INTERNATIONAL: UN Women and UNDP to Partner with EU to Foster Women's Effective Participation in Peacebuilding and Post-conflict Recovery

The European Commission, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today announced the launch of a multi-country initiative to enhance women's participation in peace-building and post-conflict planning and economic recovery.

UN Women, UNDP, and the European Union, will partner in the first joint programme piloting a model for EU/UN collaboration on Women, Peace and Security. This programme will strengthen the capacity and coordination of women's civil society organisations and relevant EU and UN actors, and support women's participation in peace-building, especially with regard to post-conflict planning and financing, the rule of law, and post-conflict economic recovery. This programme will be implemented in three strategic locations: Kosovo (UNSCR 1244), Timor-Leste and Liberia. In all three locations women face significant challenges in actively participating in political life and decision-making processes, as well as benefiting equally from security, justice, and economic recovery.

The two-year programme will work through targeted interventions that are practical and replicable in other locations and that could provide a blueprint for greater coherence and coordination in future post-conflict contexts among international community actors, including the European External Action Service, EU Delegations, and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions.

The initiative, which is in line with the EU Policy on Women, Peace and Security, is funded via a 1.5 million EUR grant from the EU under the Instrument for Stability. Activities comprise the establishment of an EU/UN Women/UNDP advisory group for UNSCR 1325 in each pilot location, knowledge-building through tailored events at global and local level, the establishment of regular spaces for dialogue with civil society and micro-grants for women's organizations to support peace-building, social cohesion and reconciliation.

Background
The EU/UN Women contribution agreement, signed on 20 December 2011, is funded under the pre- and post- crisis capacity building component of the EU Instrument for Stability (IfS). This component – also known as the “Peace-building Partnership” (PbP) – aims to promote and consolidate civilian expertise on peace-building issues. Within the PbP the EU co-operates with a number of implementing partners including with international, regional and sub-regional organizations. This signature has sealed the very first multi-country agreement under the IfS between the EU and UN Women.

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