THE WOMEN'S SECURITY COUNCIL IN GERMANY – WORKING TOWARD IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION 1325

1. 1325 TRANSLATION UPDATE: WHAT TRANSLATION/S DO YOU NEED? WHAT TRANSLATION/S WOULD YOU PRIORITIZE?

Translating Resolution 1325 has been a recent focus of UNIFEM's 1325 E-Discussion. Through our NGO colleagues' contributions to the E-Discussion, we have learned that there is an opportunity for us to submit, to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK Government (FCO), a list of 6-10 priority languages into which we want 1325 translated.

One participant in the E-Discussion voiced concern about the lack of translations of 1325 in South Asian languages. Since then, we have received information that translations will be completed in Hindi, Nepali, Sinhala, and Tamil.

We also hope to receive and make available, in the near future, translations in Croatian, Esperanto, and Ukranian. Also worth noting - we are aware that Dari and Pashtu translations exist, but we have, thus far, not been able to locate them. Does anyone have any information about these?

In addition to the translations we do have and the translations on their way, what languages do you need and/or do you think we should prioritize in our request to the FCO?

Please, send your suggestions to sarah@peacewomen.org. As soon as we have collected 6-10 languages we will send a request to our contact at the FCO.

For more information about the 1325 Translation Initiative, including the available translations, CLICK HERE.

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2. SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1325—WHAT'S NEXT? MAY 2004—THE FINAL MONTH OF THE 1325 E-DISCUSSION

Throughout May, UNIFEM and the International Women's Tribune Centre will hold guest e-dialogues on the following topics:

3-7 May: What outcomes do we expect from October 2004?

10-14 May: How is 1325 applicable at the national level?

17-21 May: What knowledge and information products do we have and need relative to women, peace and security? In other words, (a) What do we need to know? (b) What do we know we know? (c) What don't we know?

24-28 May: What should be the specific roles and responsibilities of the Security Council, UN agencies, governments and NGOs towards the implementation of 1325? What needs to be done in order for these roles and responsibilities to be accepted and codified?

For more information about the 1325 E-Discussion, including the discussion archive, resources and reports from list members, and instructions for subscribing, visit: http://www.womenwarpeace.org/csw/1325_home.htm

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3. WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY NEWS

GENDER PULSE: NEWSLETTER OF UNIFEM-CIS
May 2004 – (UNIFEM Regional Office for the Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS) The most recent issue of this newsletter includes information about UNIFEM's support for an evaluation of the gender dimension of land reform in Kyrgyzstan, and UNIFEM's cooperation with the World Bank to discuss gender and governance in Central Asia. To join the mailing list, contact: root@unifemcis.org.

WOMEN, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND PREVENTION
May 7, 2004 – (WILPF) On 4 May, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) hosted a panel on “Women, Weapons of Mass Destruction and Prevention” in Conference Room A, United Nations, New York. The panelists, including Mr. Nobuyasu Abe, Under- Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs, Felicity Hill, Peace and Security Specialist with UNIFEM and Carol Cohn of the Boston Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights, presented unique perspectives on women, gender and WMD. Each panelist mentioned the importance of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security, as a tool to urge member state and UN agency action on gender mainstreaming. The panel was followed by a lively discussion with participants, which brought forward specific recommendations for NGOs to further their work at next year's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

KOSOVO: TRAFFICKED WOMEN AND GIRLS HAVE HUMAN RIGHTS
May 6, 2004 – (Amnesty International Press Release) Despite some positive measures, trafficking of women and girls remains a disgraceful human rights abuse in Kosovo. The international community is responsible for the growth of a sex-industry based on the abuse of trafficked women, said Amnesty International at a press conference revealing the result of its research into the trafficking of women and girls in Kosovo.

For Amnesty International's new report (in html and PDF) “‘So does it mean that we have the rights?' Protecting the human rights of women and girls trafficked for forced prostitution in Kosovo” (6 May 2004), visit: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR700102004

WOMEN AS PEACEMAKERS: FROM VICTIMS TO RE-BUILDERS OF SOCIETY – 1 OF THE 10 STORIES THE WORLD SHOULD HEAR MORE ABOUT
May 3, 2004 – (UN) While the plight of women in war often gets close media attention, what is often overlooked is the vital role played by them in negotiating peace and rebuilding societies.

DRC: HELP VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AMONG EXPELLED CONGOLESE, OCHA SAYS
April 28, 2004 – (IRIN) Tens of thousands of Congolese expelled from Angola may be in need of psychological support and health care following reports of systematic sexual violence they underwent upon their expulsion, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Tuesday.

GENDER AND PEACEBUILDING WORKING GROUP (GPWG) OF THE CANADIAN PEACEBUILDING COORDINATING COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER (English and French)
April 2004 – This issue includes Women, Peace and Security Campaign news launched by GPWG, UNCSW follow-up, and a new 1325 report produced by the GPWG.

For more country-specific women, peace and security news, CLICK HERE

For more international women, peace and security news, CLICK HERE

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4. FEATURE INITIATIVE

WOMEN'S SECURITY COUNCIL IN GERMANY – WORKING TOWARD IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION 1325
Founded in March 2003

The Women's Security Council is a network of approximately 50 women peace activists, peace researchers, and representatives of political institutions and NGOs, that was founded after Germany began its two-year term on the UN Security Council. Organizations represented in the Women's Security Council include the Bonn International Center for Conversion, WILPF, Women's Network for Peace, and the German Committee of UNIFEM. The group's objective is to lobby for national implementation of 1325 and the incorporation of a gender perspective into the national foreign policy and security agenda, and it works to monitor the activities of the German government, as a member of the UN Security Council.

Website: www.un1325.de

The Women's Security Council recently developed a website - www.un1325.de - which outlines the mission and activities of the group, introduces the 1325 postcard campaign, and provides an online discussion forum to debate 1325 and its implementation.

If you are interested in joining the Women's Security Council online debate on the implementation of resolution 1325 you can access their online discussion forum at www.un1325.de/forum/php.

1325 Postcard Campaign

The 1325 postcard campaign constitutes one of the core activities of the Women's Security Council. It's objective is to send “1325 reasons” to the German government to push for the implementation of the resolution, and to increase the knowledge of and about 1325. During the campaign, well-known intellectuals and artists came forward and presented their reasons for the need to implement 1325. The Women's Security Council will collect the postcards until 1325 reasons have been received, at which point they will be sent to the German government.

The postcard reads:

“There are 1325 reasons to implement UN-resolution 1325”

“UN-resolution 1325: Women must be represented increasingly ‘at all decision-making levels of national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflict.'”

The sender is then given the opportunity to write why they think 1325 should be implemented.

Plan of Action for Accelerating Implementation of Resolution 1325
September 2003

The Women's Security Council created an expert panel on gender-sensitive foreign policy and security agendas, and launched an action plan for accelerating implementation of 1325. In the action plan the group suggests that the German government focus on a few specific issues in the short and medium-term to speed up the implementation of 1325. This action plan was sent to the German government and Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN in New York in preparation for the Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October 2003. Excerpts of the Action Plan are included below:

We have first concentrated on those aspects of the Resolution 1325 that strengthen the active role of women. The most important demand is: “Women must be better represented in the national, regional and international institutions, mechanisms for prevention, management and solution of conflict.”

This request must be accompanied by concrete objectives (quotas). Quotas are, of course, not a panacea, and it could be difficult in some situations to implement them. However, to reject outright concrete quotas would present an invitation to non-binding regulation, and would strengthen the power of those are interested in keeping women to the periphery of political processes, for various reasons.

- In all peace processes and in all institutions, working for the implementation of peace treaties, we need at least 30% participation of women. This is the case at the moment in Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel-Palestine and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

- A UN-Monitoring-Group should be appointed to report back to the UN Secretary-General and the respective UN institutions on the progress of these conditions. If they are not implemented, already accorded money for reconstruction should be decreased. Example: If the minimum quota of 30% reaches less than 10% the money will be decreased by 10%.

- Since women dispose of much less financial resources than men, especially in non-industrialised countries, we support strongly the idea of Rehn and Sirleaf [UNIFEM's Independent Experts' Assessment] of UN Trust Funds for the support of women peace activists.

- We must look upon the establishing of equal opportunities in the reconstruction phase of a country ravaged by war. At least 30% of participants should be women involved in the commissions working on the future legal system and elaborating the constitution of the respective country…

For the full Action Plan in English, CLICK HERE.

For the full Action Plan in French, CLICK HERE.

The English and French versions of the Action Plan should be available soon on the website of the Women's Security Council at: http://www.un1325.de.

For more information, please contact: 0049/30/ 285 34-122 (c/o Feministist Institut Heinrich-Böll-foundation), or
feministisches-institut@boell.de.

They welcome correspondance in German, English, French and Italian. In addition, they have translated many of their documents into English, which they can circulate by email.

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5. FEATURE REPORTS

NEW PUBLICATIONS FROM THE WOMEN WAGING PEACE POLICY COMMISSION – CAMBODIA AND COLOMBIA

Below are excerpts from two new publications by the Women Waging Peace Policy Commission:

In the Midst of War: Women's Contributions to Peace in Colombia
Catalina Rojas
Executive Summary, April 2004

This report assesses the importance of a gender perspective in peace negotiations and documents the critical work of women at local, regional, and national levels to mitigate the effects of continued violence on their communities, mobilize for renewed dialogues, and prepare for the next cycle of peace in Colombia.

Key Findings

1. Pressure from women's groups and civil society prompted peace talks between President Andrés Pastrana and the guerrilla movement FARC (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces) in 1999. Women in official capacities and civil society challenged leaders to consider gender issues for the first time.

2. The 2002 collapse of the dialogues led to disillusionment within Colombia's peace movement; women's groups are leading new efforts, raising awareness of the human costs of conflict and calling for negotiations that include civil society.

3. Women's organizations developed a process to build consensus and create an agenda for peace addressing the root causes of conflict such as political, social, and economic exclusion. Local authorities are replicating their consensus-building model in the asambleas constituyentes (constitutional assemblies) of Antioquia, Nariño, Cauca, and Huila.

4. The conflict is regionalized as paramilitaries and guerrillas control parts of the country. Despite being targeted through violence and repression, women are leading local resistance efforts, establishing informal agreements with armed actors and forming “peace zones” to protect their communities.

5. Women's groups are using UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) to demand inclusion in future negotiations. Government entities, also drawing on 1325, are initiating dialogue with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) regarding peace and security issues.

For the recommendations and background, CLICK HERE.

The full report is coming soon, and will be available at: http://www.womenwagingpeace.net/content/resources.asp

Upcoming Conference
Women Waging Peace will be hosting 15 Colombian women peace builders for a series of meetings, presentations, and events in Washington, D.C., from 9-14 May 2004 entitled “Preparing for Peace: The Critical Role of Women in Colombia.” The purpose of the conference is to elevate the voices of women in Colombia and to urge the US government, international governmental organizations, think tanks and non-government organizations to promote the inclusion of women in all peace-building efforts in the country. For more information, visit:
http://www.womenwagingpeace.net/content/articles/0396a.html

Good Governance from the Ground Up: Women's Roles in Post-Conflict Cambodia
Laura McGrew, Kate Frieson, Sambath Chan
March 2004

This report traces women's contributions to governance and peace through local and national politics as well as civil society; examines the significance of gender perspectives to the promotion of good governance; and reflects on mechanisms enhancing women's participation in the political arena.

Key Findings

1. Women in Cambodia have made contributions to good governance by working to: include human rights in the constitution, urge accountability in government, establish government-civil society partnerships, and advance women's political participation.

2. Historically, politics has been characterized by mistrust, but women are breaking new ground and appealing for cross-party cooperation.

3. Countering a culture of violence, women are at the forefront of promoting peaceful resolution of local disputes.

4. Women are establishing new patterns of public consultation: non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have partnered with the Ministry of Women and Veteran's Affairs (MWVA) to develop legislation and programs that address social needs.

5. There is growing public support for women's increased political participation, since they are perceived to be more trustworthy and competent than men.

For the full report, CLICK HERE.

For the executive summary, CLICK HERE.

For NGO and civil society reports, papers and statements, UN and government reports, and books, journals and articles on women, peace and security issues, CLICK HERE.

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6. FEATURE EVENT

UNIFEM EXPERTS DISCUSS SITUATION OF WOMEN
UNIFEM Field Briefing, 28 April 2004, UNIFEM
By Jenny Lah and Anneleen Persyn, UNIFEM, May 2004

Gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS, and feminized poverty are inherently linked and fuelled by gender inequalities according to UNIFEM Regional Programme Directors (RPDs) from around the world. The Millennium Development Goals, which include reducing poverty and the spread of HIV/AIDS, will not be achieved without progress on gender equality particularly through women's full participation in decision-making processes. The RPDs emphasized the need to approach these issues from a holistic, human rights-based perspective, while working to empower women at the grassroots level.

According to RPD Nomcebo Manzini, UNIFEM's Southern Africa Office is making progress in connecting gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS by supporting awareness-raising workshops on the topic and connecting organizations of HIV-positive women and groups working on ending violence against women. UNIFEM is also working with Southern African women judges, in the context of legal reform, to address gender-based violence issues.

RPD Micheline Ravololonarisoa of the UNIFEM West Africa Office spoke on the work being done to increase the participation of African women economists in influencing macroeconomic policy-making. The Network of African Women Economists was bringing “voices of the grassroots to feed into change at the macro level.” She also discussed support for economic capacity-building for women processing shea butter, to assist them in upscaling their facilities, attracting investment, and patenting their products.

Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, RPD for East and Horn of Africa, said that the women of her region are seeking accountability and transformation – UNIFEM is addressing this by supporting women's involvement in decision-making, gender sensitive budgeting, and investing in access to basic social services and resources. “African women are resilient and innovative in seizing even narrow opportunities to gain further access to economic and political processes,” she said. To effect real change, she emphasised the need to include men as partners, and also stressed the role that the media can play in social transformation.

Amelia Siamomuna, RPD in the Pacific region, described the Pacific as “small islands with big challenges.” UNIFEM is working to advance women's rights, in the context of economic reforms, uneven power relations, and political instability, through supporting the implementation of CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action and encouraging women's political participation and involvement in peace processes.

For the women's movement in Morocco, a key priority was reforming the Family Law to remove institutionalized gender discrimination. Zineb Toumi-Benjelloun, gender adviser in North Africa, said that UNIFEM supported the movement for change by working to promote legal literacy, including understanding different interpretations of sharia law, and publishing training tools for activists. Toumi-Benjelloun said that the women's movement had succeeded in keeping the issue consistently in the public eye for almost two years while the national commission discussing the reform of the Family Law convened. The result, after 30 years of activism, was a widening of the public debate on the Family Law, and its eventual reform last year.

For the story online, visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/news/International/May04/UNIFEMbriefing.html

To read the story on UNIFEM's website, visit: http://www.unifem.org/

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7. BEIJING +10 UPDATE

A number of regional and sub-regional meetings are being held in preparation for the Beijing +10 Review and Appraisal during next year's 49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (March 2005). For more information about Beijing +10, including a calendar of the upcoming regional meetings, compiled by the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), CLICK HERE.

Regional Perspectives on the Implementation of the BPFA and the Outcome of the Twenty-Third Special Session of the General Assembly
Division for the Advancement of Women, 7 May 2004, 3-5 p.m., Conf Rm 1, UN, New York
The Division for the Advancement of Women is convening an expert consultation on Regional Perspectives in the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: Gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century” to be held at United Nations in New York, from 5 to 7 May 2004. For more information, including a list of the panelists, visit: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/panel/perspectives04-am.htm

Novena Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer de América Latina y el Caribe
8 y 9 (ONGs); 10 al 12 de junio de 2004, Comision Economica para America Latina y El Caribe (CEPAL) de las Naciones Unidas, México, D.F.
La Novena Conferencia Regional se propone examinar, dar seguimiento y evaluar los compromisos internacionales adquiridos en el programa de Acción Regional para las Mujeres de América Latina y el Caribe, además de reiterar el compromiso de los gobiernos participantes en el Plan de Acción de la IV Conferencia Mundial sobre la Mujer (Pekín, 1995). Las ONGs, coordinadas por Milenio Feminista, se reunirán los días 8 y 9 de junio para profundizar en las iniciativas que se desarrollan en la subregión, y asegurar una verdadera incorporación de la perspectiva de género en la elaboración, ejecución y evaluación de políticas públicas orientadas a las mujeres y la superación de la pobreza. Contacta a Sonia Montaño, Chief, Women and Development Unit, CEPAL tel: (5 62) 210 2100, fax: (5 62) 208 1553 o smontano@eclac.cl. ONGs: Milenio Feminista, Tamaulipas No. 66, Col. Condesa, México, D. F. (06140), Tel: 52 55 55 53 14 57, Correo electrónico: milenio@laneta.apc.org.

9th Session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean
8th and 9th (NGOs); 10-12 June 2004; Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Mexico, D.F.
This 9th Regional Conference proposes to examine, follow-up on and evaluate the international commitments made in the Regional Action Plan on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as to recall the commitments made by the governments in the Beijing Platform for Action at the 4th Women's World Conference in 1995. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) coordinated by Milenio Feminista, will meet together 8 and 9 June 2004 in order to strengthen and deepen the initiatives that are being developing in the subregion and ensure the incorporation of a gender perspective in the elaboration, execution and evaluation of public policy oriented toward women and overcoming poverty. Contact Sonia Montaño, Chief, Women and Development Unit, ECLAC tel: (5 62) 210 2100, fax: (5 62) 208 1553 or smontano@eclac.cl. NGOs: Milenio Feminista, Tamaulipas No. 66, Col. Condesa, México, D. F. (06140), Tel: 52 55 55 53 14 57, Email: milenio@laneta.apc.org.

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8. WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY CALENDAR

Regional Seminar on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security
24-27 May 2004, UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Amman, Jordan
Objective: To strengthen networks between Arab women's groups, especially in the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325, and bring Arab women to the peace table. Contact: Haifa Abu Ghazaleh at haifa@unifem.org.jo.

Online Learning Course on Gender and Conflict Transformation
31 May - 25 June 2004, The Network University (TNU), University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
TNU offers innovative academic courses via the Internet to a worldwide audience of students and professionals. Participants with different professional backgrounds share their experiences in interactive group discussions and assignments. The four-week online course on Gender and Conflict Transformation brings together worldwide expertise on the relationship between gender and conflict transformation. This course will empower women to become key agents in conflict transformation. The course uses a variety of interactive methods that stimulate thinking and exchange. For more information contact Hanneke Oudkerk at conflict@netuni.uva.nl.

Women Security in South Asia: Developing Strategy for Regions of Conflict
16-18 June 2004, South Asia Partnership (SAP) Canada, SAP International, Canadian Committee on Women, Peace and Security with the support of DFAIT and International Alert, Colombo, Sri Lanka
The proposed 3-day workshop aims at discussing issues related to women and security in depth and to develop an effective regional Plan of Action. Approximately twenty-five South Asians, including activists, academics, journalists, and conflict survivors will be invited to the Colombo meeting. One of the objectives of the workshop is to follow-up on the recommendations formulated at the Women and Leadership Forum in Ottawa and the South Asia Regional Consultation on Resolution 1325 organised by International Alert in February 2003 in Bangkok. There will also be an opportunity to discuss the efforts to translate Resolution 1325 into South Asian languages. For more information, contact Isabelle Valois at ivalois@sapcanada.org.

For the complete calendar items as well as more calendar events, CLICK HERE.

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