women’s participation in peacebuilding in 2010. The report details the challenges obstacles women must confront in participating in recovery and peacebuilding efforts, and advocates for a Seven-Point Action Plan to respond to these challenges.


First, the plan calls to increase women’s engagement in peace processes and to address gender issues in the context of peace agreements. Secondly, the plan urges for the inclusion of gender expertise at senior levels in the UN’s mediation support activities. Thirdly, the plan notes that, while the international community cannot control the gender composition of the negotiating parties, it must investigate strategies for the inclusion of more women. Fourthly, the plan calls for the establishment of mechanisms to ensure that negotiating parties engage with women’s civil society organisations. The Action Plan’s fifth commitment involves increasing the proportion of women decision makers in post-conflict governance institutions. The sixth point addresses rule of law, emphasising the importance of issues such as women’s access to justice and a gender perspective to legal reform. The Action Plan’s seventh commitment is concerned with women’s economic empowerment. The Action Plan’s implementation remains the challenge.

For more resources on this Critical Issue, visit PeaceWomen Resource Center >>

PeaceWomen Project, Women, Peace and Security Handbook, 2010

Universal Periodic Review 10th Session: Nepal

Universal Periodic Review 10th Session: Nepal The Universal Periodic Review of Nepal took place on 25 January, 2011. First Deputy Prime Minister Sujota Koirala presented the National Report to the UPR Working Group, and addressed the country's recent turbulent history in the introductory remarks. In 2006, the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) was signed, ending the ten year long armed conflict between government forces and Maoist rebels.

16. Stresses the role of UNAMA in supporting, if requested by the Government ...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Afghanistan
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Peace Processes
Extract: 

16. Stresses the role of UNAMA in supporting, if requested by the Government of Afghanistan, an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of peace and reconciliation, including the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme, while continuing to assess, including in collaboration with the AIHRC, its human rights and GENDER implications, including the promotion and protection of human rights, and encourages the international community to assist the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in this regard including through continued support to the Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund;

2. Urges all parties to engage in an open and fully inclusive national dialog...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Sudan
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Peace Processes
Extract: 

2. Urges all parties to engage in an open and fully inclusive national dialogue seeking to establish lasting peace, reconciliation and good governance, including through the full and effective participation of youth, WOMEN, diverse communities, faith groups, civil society, and the formerly detained SPLM leaders, encourages the efforts of IGAD and the United Nations to reach a peace agreement between the parties, and further urges them to ensure that child protection provisions are integrated into all peace negotiations and peace agreements;

30. (b) Support for the implementation of the transition process, including e...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Central African Region
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Peace Processes
Extract: 

30. (b) Support for the implementation of the transition process, including efforts in favour of the extension of State authority and preservation of territorial integrity (iv) To assist the Transitional Authorities in mediation and reconciliation processes at both the national and local levels, working with relevant regional and local bodies and religious leaders, including through inclusive national dialogue, transitional justice and conflict-resolution mechanisms, while ensuring the full and effective participation of WOMEN;

Agreeing that active participation of civil society groups, including WOMEN's...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Cyprus
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
General Women, Peace and Security
Participation
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Peace Processes
Extract: 

Agreeing that active participation of civil society groups, including WOMEN's groups, is essential to the political process and can contribute to making any future settlement sustainable, recalling that WOMEN play a critically important role in peace processes, welcoming all efforts to promote bicommunal contacts and events including, inter alia, on the part of all United Nations bodies on the island, and urging the two sides to promote the active engagement of civil society and the encouragement of cooperation between economic and commercial bodies and to remove all obstacles to such contacts,

Encouraging the Joint Special Representative to continue his efforts to incre...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Sudan
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Peace Processes
Extract: 

Encouraging the Joint Special Representative to continue his efforts to increase the inclusiveness of the political process, guided by the Framework for AU and United Nations Facilitation of the Darfur Peace Process, and to coordinate with the African Union-High Level Implementation Panel (AU-HIP) and the United Nations Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan to synchronize their mediation efforts while taking into account ongoing transformation at the national level, welcoming in this regard the announcement by President Bashir on 27 January of a national dialogue, noting that the modalities of such a dialogue should provide an opportunity to address the legitimate grievances of the people of Darfur, looking forward to further developments towards the implementation of an inclusive dialogue process, and stressing the importance of the effective participation of WOMEN in this process, and in efforts towards peace in Darfur,

12. Calls on the Government of Liberia, with support from UNMIL, within exist...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Liberia
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
General Women, Peace and Security
Participation
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Peace Processes
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Human Rights
Extract: 

12. Calls on the Government of Liberia, with support from UNMIL, within existing capabilities, the UNCT and international partners, to continue to support the participation of WOMEN in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding, including in decision-making roles in post-conflict governance institutions and the broad range of reform efforts;

Recalling that women play a vital role in the peace process, as recognized in...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Afghanistan
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Human Rights
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Displacement and Humanitarian Response
General Women, Peace and Security
Participation
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Peace Processes
Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
Extract: 

Recalling that women play a vital role in the peace process, as recognized in Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and related resolutions, welcoming the commitment by the Government of Afghanistan to develop and implement Afghanistan's Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) National Action Plan and to identify further opportunities to support the participation of women in the Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process, the presentation by the Government of Afghanistan of its first progress report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and efforts to continue to accelerate full implementation of the National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan, to integrate its benchmarks into the National Priority Programmes and to develop a strategy to implement fully the Elimination of Violence Against Women law,

Agreeing that active participation of civil society groups, including women's...

Security Council Agenda Geographical Topic: 
Cyprus
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
General Women, Peace and Security
Participation
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Peace Processes
Extract: 

Agreeing that active participation of civil society groups, including women's groups, is essential to the political process and can contribute to making any future settlement sustainable, recalling that women play an important role in peace processes, welcoming all efforts to promote bicommunal contacts and events including, interalia, on the part of all United Nations bodies on the island, and urging the two sides to promote the active engagement of civil society and the encouragement of cooperation between economic and commercial bodies and to remove all obstacles to such contacts,

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