BURMA: Concerns and Recommendations Regarding Peace Funds

Concerns

No mention is made of the role of women in peace building – This is despite Norwegian commitment to this issue and UN Security Council Resolution 1325. We also find that the documents we have seen are weak on protection, and lacks gender analysis despite the fact that rape and other forms of sexual violence have been reported widely in connection with the armed conflicts in Burma.

There is also very little information about what steps the peace fund initiatives intend to take to ensure the safety and security of civilians, including IDPs, women, children, men, the elderly and disabled in areas where soldiers continue to be present.

Recommendations

Ensure women's participation in all peace-building activities. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 outlines the importance and necessity of women's participation and perspective in all aspects of conflict prevention, management and resolution (including organizing for peace, rehabilitation, reintegration and reconstruction). It demands that women are in positions of power in order to activate change, and for governments to end impunity for those responsible for committing sexual violence against women and girls.