The background to the development of Ireland’s National Action Plan
Published: Monday, December 06, 2010
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security - The background to the development of Ireland's National Action Plan
UNSCR 1325 was adopted by the United Nations Security Council in 2000 as a result of women from conflicted regions such as Rwanda,
Guatemala and Bosnia-Herzegovina coming together to petition the United Nations to protect women and girls from gender based violence (GBV) during and after conflict; to include women in peace talks; to increase women's participation in formal politics and leadership and decision making roles; to incorporate a gender perspective on prevention of conflict and when developing rehabilitation and recovery programmes, including women's specific needs for education/ training, healthcare and economic security.
Resolution 1325 became known as the 'Three Ps' which stood for women's protection, participation, and perspectives to help prevent conflict; and more recently women's post-conflict Recovery, Relief and Rehabilitation needs are also being incorporated into National Action Plans for the Resolution.
Since the adoption of UNSCR 1325 in 2000, three further resolutions on women, peace and security have been passed, namely UNSCR 1820 (2008), UNSCR 1888 (2009) and UNSCR 1889 (2009). UNSCR 1820 was the first resolution to categorise sexual violence as a war crime and UNSCR 1888 is a follow-up to UNSCR 1820 that further strengthens the instruments agreed upon in UNSCR 1820, including the request to the Secretary-General to appoint a Special Representative on sexual violence in armed conflict. UNSCR 1889 also deals with issues of gender-based violence and conflict.
While UNSCR 1820, UNSCR 1888 and UNSCR 1889 have a greater focus on the issue of sexual violence, they also reinforce the need for women's full and equal participation in the management and resolution of conflict. UNSCR 1325 serves as an umbrella resolution in addressing women's empowerment, their role as peace-builders and the need to protect women from sexual violence. Hence Ireland's National Action Plan will focus primarily on 1325, with attention paid to overlapping areas in UNSCR 1820, UNSCR 1888 and UNSCR 1889 where appropriate. Ireland co-sponsored all of the above resolutions. The latest report of the UN Secretary General from September 2010 provides illustrative examples of progress made and identifies gaps and challenges in the implementation of resolution 1325 as well as recommendations for further action.
Why does Ireland need a national action plan on 1325?
National Action Plans (NAPs) provide one way for UN Member States to strategise and coordinate actions towards the implementation of this instrumental Resolution. To find out more about the NAP process and to access NAPs from other countries refer to the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom website www.peacewomen.org
The development of Ireland's National Action Plan on 'Women, Peace and Security'
The Government, led by the Department of Foreign Affairs, began a consultation process in February 2010 with civil society. A Consultative Group was created consisting of representatives of civil society organisations, academic advisors and members of an inter-departmental group which provided an important opportunity to start the process of including civil society perspectives and inputs into the development of an Irish National Action Plan. Representatives of the civil society organisations and individuals involved in the process, including the National Women's Council, requested that the consultation be broadened to include more women, in particular those women who have been directly affected by conflict.
In summer 2010 the decision was taken to postpone the original launch date for Ireland's NAP and to broaden the consultation process. With Inez McCormack appointed as the independent Chair of the Consultative Group and with an increased membership from Government Departments and Civil Society organisations, work resumed in October 2010.
In November 2010, Shirley Graham was appointed by the Joint Consortium on Gender Based Violence to organise and facilitate workshops to consult with women living on the island of Ireland who have been affected by conflict. The new consultation process was introduced officially at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Joint Consortium on Gender Based Violence on the 17th November. Within three weeks three workshops took place in Dublin, Cork and Derry to consult with women from diverse backgrounds. As women's groups across the island were encouraged to contribute their experiences, further consultations have taken place organised by local groups in Leitrim and Belfast. The workshops form an important part of the process of consulting with women affected by conflict. A report outlining the feedback from the consultation workshops will directly influence the content of Ireland's National Action Plan.
What Should Ireland's National Action Plan Do?
Some of the objectives under consideration for inclusion in Ireland's National Action Plan on Resolution 1325 are, to:
• Increase the numbers of women in formal politics and community leadership and decision-making roles
• Increase the numbers of women in senior roles in national and multi-lateral institutions, such as the United Nations
• Promote women's human rights at home and abroad, including through the implementation of Ireland's peace support operations
• Ensure an equal number of women and men are recruited into the national military and policing institutions
• Ensure that soldiers/peacekeepers/police receive regular and thorough training on violence against women, how to recognise it, and what actions to take
• Adopt effective strategies to protect women and girls from violence
• Bring the perpetrators of violence against women to justice through initiatives that support the collection of evidence; and collaboration with investigations across borders.
• Monitor and evaluate Ireland's progress in the above areas and the impacts these actions have on women's lives.
The National Action Plan (NAP) will cover these areas and many more and will include SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timebound) Indicators to help to assess the impact of the NAP on the lives of women and girls affected by conflict. Please email 1325@nwci.ie if you would like to have your voice heard and include your own experiences into this process or if you are thinking of organising a consultation within your own community or women's group.