The UN Peacebuilding Commission and Women: What Role for Norway?
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PRIO POLICY BRIEF 12 2010 Visiting Address: Hausmanns gate 7 7 gate Hausmanns Address: Visiting Norway Oslo, NO-0134 Grønland, 9229 PO Box Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) The UN Peacebuilding Commission and Women: What Role for Norway? Visiting Address: Hausmanns gate 7 7 gate Hausmanns Address: Visiting Norway Oslo, NO-0134 Grønland, 9229 PO Box Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) (CSCW) War Civil of Study the for Centre On 1 January 2011, Norway will start its second term as a member of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), having served its first term during the formative years of the PBC from 2006 to 2008 as co-chair of the Commission and chair of the so-called ‘Burundi Configuration’. Under the auspices of the PBC, Burundi was the first country to devel- op a comprehensive strategy for post-conflict peacebuilding. Norway left a legacy of normative entrepreneurship and political commitment to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on ISBN: 978-82-7288-377-4 978-82-7288-377-4 ISBN: www.studoisju.no 7 Studio Design: Women, Peace and Security. Although several years have now passed, the question of how the PBC’s political commitment has manifested itself in policymaking and operational activities is still unanswered. Re- search suggests that the PBC and UN member states still have a long way to go in terms of unravelling what it actually means and what it takes to include women and women’s concerns in peacebuilding ef- forts on the ground. Torunn L. Tryggestad Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) What is the UN Peacebuilding Commission? The PBC was formally established through resolutions adopted concurrently by the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council in December 2005. It was born in an atmosphere of strong political tensions be- tween Member States from the Global North and South and it was another six months before it became operational in June 2006. The tensions stemmed from disagreements over procedural matters and membership composition − disagreements that had a nega- tive impact on just about any substantial issue under discussion by the PBC. The mandate of the PBC is: to assist post- conflict countries in developing integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding; to marshal resources for post-conflict recovery activities; to raise the international communi- ty’s awareness to countries in a precarious post-conflict phase; and to improve coordina- tion at the strategic level among all actors Johan Løvald, former Norwegian ambassador to the UN. He served as Vice Chair of the Peacebuilding involved in peacebuilding activities. Commission, and Chair of the Burundi Configuration, from 2006-2008 (UN Photo). The PBC comprises an Organizational Com- In support of the work of the PBC, a Peace- get women’s issues on to the PBC agenda. mittee (OC), several country-specific commit- building Support Office (PBSO) was estab- The PBC, however, is the first UN body to tees (also referred to as country configura- lished, located within the UN secretariat un- have gender concerns explicitly built into its tions) and a Working Group on Lessons der the executive office of the Secretary- founding resolutions, and although no direct Learned (WGLL). It has 31 members, General. Supportive functions of the PBSO reference to Resolution 1325 is made in these representing key UN bodies and important include the drafting of reports, conducting resolutions, they contain several paragraphs groups of member-states (see box). research and analysis, and handling commu- on women and women’s concerns. For in- nications and outreach activities for stake- stance, the contributions women’s organiza- holders. The PBSO also serves the UN Secre- tions make to peacebuilding efforts are recog- The PBC Membership tary-General in coordinating UN agencies nized (para. 14). The resolutions also reaffirm The Organisational Committee (OC) of engaged in peacebuilding activities. the important role of women in peacebuilding the PBC has 31 members (serve for re- (para. 15). The most important, however, is newable terms of two years): A further important role of the PBSO is that probably paragraph 20, which calls upon the of administering the Peacebuilding Fund Commission to integrate a gender perspective • Seven members selected by the Security (PBF), which was launched in 2006. The within all its work. Council purpose of the PBF is to fill a gap in funding • Seven members elected by the Econom- for countries in an immediate post-conflict Similarly, language on women was integrated ic and Social Council phase but still not on a path towards sustaina- within the peacebuilding strategies developed • Five of the top providers of assessed ble development. This is a phase when other for the first two countries on the PBC’s agen- contributions to United Nations budgets international funding mechanisms may not da − Burundi and Sierra Leone. In the case of and of voluntary contributions to the be available. The Fund ‘seeks to minimize the Burundi, in particular, the strategy caters well United Nations funds, programmes and risk of a relapse into conflict by addressing the for ‘women, peace and security’ concerns in agencies, including a standing peace- most immediate challenges facing post- such important areas as capacity-building building fund conflict countries’. measures for the political, social and econom- • Five top providers of military personnel ic participation of women; the inclusion of and civilian police to United Nations The PBC and Women women’s civil society organizations in peace- missions The UN peacebuilding architecture is a com- building efforts; and the integration of wom- • Seven members elected by the General plex construction established to address what en’s legal and human rights in security sector Assembly. is perhaps an even more complex agenda, reform. Furthermore, the Norwegian head of namely post-conflict peacebuilding. One PBC field missions met with civil society might thus think that it would be difficult to organizations, including women’s organiza- PRIO POLICY BRIEF 12 2010 www.prio.org end, those favouring an integrated approach managed to convince sceptics that the ‘women and peacebuilding’ report should be consi- dered as part of the general debate on peace- building. However, the report ended up not really being debated, but simply taken note of. The ‘women and peacebuilding’ report points out that in many respects women’s post- conflict needs resemble the five recurring priorities outlined by the Secretary-General in his 2009 report on peacebuilding in the im- mediate aftermath of conflict. These are: a) safety and security, b) confidence in the politi- cal process through inclusive dialogue and post-conflict elections, c) access to basic ser- vices such as water and education, d) a func- tioning public administration, and e) econom- ic revitalization (notably employment creation). Still, these priorities and how they should be met are not discussed from a gen- dered perspective. The PBC Working Group An unidentified voter casts her ballot during the 4 July legislative elections in Cibitoke, Burundi, 4 July statement on Lessons Learned from 2006, i.e. 2005 (UN Photo). that the integration of a gender perspective is a key principle in peacebuilding, seems al- tions, and gender specialists were invited to 1325 constituted a normative framework that ready to have been forgotten. give presentations at both formal and infor- enjoyed widespread acceptance among PBC mal meetings of the Burundi country configu- members. The ‘women and peacebuilding’ report also ration. Lastly, on several occasions the Nor- states that policymakers and others involved wegian chair cooperated with the NGO The various PBC initiatives represented some- in programming and budgeting have failed to community in New York in organizing the- thing new in integrated efforts to include translate political commitments and guidance matic seminars or roundtables focusing on women and women’s concerns in peacebuild- materials into concrete gender-sensitive the challenges of mainstreaming gender into ing and brought high hopes for future change projects. Only a very low percentage of budg- the Commission’s work. in UN policies towards more gender sensitivi- ets are allocated to addressing women’s needs ty. Two years later, however, things do not or the advancement of women. The Secretary- The head of the PBSO during the formative seem to have changed as much as one might General admits that efforts to engage women years, Carolyn McAskie, was a strong advocate perhaps have expected. and address women’s issues in the context of of women’s issues. She treated the ‘women, peace processes must be accelerated and peace and security’ agenda as a cross-cutting Women and Peacebuilding – Two Years On commitments be made more concrete. This issue to be mainstreamed into a broad variety The Secretary-General’s progress report on message was also conveyed in the review of peacebuilding challenges, and, to assist in peacebuilding of July 2010 hardly mentions report of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture, this, a gender advisor was seconded to the women’s issues, apart from a short paragraph released in July 2010, advising that the PBC PBSO from UNIFEM. PBF funds were dis- referring to ongoing work on a separate report should be at the forefront in moving the bursed to projects and programmes of direct on the issue of women and peacebuilding. women’s role in peacebuilding from a niche or indirect benefit to women. This included When the latter report was finalized there was concern to the mainstream. projects focused on raising awareness regard- strong disagreement among member states – ing resolution 1325, preparatory work on as well as among senior UN officials – as to Although strong political commitments and democratic dialogue, and rehabilitation of when and how it should be presented to the targeted efforts at improving policy develop- women’s roles in community reconciliation Security Council.