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.

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Through the extensive experience of war and post-conflict management that Cro...

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Through the extensive experience of war and post-conflict management that Croatia unfortunately gained on its own territory, we may be able to make a significant contribution to wider global efforts to prevent and combat sexual violence in war and conflict.

Sexual violence has been used in all recent wars and conflicts to pursue poli...

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Sexual violence has been used in all recent wars and conflicts to pursue political and military aims, including in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. It has been used to dominate, to terrify and humiliate opponents, to uproot communities and ethnic groups, and thus to contribute to the collapse of entire societies for generations to come.

At the global level, there is now increased awareness on the part of the inte...

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At the global level, there is now increased awareness on the part of the international community about the problem of wartime sexual violence.

On 31 October 2013, Myanmar organized for the first time an open day on women...

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On 31 October 2013, Myanmar organized for the first time an open day on women, peace and security, commemorating resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. The event, designed to promote awareness of the issue, was attended by more than 200 participants, including senior Government and United Nations officials, parliamentarians, development cooperation partners and civil society.

As a State party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrim...

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As a State party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Myanmar has taken steps to eliminate discrimination and violence against women, in line with the Convention's provisions, and we are currently implementing a 10-year national strategic plan for the advancement of women.

in practice, peace agreements rarely make reference to the need to eradicate ...

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in practice, peace agreements rarely make reference to the need to eradicate all forms of violence against all women and girls. They seldom include provisions linked to accountability for gender- based violence. Post-conflict arrangements hardly ever deal with the situation of women who have been subjected to violence during conflict and its aftermath.

Conflict-related sexual violence needs to be explicitly addressed in security...

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Conflict-related sexual violence needs to be explicitly addressed in security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes. More has to be done to ensure that women are active participants in peace agreements and in the negotiation, design and implementation of post-conflict and peacebuilding arrangements.

Belgium would like to underscore, as the Secretary-General did, that the end ...

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Belgium would like to underscore, as the Secretary-General did, that the end of a conflict does not mean an end of sexual violence. Post-conflict situations create high-risk environments

Furthermore, parties to conflict have to provide remedy and assistance to vic...

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Furthermore, parties to conflict have to provide remedy and assistance to victims and survivors of sexual violence, including health-care services

Another relevant issue is the attention to be accorded to the effective reint...

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Another relevant issue is the attention to be accorded to the effective reintegration of children who are linked to armed groups and those who have suffered other severe violations of human rights, in particular in cases involving sexual exploitation or abuse. I stress the crucial importance of effective disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes to the well-being of all children affected by armed conflict.

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