Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, October 2004

The 2004 Open Debate, under the presidency ofthe UK, was notable for a number of innovations. The Council not only reviewed the progress made in the implementation of 1325, but also focused the Open Debate on the issue of gender-based violence and its impact on women's participation in peace and security decision-making. This Open Debate also, for the first time, included a speaker from a civil society organization – a lawyer from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who spoke to the Council about her country's particular experience with gender-based violence. The Presidential Statement, adopted at the 2004 Open Debate, is still among the strongest in addressing a number of key issues. It called for the appointment of a gender advisor within the Department of Political Affairs (DPA), noting the contributions of the Gender Advisor within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). It encouraged Member States to develop national action plans for the implementation of SCR 1325. It also called for a UN System-Wide Action Plan in order to create accountability and better coordination at the highest levels of the UN on the implementation of SCR 1325. The Security Council also strongly condemned acts of gender-based violence in situations of armed conflict and stressed the need to end impunity for such crimes.

Source: NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security/ UNIFEM

Statements were given at the open debate by Algeria, Angola, Benin, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Germany, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Russian Federation, Spain, United Kingdom, United States of America, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Commonwealth Secretariat, El Salvador, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Japan, Liechtenstein, Mali, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Netherlands (EU),New Zealand,Nigeria,Norway,Republic of Korea,South Africa, Sweden,Syria,and Tanzania DPKO, UNFPA, UNHCHR, Reseau des Femmes pour la Defense des Droits et la Paix, DRC, UNIFEM and INSTRAW.