CONFERENCE/MEETING: WPS Lecture Series: Women, Peace, Security: Looking Ahead to 2015

On Monday, November 18th, 2013, PeaceWomen, along with the Mission of Liechtenstein and Princeton University, hosted the eleventh panel of our Women, Peace and Security lecture series, titled “Women, Peace, Security: Looking Ahead to 2015”, with keynote speaker Ms. Anne-Marie Goetz, Chief Advisor for Peace and Security, UNWomen. Ms. Goetz discussed recent policy developments on Women, Peace and Security, including the passing of thetwo recent Security Council resolutions, Resolutions 2106 and 2122, and the recent Global Review on National and Regional Implementation, held between November 5th-7th. She also addressed opportunities and challenges for 2015, the High-Level Review and study, and provided some findings from the expert Global Review.

In her discussion of her findings from the Global Review of the Regional and National Action Plans, Goetz addressed several gaps and challenges. Goetz affirmed a gender perspective being missing in key areas such as conflict prevention and decision-making. In addition, she noted international reporting systems, approaches for implementation, accountability and monitoring, and funding as additional themes from her findings of the Global Review. A main problem area identified was the detrimental connection made between self-determination and nationalism, and how NAPs actually risk contaminating the original intent of 1325 by diluting it with nationalist aims. Further, she noted that the UN has primarily focused on the process rather than the substantive content of NAPs. She also stressed the crucial involvement and engagement of civil society in national action planning around WPS in order to strengthen legitimacy and accountability for implementation.

To address these gaps and challenges, Goetz also touched on recommended responses in looking ahead to 2015 and beyond. Viewing sustainable development and Post2015 processes as a key political opportunity for moving the WPS agenda forward, she emphasized the need to integrate WPS directly in these discussions. She emphasized a stronger gender perspective and gender equality element in the areas of prevention, reconstruction and peacebuilding, and the continued need to focus on women's market and political engagement in conflict prevention and resolution. Goetz underscored again the significant role of civil society and women's organizations, and stressed capacity-building in order to build effective constituencies. She also cited recent normative movements in UNSCR 2122 and CEDAW GR 30 as important tools and developments in moving forward, with both addressing the ongoing challenge of capacity-building. In particular, the de-linking of self-determination and nationalism, and the bridging of self-determination and conflict prevention, was what Goetz stated was essential when thinking about WPS post-2015.