Women, Peace, and Security

O P O C L T I O C B Y E P R A 2 P Women, P eac e, and Security 0 E 1 R 6 ABOUT THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION ON MULTILATERALISM The Independent Commission on Multilateralism The research process began with a short “issue (ICM) is a project of the International Peace Institute paper” highlighting core debates and questions on (IPI). It asks: How can the UN-based multilateral each of the fifteen topics. Each issue paper was s ystem be mad e more “fit fo r pu rpose”? discu ssed at a retreat bring ing together thirty to thirty-fiv e member state repre sen tati ves, UN In a nswer ing th at q uest ion, the IC M has analy zed officials, experts, academi cs , and r epresentati ves fifte en topics . Thes e in clud e armed conflict, humani - from civil so cie ty an d the private sector. Based on tarian engagements, sustainable development, and the inputs gathered at the retreats, each issue paper global public health, among others (see complete list was then revised and expanded into a “discussion in Annex 2). The goal of the ICM is to make specific paper.” Each of these was uploaded to the ICM recommendations on how the UN and its member website for comment and feedback, revised accord - states can improve responses to current challenges ingly, and presented at a public consultation. The and opportunities. public consultations were webcast live on the ICM’s website to allow a broader audience to take part in The ICM undertook simultaneous tracks of research the discussions. and consultation for each issue area on its agenda. The Commission initially launched in New York in This paper is one of the fifteen final “policy papers” September 2014, followed by subsequent launches that emerged from this consultative process. An in Vienna, Geneva, and Ottawa. In February 2015, the overview of participation in consultations on this ICM briefed delegates from the five UN Regional specific issue area is included in Annex 3. The Groups in New York. The Commission also convened recommendations from all the policy papers are meetings with Ambassadorial and Ministerial Boards summarized in the ICM’s September 2016 report in New York, Vienna, and Geneva. Global outreach “Pulling Together: The Multilateral System and Its includ ed b riefings to offic ials i n Addis Ab aba, Be rlin, Future .” Bra silia, C openha gen, New De lhi, Lon don, Mad rid, Monte video, an d R ome. Civ il s ociety and priv ate The ICM t ha nks the thre e sponsoring g overnme nts sec tor outre ach and engag emen t also c onstitute d an for their fin anc ial support for its operations: Canada, imp ortant comp onen t of th e IC M’s con sulta tive Norway, and the United Arab Emirates. Without their process, including a briefing specifically for civil support, the ICM would not have been possible. society in June 2015. Contents Executive Su mm ary . 1 Introduction . 3 Current Debates on Women, Peace, and Security . 5 Challenging Traditional Concepts of Peace and Security . 5 Re imagin ing the G oals of Peacemaking . 7 W ho Are th e Wom en ? Wh ere Are the Men? . 8 Institu tional Challen g es . 9 Lack of Accountability and Political Will for Implementation . 9 Overlooking Male Champions and Civil Society Partners . 9 Fragmented Approach to Implementation . 10 Conc lusions an d R ecomme ndat ions . 12 Reimagine Traditional Approaches to Peace and Security . 12 A chieve a Un ified, Holisti c, and Coherent Approach . 12 Build an Inclusive and Legitimate Multilateral System . 13 Mo ve from Nor m Setting t o I mplem entatio n . 14 Ap ply the Agend a in a Cohere nt W ay . 14 Increase Accountability and Risk Assessment . 14 Tra nslate N or mat ive Framew orks Literally an d Cult urally . 15 En gage and Enc ourage Ma le Cha mpions o f Equ ality . 15 Partner to D o Busin es s Dif ferently . 15 Annexes . 17 Annex 1: I CM Pers onne l . 17 Annex 2: ICM Policy Papers . 20 Annex 3: Participation in Consultations . 21 Annex 4: UN Resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security . 23 Annex 5: Key Literature on Women, Peace, and Security . 25 Women, Peace, and Security Executive Summary Over the past two decades, an abundance of legal of conflict prevention. and policy frameworks in the multilateral system have focused on women’s security and empower - Today, many states are under stress in large part ment. The international community has sought to because of their exclusive nature and lack of legiti - address violence against women and women’s full macy, both of which are reflected in the state-based and equal participation since the 1995 World Confer - multilateral system. A multilateral system built on ence on Women in Beijing. At the United Nations, the exclusive states and exclusive structures is not Security Council connected women’s security with sustainable. Amid widespread calls for a return to peace more broadly in 2000 when it placed women, the foundational principle of “we the peoples,” states peace, and security on the international agenda with and the organizations they create cannot ignore the Resolution 1325—and again in 2015 when it invited priorities of half their populations. the secretary-general to commission a study on this resolution’s implementation. The Security Council The women, peace, and security agenda raises has passed seven more resolutions on the topic in significant questions about how the multilateral the intervening years. The creation of UN Women in system conceives of peace and security and whose 2011 showed that gender equality is now recognized interests it is prioritizing. These fundamental as a cross-cutting challenge in international affairs. questions underlie the institutional gaps and challenges faced in implementing the agenda and However, women continue to be poorly represented accelerating progress for women and for peace. To in formal peacemaking activities, and they suffer improve multilateral engagement on women, peace, disproportionately from the indirect effects of and security, several major shifts are needed: conflict. International laws on conflict-related sexual violence are advancing, but patterns of behavior on 1. Reimagine traditional approaches to peace and the ground appear slow to change. While change security: Advancing the women, peace, and undoubtedly requires concerted action at the security agenda may require a fundamental individual and societal levels, there are also gaps, rethinking of the traditional approach to peace challenges, and tensions in the multilateral approach and security in the multilateral system—from that are impeding progress. conceptions of peace and security to the identi - fication of key actors and the goals of peace The credibility of the multilateral system itself processes. depends on progress in this area. Even as the multilateral system—in particular the UN Security 2. Achieve a unified, holistic, and coherent Council, which serves as the home of the women, approach: Improving women’s security and peace, and security agenda—continues to prioritize increasing women’s participation in managing state security over human security, there is now and resolving conflict depends on multiple, compelling evidence that women’s physical security related elements—from shifts in social norms to and gender equality in society are associated with improvements in education and increased broader peace and stability in states. There is women’s representation in politics and policy - growing recognition that inclusive societies that making. provide equal opportunity for all are more likely to be peaceful and stable. Inclusion and inclusive 3. Build an inclusive and legitimate multilateral development are increasingly seen as core elements system: The empowerment of women as equal 1 Independent Commission on Multilateralism citizens—and global citizens—could help to make ensuring freedom from security threats and linking the state-based multilateral system itself more this agenda to their social and economic advance - legitimate, credible, and effective while also ment. International actors can no longer separate advancing the women, peace, and security peace and security from development if participa - agenda. tion and gender equality are to advance. This has been recognized in the Sustainable Development The following additional recommendations for the Goals, which include critical links to women’s multilateral system aim to provide strategic entry empowerment. points for action toward achieving these tasks: (1) move from norm setting to implementation; (2) As outlined above, the women, peace, and security concentrate on operationalizing the agenda in a agenda raises significant questions about how the coherent way; (3) increase accountability for added multilateral system conceives of peace and security. efficiency and effectiveness; (4) translate normative Fundamental change in this realm requires high-level frameworks literally and culturally; (5) engage and strategic engagement with key decision makers encourage male champions of equality; and (6) across the UN system, regional organizations, and partner to do business differently. member states. It also requires increased represen - tation of women at decision-making levels in politics The transformative potential of women can only be and foreign policy in general. unlocked by addressing their fundamental needs— 2 Women, Peace, and Security Introduction Over the past two decades, there has been a intervening years. The creation of UN Women in 2011 profound change in the way the multilateral system showed that gender equality is now recognized as a addresses women’s security. Widespread campaigns cross-cutting challenge in international affairs. It also of sexual violence during conflicts in the 1990s, from demonstrated that the UN is capable of adapting to Bosnia to Rwanda, prompted new investigations into new needs and priorities through responsive institu - conflict-related sexual violence and led to interna - tional reform.

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