WUNRN
WILPF PeaceWomen
1325 PeaceWomen News
1325 &
PARTICIPATION AT THE UN CSW
The Security Council unanimously
adopted Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, 31 October 2000.
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/sc/1325.html
For the printer-friendly version of
this newsletter and for past issues, visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/1325News/1325ENewsindex.html
THIS ISSUE FEATURES:
- Editorial: Making Participation Meaningful
- Women, Peace and Security News
- Feature
Event : 52nd
Session of the CSW
- Feature
Statement : International Women’s Day Disarmament Statement
- Feature
Initiative : World YWCA and Zimbabwe Elections
- Feature
Resource : The
Effects of Fighting Repression With Love
- Gender
& Peacekeeping Update: Special Committee on Peacekeeping
Operations
- Translation
Update : Korean
and Tigrinya Languages
- Women, Peace and Security Calendar
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Women's International League for Peace and Freedom http://www.wilpf.int.ch
Please visit us at: http://www.peacewomen.org
This month’s E-News covers a broad
range of issues that are all linked by the crucial issue of participation. The
focus of the edition is the 52nd Session of the Commission on the Status of
Women that drew to a close in early March. The priority theme of the session
was financing for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Of course financing
for the implementation of 1325 is one part of this but women, peace and
security issues also featured more extensively in the CSW (see Item 3). A major
part of this was the Commission’s review of its previously agreed conclusions “women’s equal
participation in conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution and in
post-conflict peacebuilding.” As is evident from this month’s news section
(Item 1), many challenges to meaningful participation remain. One of the major
challenges noted in the CSW and in other fora is that it is difficult enough to
ensure women’s participation in numbers, but too often that is where things
stop. Some of this was seen in the 2008 substantive
session of the C34 Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations reviewed in our
Peacekeeping Update (Item 7). Although progress has been seen in addressing
gender in this forum, ‘[a]s usual, the references
made to gender by member states largely focused on increasing the numbers of
women deployed as peacekeeping troops and police.’ Women’s participation is,
more importantly, about women being able to bring forward their issues and
concerns and, hopefully, to forge positive social change.
As we await the results of the election in
Zimbabwe, we at PeaceWomen salute the efforts of women there to bring about
change through peaceful, non-violent action. Our Feature Resource The Effects of Fighting Repression With Love
(Item 6) describes the efforts of the group Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) and
the violence that they have faced in response. Women’s organizations in
Zimbabwe, despite such violence have, nonetheless, been campaigning for the
full participation of women in elections and the YWCA support to these efforts
is this month’s Feature Initiative (Item 5).
Women’s participation extends beyond elections
to participation in the development of policy – and not just policy around
gender equality but also policy around economic development and that around security
and disarmament. This month’s Feature Statement (Item 4) coming from the
International Women’s Day Disarmement Seminar and delivered to the Conference
on Disarmament notes that women’s voices ‘are often suppressed or ignored, on
disarmement, peace and security’ but goes on to state that ‘[w]ithout women's equal participation, sustainable peace,
sustainable development and true human security are unattainable. Women must be
able to contribute their perspectives, help determine the direction of policy
options, and have a greater say over budgetary allocations.’ This participation
needs to be meaningful in real and concrete situations – and WILPF notes with
dismay that members of the organization who attempted to take part in peaceful
demonstrations in preparation for the NATO summit in Bucarest were restricted
by Romanian border authorities. Women’s participation in concrete ways by, for
example, the voicing of views on European security policy is crucial if we are
to move beyond viewing participation in narrow numerical terms. As Italy
so aptly noted, ‘the Security Council and the international community should
shift gears from a mere annual celebration of resolution 1325 to its actual
everyday implementation.’
Despite our aversion to anniversary celebrations,
PeaceWomen does, however, wish to celebrate in May when we will publish the
100th edition of the PeaceWomen E-News. We look forward to bringing you a
special edition next month and welcome your contributions and reflections.
Contributions for the May 2008 100th edition should be sent to
enewssubmissions@peacewomen.org by Thursday 24 April 2008.
2. WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY NEWS
Namibia: Women
Must Stand Up, Be Counted
March 18, 2008 – (AllAfrica) The
South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID) recently met with women of Namibia to
discuss ways in which the local women can organise themselves in their
diversity and act together for a better future.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Africa/SouthernAfrica/March08/nambiawomenunite.html
Kashmir:
What Difference Do Women Make?
March 15, 2008 – (Kashmir Watch)
Kashmiri scholar, journalist and former civil servant Ather Zia details the
range of ways in which women participate in politics in the disputed region of
Kashmir in India. Through profiles of various women activists, she shows that
although women differ ideologically and in their political actions, they
nevertheless participate increasingly in shaping Kashmir’s future.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/SouthAsia/March08/KashmirDifference.html
Zimbabwe: A
Society 'Not Ready for Female Leadership'?
March 14, 2008 – (AllAfrica) Women
make up about half the population in Zimbabwe. But, they're far from accounting
for 50 percent of those on the ballot for this month's general elections in the
Southern African country sparking concern amongst gender activists.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Africa/SouthernAfrica/March08/zimwomenleadership.html
SYRIA:
Muted Celebrations for Women’s DaY
March 13, 2008 - (Institute for War
and Peace Reporting) Syrian advocacy organisations demanded that women be
granted equal rights during International Women’s Day celebrations last week.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/MiddleEast/March08/Syriawomen.html
SERBIAN GOVERNMENT BANS PEACE MARCH
COMMEMORATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AMIDST KOSOVO BACKLASH
March 10, 2008 – (OneWorld) In a
sign of the growing pressure on Serbian civil society in the wake of Kosovo's
declaration of independence, the Serbian government has cancelled a peace march
by Women in Black Network from Serbia, a partner of The Advocacy Project.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/CentralEasternEurope/March08/march8.html
For
Nicaraguans, International Women’s Day Marks a Step Back
March 8, 2008 (HRW) Until recently,
Nicaraguan women had something to celebrate on March 8, International Women’s
Day. Nicaraguan women have fought for years to protect women’s rights, not to
restrict them, and decades ago the government eliminated some of the sexist
laws that discriminated against women.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/LatinAmerica&Carib/March08/Nicaraguaabortion.html
Women's Day, a time to grieve, a time to be inspired
March 6, 2008 – (Reuters) Whether
they're widows left destitute after decades of war, or victims of sexual
violence and abuse, women are often disproportionately affected in times of
conflict. In honour of International Women's Day on March 8, the media is reporting
heavily on the soaring rates of violence against women around the globe. It's
an important topic and a worrying trend, but it's important to remember the
positive stories too.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/International/March08/WomensDay.html
Push for Creation of a Centralized UN Women’s Agency
March 6, 2008 - (Feminist Daily News
Wire) The Campaign for Stronger Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR)
called for the creation of a centralized UN women's agency last week. The
activist groups leading the campaign include Amnesty International, Center for
Women's Global Leadership, International Planned Parenthood Federation, and
Women's Environment and Development Organization. The campaign was launched
last week during the 52nd Commission on the Status of Women, which ends on
March 7.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/International/March08/GEAR.html
KENYA: Sexual violence continues in IDP camps
March 4, 2008 - (PlusNews) Residents
in a camp for displaced persons in Nakuru, in Rift Valley Province, western
Kenya, were deeply shocked when a gang of men attacked and sexually assaulted
five boys, but the health officials dealing with sexual violence during the
recent political upheaval have had to become immune.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Africa/EastAfrica/March08/idp.html
Women Out in the Cold at Peace Talks
March 3, 2008 - (IPS) As the United
Nations continues its two-week long discussions on the status of women
worldwide, there is one nagging fact hovering around the conference rooms in
the Secretariat: peacemaking is still largely in the hands of "men in
suits, puffing on cigars".
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/International/February08/peacetalks.html
Sierra Leone: UN raises awareness of laws to curb
violence against women
March 27, 2008 – (UN News) Two United Nations agencies have joined forces with a local non-governmental organization (NGO) in Sierra Leone to heighten awareness of three new gender laws, passed by the West African nation’s Parliament, in a bid to reduce the level of violence and abuse against women.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Africa/WestAfrica/March08/3laws.html
LIBERIA:
Special court for sexual violence underway
March 21, 2008 - (IRIN) The Liberian
government has created a special court to deal with not only rising rape cases,
but also other forms of violence against women, Liberia’s Information Minister
Laurence Bropleh told IRIN.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Africa/WestAfrica/March08/court.html
DRC:
"Majority of rapists go unpunished"
March 18, 2008 - (IRIN) Sexual
violence against women is rampant in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but
the majority of perpetrators, especially in "no-law" zones, go
unpunished, according to a UN independent human rights expert.
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Africa/GreatLakes/March08/rapists_unpun.html
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • •
For more regional women, peace and
security news, please visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/countryindex.html
For more international women, peace
and security news, please visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/International/Index.html
52nd Session of the Comission on the Status of Women
25 February – 7 March 2008, UN Headquarters, New York
The 52nd Session of the CSW took
place from 25 February to 7 March 2008 at UN Headquarters in New York. The
focus of the session was on the priority theme of Financing for Gender Equality
and the Empowerment of Women. Also of interest to women, peace and security
advocates was the Commission’s review of progress in the implementation of the
agreed conclusions from the 48th Session in 2004 on “women’s equal
participation in conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution and in
post-conflict peacebuilding.”
This year WILPF’s activities at the CSW centered around highlighting the opportunity cost of military spending; ensuring resources for women’s equal participation; the implementation of Resolution 1325; and advocating for reform of the UN’s gender equality architecture. This advocacy position is reflected in our statement to the CSW:
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CSW52/NGOdocs/CSW52_WILPF_Statementpdf.pdf
This review of the session looks at the issue of
NGO participation in this year’s session and then looks at how 1325 and related
issues were dealt with in the outcome documents and the statements of
governments during the main general discussion segment. Also included here are
links to further CSW resources and reviews.
NGO Participation
NGO participants from around the world turned
out in record numbers for this year’s session. Despite unacceptable logistical
problems with registration (that saw many standing in lines for more than half
a day) NGOs were actively engaged throughout the session. Many took advantage
of the opportunity to lobby on priority issues as well as to network and
connect with colleagues through the many scheduled side-events and more
informally.
The importance of NGO engagement in the CSW was
rightly recognized by Slovenia on behalf of the EU when it said in its
statement during the general discussion that “the meetings of the Commission on
the Status of women have proven that without the contributions of women’s
organizations and other civil society organizations we would not respond
proactively to the major concerns of our time…”
That being said, it was thus particularly disappointing
that NGOs were shut out of negotiations on the Agreed Conclusions almost as
soon as they started. This is, unfortunately, not entirely unprecedented – NGOs
have been excluded from observing negotiations toward the end of previous
sessions – but the timing – on the first day of negotiations – was particularly
disturbing. The Linkage Caucus, on behalf of women’s organizations attending,
protested this exclusion through a letter to the Bureau Chair and noted the
decision as being inconsistent with the spirit of participation in the Charter.
While seemingly sympathetic to this, the Chair did not formally open the
sessions and access to these policy discussions remained accessible only to
those few with contacts on government delegations. While the professed reason
for exclusion – the need to ensure the negotiations were conducted effectively
and efficiently is understandable – the exclusion of NGO observers could not
and did not seem to achieve that aim (with negotiations going on until 4:30am
on the Saturday following the end of the session). It is a high price for
non-evident expedience when policies are negotiated away from the watchful eyes
of those who are most concerned.
Outcome Documents
Alongside various thematic
resolutions, the main outcome document of the session was the Agreed
Conclusions on Financing for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Links to the resolutions and the final draft of the Agreed Conclusions: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CSW52/UN_Resolutions_Outcomes.htm
Also available at this link are the
earlier versions of the Agreed Conclusions with the language proposals of the
various governments and separate links to proposals by NGOs. In light of the
fact that we were excluded from observing the negotiations, these early drafts
are particularly valuable in tracing who was supportive of what issues and what
was won or lost along the way.
An overall point to be made, is that
there was a sense that the issue of financing for gender equality, rather than
being an important issue to be considered as an integral part of financing for
development, was used as an entry point to win points in that larger debate –
points which had nothing whatsoever to do with gender equality. Also, as is
increasingly the case, the concepts of national interests and priorities were
put forward as overriding considerations and so the already weak operative
paragraphs are reduced in impact by being actions merely urged and to be
taken while bearing in mind national priorities. We already know
governments will take national priorities into account, stating it in this
manner in the outcome document merely reminds us how seldom gender equality
itself seems to be a national priority.
Participation, 1325
& Related Peace and Security Issues at the CSW
Some have expressed serious concern that 1325
issues were not properly dealt with at the CSW. For some this concern is
centered on the fact that there is no direct reference to the resolution in the
Agreed Conclusions. Concerns have also been expressed at the manner in which
the Review Theme on women’s participation was dealt with.
The Review Theme
For 1325 and women, peace and security
advocates, the most obvious focus for these issues was in the session on the
review of implementation of the Agreed Conclusions from the 48th
Session on “women’s equal participation in conflict prevention, management and
conflict resolution and in post-conflict peacebuilding.” As mentioned in last
month’s e-news, this was discussed in an interactive session on February 29th
and the outcome of the discussion was a chairperson’s summary.
This is only the second year of the
implementation of the CSW’s new method of work (adopted at the 50th
session) and the division of policy development and implementation review is
not yet satisfactory. In reducing the themes on which policy is developed,
there is a welcome reduction in texts being negotiated and the capacity of
governments and NGOs can be more focused. In addition, and in keeping with
changes in other ECOSOC functional commissions, there needs to be not only
policy development but also an opportunity to take stock and measure progress
and assess challenges. However, the manner in which the review theme is dealt
with is less than perfect. That is not to say that there should be negotiation
of policy on the review theme – although some NGOs expressed distress that this
was not happening. It is valuable to have the opportunity to review
implementation of previously negotiated commitments. Certainly the negotiation
of a text is not the way to perform this review. However, is a three-hour
interactive dialogue really sufficient? Surely more can be made of a policy
review and the theme given more attention in the general lead up to the CSW.
NGOs will be following up with the Division for the Advancement of Women and
the CSW Bureau on ways to improve the opportunity provided by the review theme
in future years.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Key Points from the Interactive Dialogue on the Review
Theme
The summary of this session, held on 29 February
2008 is available at:
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CSW52/UNdocs/Summaryreview.pdf
As stated in that summary, “some progress had
been made in implementing the agreed conclusions, and ….. the pivotal role of
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security [was
noted].”
Fortunately, the discussion went beyond simply
noting achievements and looked at gaps and challenges to implementation as well
as recommending steps to be taken. Key challenges included the continuing
under-representation of women in peace negotiations and processes and
participants called for increased resources and technical and financial support
to increase and strengthen such participation. Also key was the support
expressed for the development of national action plans for the implementation
of Resolution 1325.
Particularly relevant to recent advocacy efforts
related to 1325, the session reflected the need for consistent attention
to be paid to gender equality issues “in the work of all intergovernmental
bodies dealing with peace and security issues, and especially the Security
Council….” As we have long advocated, 1325 needs to be integrated into the
day-to-day work of the Council and should not just be considered as part of
marking of the resolution’s anniversary. In particular, the summary notes the
recommendation that “Security Council members should request that all reports
by the Secretary-General to the Council reflect attention to gender equality
issues, including violence against women, and Member States should include
gender equality experts in country and thematic discussions.” Also significant
was the support given to the SG’s call on the Security Council “to establish a
monitoring mechanism for the implementation of resolution 1325, to strengthen
accountability for women’s full participation in all processes related to peace
and security and to address violence against women in armed conflict.”
While it was an impossible task to properly
review implementation of the Agreed Conclusions from the 48th CSW in
one session, the discussion was impressively interactive and productive and, if
nothing more, it was made very clear that the issue of women’s participation is
one that goes far beyond numbers.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Agreed Conclusions
Many women, peace and security advocates have expressed dismay that there is no reference to 1325 in the Agreed Conclusions on the theme of Financing for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Certainly the theme and women, peace and security issues are connected in many ways and having such an explicit reference to the resolution would have reinforced the link and the relevance of the resolution beyond the Council. There were several countries who supported this reference during negotiations but it was lost in the final text. However, as we noted above, we need to go beyond the numbers and, in this case, look to what was achieved that relates to the substance of the resolution and not just its call signal.
In its preambular paragraphs, the Commission reaffirms the link between gender equality and peace (para 9) and urges specific actions related to women’s participation. Importantly, these go beyond financing for participation related to conflict and peace processes (para gg) but extend also to specific funding for access to DDR programmes. The language on participation in the Agreed Conclusions also extends to participation in broader decision making spheres through urging increased participation in economic governance structures (para f) and the removal of barriers and allocation of resources for representation and participation in broader political, social and economic decision-making and in administrative entities, in particular those responsible for economic and public finance policies (para h).
Also significant for WILPF’s advocacy, is the call (in para hh) to reduce excessive military expenditures. While the paragraph is weakened by the inclusion of the language “taking into consideration national security requirements” it is nevertheless important that there is the recognition that this would be to “permit the possible allocation of additional funds for social and economic development.” Another conflict related paragraph does give pause in its call to “ensure that adequate resources are allocated for activities targeting “persistent serious obstacles to the advancement of women in, [inter alia,] situations of armed conflict and in conflicts of other types.” It is hoped that this is considered to include expending resources to end or, better yet, prevent these conflicts which are themselves an obstacle to the advancement of women.
Extracts from the Agreed conclusions relating to peace and security and women’s participation and Gender Equality Architecture Reform can be found at:
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CSW52/wps_AC_highlights.doc
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Government Statements in the General Discussion
Far from being absent, Resolution 1325 and related issues
such as women’s participation and violence against women were also raised in
government statements during the General Discussion segment of the CSW.
Many of the statements dealing with violence against women were endorsements of
the SG’s just-launched campaign to end violence against women. Many others
acknowledged the serious and wide-spread nature of such violence although some
statements reflected an astounding denial of the issue – such as that of Sudan
which stated that “violence against women [in Sudan] is almost extinct except
in single cases deterred by law and rejected by society. Some adverse effects
have emerged in conflict stricken areas.” This latter point may be the most
disturbing understatement of the CSW.
At least a dozen countries mentioned resolution 1325 itself
and many discussed the implementation thereof through the development of
national action plans. The discussion of the resolution within the forum of the
CSW was important and, as Canada noted, the Commission “has a unique role to
play, particularly at this session [on financing for gender equality and
women’s empowerment], in supporting the Security Council’s implementation of
its commitments under Resolution 1325.”
For extracts from
statements mentioning Resolution 1325 and general peace and security issues:
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CSW52/CSW52Statements_1325.doc
For extracts from
statements mentioning violence against women (particularly in conflict):
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CSW52/CSW52Statements_VAW.doc
For extracts from
statements mentioning women’s participation:
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CSW52/CSW52Statements_Partic.doc
For extracts from
statements mentioning gender equality architecture reform:
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CSW52/CSW52Statements_GEAR.doc
For all government statements in the General Discussion visit:
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/52sess.htm#gendis
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Gender Equality Architecture Reform at the CSW
Reform of the UN’s gender equality
architecture is not only crucial in order to ensure financing for gender
equality but also for more effective and full implementation of resolution
1325. As has been noted time and again, the lack of high level, coordinated action
from the UN has severly hampered implementation efforts. WILPF and women’s
organizations around the world have, for some time been advocating for this
reform and this session of the CSW was an important moment at which to raise
the issues. Much of the advocacy around the Gender Equality Architecture Reform
was channeled through the Linkage Caucus (convened by CWGL, WEDO and the NGO
CSW in New York) which released the statement below at the conclusion of the
CSW :
WOMEN
GEAR UP: GOVERNMENTS RESPOND
Statement
from the Linkage Caucus at the UN Commission on the Status of Women
March,
2008
The Linkage Caucus’ clarion call to “GEAR UP” and strengthen the UN’s gender
equality architecture was carried by hundreds of women at the 2008 annual session
of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) as well by numerous member
states, and the UN Secretary General. In their national statements, over
40 countries spoke to the need to strengthen the United Nations’ institutional
mechanisms on gender equality and called for a consolidated women’s entity led
by an Under Secretary General and with extensive country presence. The
civil society GEAR (Gender Equality Architecture Reform) Campaign launched at
the CSW to advance these goals now has over 240 organizations as members from
all regions of the world.
Agreed Conclusions from
the CSW, which were finalized in the early morning hours of Saturday March 8th,
incorporated several of the key demands of the GEAR Campaign. The Conclusions
noted “under-resourcing in the area of gender equality in the UN system” …. and
stressed “the need for more effective tracking of resources… spent on enhancing
gender equality…” (paragraph 19). In addition, the Agreed Conclusions called
for strengthening the UN system both through more effective gender
mainstreaming, and for “enhancing its capacity to effectively assist States
upon request… on gender equality and women’s empowerment…and to make adequate
and reliable human and financial resources available” (paragraph kk). We note
with appreciation that countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America took
the lead in advocating for stronger institutional mechanisms. Clearly,
support for a stronger women’s entity is widespread. Women around the world
will continue to advocate for this with their government representatives at
home and at the UN General Assembly.
The Linkage Caucus is
pleased that the Agreed Conclusions propose that governments “incorporate
gender perspectives into all economic policy-making and increase participation
of women in economic governance structures and processes” (paragraph f), carry
out gender-sensitive analysis of “revenues and expenditures in all policy
arenas” (paragraph o) and of “policy and programmes related to macroeconomic
stability, structural adjustment, external debt problems, taxation,…and all
relevant sectors of the economy” (paragraph n), “undertake gender-sensitive
assessments of national labor laws…”(paragraph x), and redirect excessive
military expenditures to “social and economic development, including, inter
alia, for gender equality and the advancement of women (paragraph hh). The
Linkage Caucus supports the call for governments to “integrate gender
perspectives in the preparations for and outcome of the ‘Follow-up International
Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the
Monterrey Consensus’, to be held in Qatar in 2008” (paragraph 23).
However, women around
the world present at the CSW remain deeply concerned that there are few
meaningful commitments in the Agreed Conclusions related to financing for
gender equality, with no concrete targets or timetables and no strong
mechanisms for effective tracking or monitoring of financial resources spent on
gender equality. Despite repeated calls by civil society and governments noting
the importance of investing in women, it is widely recognized that the
allocation of financial resources has been insufficient at all levels for real
progress toward realizing the twelve critical areas of concern of the Beijing
Platform for Action. In addition, progress toward meeting Millennium
Development Goal (MDG) 3 on gender equality and MDG 5 on maternal mortality
have been lagging behind progress made with respect to the other MDGs due to
insufficient financial and political investment in women. Moreover, the Agreed
Conclusions fail to address the need for adequate resources and funding
mechanisms to support the indispensable role of women’s organizations as the
driving force for gender equality and the empowerment of women at all levels.
We look forward to continuing advocacy in support of a strengthened gender
equality architecture within the UN system. The GEAR campaign will advocate for
this goal with national governments, at the General Assembly, and with the
facilitators of the process to follow up on the recommendations of the High
Level Panel on System-wide Coherence. Advocates can build on the CSW’s
broad support from governments and civil society for moving forward on creating
stronger institutional mechanisms for women that can deliver real improvements
in women’s daily lives. The time to act to create a new women’s entity is now!
One important step that can be taken toward this end immediately is the
appointment by the Secretary General of a strong Executive Director of
UNIFEM. The Linkage Caucus notes the urgency of this matter, and
encourages the SG to make this appointment without further delay.
**The Linkage Caucus is coordinated each year
during the CSW by the Center for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL), the NY NGO
Committee on the Status of Women, and the Women’s Environment and Development
Organization (WEDO).
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Further Resources:
Several NGOs have written reviews and issued statements on the CSW session:
Statement by CSW Linkage Caucus : http://www.peacewomen.org/campaigns/global/GEARlinkagestatement.doc
AWID Review : http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CSW52/NGOdocs/AWID_Review.doc
femTALK ENews : http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CSW52/NGOdocs/FemLINK_Review.doc
For more resources and links related to the 52nd Session visit the web pages developed by the PeaceWomen Project featuring :
For these pages please visit : http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CSW52/index.htm
For
the official UN website for the CSW 52: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/52sess.htm
For the NGO Committee on the Status of Women please visit : http://www.ngocsw.org/
International Women's Day Disarmament Seminar Statement and Report
Statement
to UN Conference on Disarmament
We, women from many parts the world,
take this opportunity to raise our voices, which are often suppressed or
ignored, on disarmament, peace and security. The 2008 International Women's Day
Disarmament Seminar highlighted the crises of human security and sustainable
development caused by military spending, war and weapon profiteering, and the
persistence of ideas and expectations of gender that shape how war, women, and
peace are considered.
This year's Seminar included over
100 participants from non-governmental organisations from more than 40
countries and marked two significant anniversaries. The first is the 30th
anniversary of the First Special Session on Disarmament of the UN General
Assembly, possibly the highest point of consensus and vision ever achieved in
multilateral disarmament diplomacy, which created the Conference on Disarmament
we have today and set out its ten-part agenda.
Our seminar was directly linked to
neglected items on the Decalogue, namely the reduction of military spending,
the linkage between disarmament and development, nuclear disarmament,
conventional weapons, and disarmament as confidence building. We struggle
to find language to express our dismay, our anger, at the failure of
governments over the last eleven years to advance these agenda items, and their
commitments made by consensus thirty years ago.
A 40 year-old treaty was also
discussed; a treaty that has inhibited nuclear proliferation somewhat, but that
has not yet delivered on nuclear disarmament. If, indeed, "life
begins at 40", then the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) must gain a
new lease on life if it is to deliver tangible results at the 2010 Review
Conference. The CD's contribution to the success of this meeting is to
start negotiating a verifiable Fissile Material Treaty. States Parties
must get serious about compliance with the disarmament obligation and commence
negotiation of a Nuclear Weapon Convention.
Civil society has documented how
small arms and light weapons are killing and wounding hundreds of thousands of
people every year and how they threaten sustainable development throughout the
world, but still this issue has met with a less than adequate international
response. The unexploded remnants of cluster munitions, attractive in size, shape,
and colour to children and other unwitting civilians, continue to kill for
decades after conflicts are over, as do landmines that lay hidden in the earth.
Conflict goods that fuel wars, repression and environmental damage are traded
on our markets almost completely unhindered. There are stricter
international regulations on the trade of old postage stamps than on
conventional armaments. And we are now witnessing another escalation of the
nuclear arms race and the potential weaponization of outer space.
We are women from countries that
experience war and peace, from countries that produce weapons and from
countries that pay the high economic, social and human price of receiving
them. We, as women, unanimously call on governments to abandon narrow concepts
of military security and instead focus our human and economic resources on
addressing the real daily threats to the security of their citizens, such as
poverty, hunger, insecurity, HIV and AIDS, climate change, and environmental
degradation.
Weapons can do nothing to alleviate
these security problems. Instead, the acquisition of arms diverts
enormous financial, technical and human resources from where they are really
needed. This has been true for a long time, but the situation has never been
more urgent than it is today. What is preventing progress? Who benefits from
business as usual? We reject the idea that the military industry, the
weapons trade, brings jobs, prosperity or security. The arms trade has turned
people into mercenaries and parts of our planet into cemeteries. The
military-industrial-academic complex, that we were warned in 1961 as having the
potential for a disastrous rise of misplaced power has truly achieved its
potential when military spending exceeds $1204 billion annually in 2006
prices.(1) Reducing military spending is on your agenda, you are mandated
to address and curb this disastrous and misplaced political and economic power
that military corporations exercise.
Reversing a real security threat,
catastrophic climate change, for example, will require a paradigm shift in
resource allocation. We can meet this challenge, but only if we are
prepared to face the fact that bombs, guns and landmines will not deter or
remove the threat of a Tsunami, a hurricane, a flood, a virus, or a water
shortage. To do this we have to bring a halt to the organized crime of
weapons profiteering and the CD has a role to play. 8 million lives could
be saved with an investment of $57 billion. We could achieve by 2015 the
MDGS with $135 million in overseas development assistance. These levels
of investment are tiny in comparison with the level of military expenditure.
Compare military spending with
efforts to finance gender equality for half the human population:
-
The combined budgets of UN bodies working on women's issues is $65 million, (2)
is only 0.005% of world military expenditure; (3)
-
The World Bank estimates the cost of interventions to promote gender equality
under MDG 3 is $7-13 per capita. The world's military expenditure in 2006
amounted to $184 per capita; (4)
-Of
$20 billion in bilateral aid in 2001-2005, an OECD DAC study reports that only
$5 billion was allocated to projects promoting gender empowerment; the cost of
approximately 2 weeks of the occupation of Iraq. (5)