PRIO POLICY BRIEF 12 2010 Visiting Address: Hausmanns gate 7 PO Box 9229 Grønland, NO-0134 Oslo, Oslo (PRIO) Institute Research Peace The UN Commission and Women: What Role for Norway?

Visiting Address: Hausmanns gate 7 PO Box 9229 Grønland, NO-0134 Oslo, Norway Oslo (PRIO) Institute Research Peace Centre for the Study of Civil War (CSCW) 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 ‘ 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 Design: Studio 7 www.studoisju.no 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 budgets international funding mechanisms may not da − Burundi and . 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-

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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. Many diplomats and UN ment seem to speak to the contrary, women and reconstruction processes. officials were of the opinion that it should not and gender concerns are still not being effec- be presented and considered as part of the tively integrated into peacebuilding activities Furthermore, a report by the PBC Working Security Council Open Debate on peacebuild- in the field. The idea that women and wom- Group on Lessons Learned − published in ing, but rather as part of the open debate on en’s issues are something separate from the June 2008 − stated that the integration of a ‘women, peace and security’, i.e. a women’s generic activities – and something that can be gender perspective was a key principle and issue to be considered separately from the added later – is still prominent. The UN sys- element of peacebuilding, and that resolution broader discussion on peacebuilding. In the tem simply needs to unravel what ‘women’s

inclusion’ is all about. Why and how is it appear to be discussed as issues separate from Women and Peacebuilding – 7 Action relevant? What can it add to daily activities what is regarded as the more pressing peace- Points that will improve or make peacebuilding building challenges – such as power sharing efforts qualitatively different? and security sector reform. 1. Efforts at engaging women and ad-

dressing women’s issues in the con- Concluding Remarks Policy Recommendations – What Role for text of peace processes must be acce- For the past decade, women’s rights groups Norway? lerated and commitments made and organizations, together with a relatively more concrete. small group of female academics, have been z Norway has a strong legacy as advocate and strongly advocating the importance and relev- norm entrepreneur on gender issues. This 2. Post-conflict planning processes ance of including women in peacebuilding should continue to inform Norway’s second must be made more systematically processes. It is a rights issue (women have a term as member of the PBC. gender-responsive. right to be heard and to be part of decision- 3. Financing for gender equality and making), but it is also an issue about more z Norway’s platform for membership in the women’s empowerment must be in- effectively achieving sustainable peace. Wom- PBC should be based on lessons learned from creased. en are crucial to economic recovery, social the first term – including lessons learned on cohesion and the political legitimacy of any how to integrate women and women’s issues 4. The proportion of women civilians new government. Women’s rights activists creatively in the work of the PBC. deployed to post-conflict environ- have undoubtedly played an influential role in ments must be increased. changing mindsets and strengthening aware- z Extra efforts must be made at early-on ness among politicians and senior diplomats integration of women and women’s concerns 5. The proportion of women decision to the ‘women, peace and security agenda’. into the general as well as country-specific makers in post-conflict governance institutions must be increased. Still, they have not been equally successful in discussions and policy planning processes on being listened to and taken seriously by those peacebuilding. 6. Rule of law institutions in post- who translate policy into actual projects and conflict countries must be made make decisions on budget allocations. z In order to strengthen coherence in ap- more gender responsive. proach, members of the Peacebuilding Com- Women still seem to have a long way to go in mission should give priority to the 7 action 7. Women must play a greater role in terms of being acknowledged in think tank points identified by the UN Secretary-General economic recovery of post-conflict environments and academic circles where the in his report on Women and Peacebuilding countries, both as participants and concept of peacebuilding is discussed, criti- (see box). beneficiaries of local development, cized and refined. Ten years after the adoption employment creation, front-line ser- of Resolution 1325, male academics and z As one of the main contributors to the UN vice delivery and DD&R pro- ‘think tankers’ still dominate the discourse on Peacebuilding Fund, Norway has a particular grammes. peacebuilding and inform theory development responsibility for following up on the recom- and policymaking both at the UN and in mendation of the Secretary-General on ear- Report of the UN Secretary-General on member states. Only a very few of these scho- marking 15% of PBF funds for women- Women’s Participation in Peacebuilding, lars have given much attention to women’s specific projects. A/65/354-S/2010/466, 7 September 2010. issues or to the highly gendered aspects of post-conflict peacebuilding in their publica- z The reappointment of a fulltime gender tions. In effect, the challenges of peacebuild- advisor within the PBSO should be reconsid- ing seem to have been treated as gender neu- ered. tral. In some cases where gendered dimensions are indeed acknowledged, they

THE AUTHOR THE PROJECT PRIO

Torunn L. Tryggestad is a researcher and This policy brief forms part of the research The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) is a project manager at PRIO. She holds an MPhil project ‘Gender, Conflict and Peacebuilding’, non-profit peace research institute (estab- in political science from the University of Os- which focuses on issues pertaining to the im- lished in 1959) whose overarching purpose is lo. Her main research interests include: plementation of UNSCR 1325 on Women, to conduct research on the conditions for women, peace and security, the UN and Peace and Security. PRIO staff associated with peaceful relations between states, groups and peace operations. The author can be reached this project are Suk Chun, Helga Hernes, In- people. The institute is independent, interna- at: [email protected]. ger Skjelsbæk and Torunn L. Tryggestad. The tional and interdisciplinary, and explores is- project is financed by the Norwegian MFA. sues related to all facets of peace and conflict.

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