Recommendations for the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations
27 February - 17 March 2006
On the occasion of the 2006 session of the special committee on peacekeeping operations, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, and the Peacewomen Project of the Women's International League For Peace and Freedom, present the following recommendations on gender issues in peacekeeping operations.
We note that the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations plays a crucial role in ensuring that peacekeeping operations respond to the specific needs, priorities and contributions of women in situations of armed conflict, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. We accordingly urge the Special Committee to consider the recommendations below for inclusion in its report, "a Comprehensive Review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects."
1. Policy Framework and Strategy for Gender mainstreaming in Peacekeeping Operations
Noting the adoption of a UN system-wide Action plan on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325[1], the issuance of a policy statement for implementing gender mainstreaming in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, and the development of a comprehensive strategy and action plan on gender mainstreaming in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, as called for in the 2005 report of the Special Committee,[2]
We urge the special committee to:
Review and adopt the Department of Peacekeeping Operation's comprehensive strategy and action plan on gender mainstreaming, and call on the Department to ensure the development of strategies and action plans on gender mainstreaming in all peacekeeping missions;
Call for the development of formal monitoring and assessment tools for gender mainstreaming activities, including systematic and regular reporting to the Special Committee about the nature, type and impact of gender mainstreaming activities.
2. Gender Expertise
Commending the DPKO Gender Advisor at Headquarters, and the Gender Advisors and Focal points in the field for their work to-date, while noting the continued staffing and financial limitations,
We urge the Special Committee to:
Require that gender mainstreaming activities and programs in peacekeeping missions are adequately funded through each mission's assessed budget, and call for the involvement of Gender Advisers in budgeting decisions;
Call for the strengthening of the capacity and resources available to gender focal points, to ensure uniform implementation of gender mainstreaming policies in all peacekeeping missions.
3. Gender training
Noting steps underway to review gender training modules and materials in order to harmonize the content and messages conveyed in gender training; and
Recognizing the establishment of an Integrated Training Service (ITS) at the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, aimed at building up training, guidance and best practices in crosscutting areas in peacekeeping.[3]
We urge the special committee to:
Require all troop-contributing countries to use gender-sensitivity training resources, for national pre-deployment preparation;
Call for the inclusion of dedicated gender training expertise in the Integrated Training Service, and for strengthened capacity in field mission training cells, including systematic collaboration with Gender Advisers.
4. Gender Balance and Recruitment
Welcoming initiatives to increase the participation of women in peacekeeping, including steps to develop a roster of qualified female candidates for senior appointments and to appoint focal points for women to promote gender balance in recruitment.[4]
We urge the Special Committee to:
Encourage collaboration between the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and troop and police contributing countries, to identify good practices for enhancing the operational impact of peacekeeping operations, through the deployment of more female civilian and military personnel to Peacekeeping Missions;
Consider proposals to include civilian observers in military observer teams in post-conflict transitions, as a means to broaden the repertoire of peace-keeping skills in areas such as human rights, humanitarian assistance, gender, conflict management and community development.[5]
5. Partnerships in Peacebuilding
Noting that peacekeeping operations increasingly undertake a broad range of tasks aimed at building sustainable peace after conflict, and recognizing the importance of ensuring women's equal participation in all aspects of post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding
We urge the Special Committee to:
Call on the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to ensure systematic engagement and consultation with representative women's organizations, in the planning and implementation of all peace-building activities, to ensure the contributions, needs and priorities of all local stakeholders are taken into account;
Support efforts to build the capacity of local women's organizations and networks to enable their full participation in all post-conflict reconstruction and peace building.
6. Conduct and Discipline
Welcoming new measures aimed at combating sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping missions, including the development of a comprehensive strategy for assistance to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, and a new model Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretary General and Troop Contributing Countries; and
Recognizing the important role of troop-contributing countries in pre-deployment training, participation in investigations, post-repatriation disciplinary action and prosecution, and follow through reporting to the UN,
We urge the special committee to:
Support the establishment of a permanent, integrated conduct and discipline unit at the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, to ensure the elaboration and monitoring of policies and guidelines for conduct and discipline and to support the work of field conduct and discipline teams;
Recommend that all Troop Contributing Countries incorporate training materials on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse into pre-deployment training for uniformed personnel;
Encourage Troop Contributing Countries to incorporate a binding form of the standards set out in the 2003 Secretary-General's bulletin on special measures for the protection from sexual exploitation and abuse[6], in the revised model Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretary-general and Troop Contributing Countries.
- [1] 2005 Report of the UN Secretary-general on women peace and security (S/2005/636)
- [2] A/59/19, paragraph 106
- [3] Secretary-General's report on the implementation of the recommendations of the special committee (A/60/640) paragraph 39
- [4] Addendum to Secretary-General's report on the implementation of the recommendations of the special committee (A/60/640/Add 1)
- [5] Statement by the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the UN during the 2005 Security Council Open Debate on SCR 1325, 27 October 2005. See: http://peacewomen.org/un/5thAnniversary/Open_Debate/Statements/sweden.pdf
- [6] ST/SGB/2003/13
Member Organizations
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