WILPF Analysis of the Annual Report of the Secretary-General on Women, Peace and Security
Every year, the UN Secretary-General’s report on WPS tracks the progress made on the implementation of the WPS Agenda. In 2019, the UNSG WPS report builds on an independent assessment of the WPS recommendations and commitments made at the three peace and security reviews in 2015 -- the review of WPS (“the Global Study”), peacebuilding (“the AGE Report”), and peace operations (“the HIPPO Report”).
This year’s report recognises that “there remains a stark contrast between rhetoric and reality, where previously agreed commitments have not been matched by action” (para. 5). It notes that of the 30 recommendations put forth by the 2015 peace and security reviews, only 50 percent have progressed; 40 percent have inconsistent implementation or need further progress; and 10 percent have either gone backwards or have not progressed at all. Further, of the 30 recommendations, only 2 have been fully implemented.
In the backdrop of these developments, the Secretary-General urgently calls for a holistic implementation of the WPS Agenda as well as an approach that prioritizes root cause analysis and conflict prevention. The report affirms three key factors as essential to successful implementation: 1) consistent prioritization and resourcing for gender equality and WPS, 2) mechanisms for tracking, monitoring, and overall accountability, and 3) presence and influence of gender expertise at senior levels.