Peacekeeping

The Peacekeeping theme focuses on a gendered approach to multi-dimensional peacekeeping missions, predominantly through gender mainstreaming of peace support operations and the increase of female recruitment in peacekeeping, military, and police.

The Security Council calls for an increase in the number of women in peacekeeping operations (1325,OP6).

It is also important to note that the issues of gender and peacekeeping should never be reduced to the number of women recruited as peacekeepers. Promoting security is about providing real human security for the population, not about the militarisation of women. The point is not to achieve gender parity for its own sake, but rather to draw on the unique and powerful contribution women can make to peacekeeping.

The Security Council commits to include a gender component in UN field operations (1325,OP5), and requests that the Secretary-General’s reports to include information on the progress of gender mainstreaming within each operation (1325,OP17). Without a gender perspective, it is almost impossible to adequately create an inclusive security, which forms the basis of promoting sustainable and durable peace. Gender training, pre-deployment, on the ground, and post-deployment is effective for ensuring peacekeeping personnel have sufficient knowledge and skills.

Peacekeeping missions are increasingly being mandated to address sexual violence (1960,OP10), and training can increase the prevention, recognition, and response to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and sexual exploitation and abuse (1820,OP6). The implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda varies greatly among Peacekeeping Operations. This variation is a result of the peacekeeping mission’s mandates and also structure, leadership, funding, whether there is a designation of a separate unit to address gender, and the number of gender advisors. These key gaps were highlighted in DPKO’s Ten-Year Impact Study on Implementation of Resolution 1325 in Peacekeeping.


These measures can trigger positive changes for women within conflict and post-conflict situations, such as increased physical security, employment-related benefits, capacity building for local women’s organisations, and increased awareness of women’s rights. Additionally, positive role models and examples of women’s leadership have a positive effect on the environment and contribute to the success of peacekeeping missions.

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In order to capture good practices and lessons learned, we are conducting an ...

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In order to capture good practices and lessons learned, we are conducting an inventory of our structures and practices, which can be replicated in other contexts. Furthermore, the United Nations Action
early warning indicators matrix on conflict-related sexual violence, to which the Special Representative referred, will be adapted to the operational environments of two peacekeeping operations and

Botswana sincerely commends the efforts of the Secretary-General to address t...

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Botswana sincerely commends the efforts of the Secretary-General to address the under representation of women in formal peace processes. To that end, my delegation welcomes the inclusion of women in peacekeeping missions in civil, military and police functions. We also recognize that their presence may encourage women from local communities to report acts of sexual violence and other human rights abuses.

We are pleased to make our modest contribution to the maintenance of internat...

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We are pleased to make our modest contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security. Our troops and police are doing excellent work in various United Nations peacekeeping missions. In line with our pro-women policy, we have been recruiting women in our regular forces, including police and the military. While they contribute to our national security, they are also sent to respond to international calls.

Some initiatives of the global community in the first decade of its adoption ...

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Some initiatives of the global community in the first decade of its adoption have been praiseworthy. The establishment of a new body, UN-Women, and the appointment of a Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict have been two significant developments that have placed women at the top of the global agenda.

We encourage the Council to remain seized of the need to deploy women protect...

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We encourage the Council to remain seized of the need to deploy women protection advisers to peacekeeping and special political missions. The inclusion of relevant information in country-specific reports and in mission mandates must also be considered.

My government welcomes the UN's development of training materials focused on ...

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My government welcomes the UN's development of training materials focused on sexual and gender-based violence, as well as other tools to help missions improve their protection strategies. The United States helps the UN to survey current practices and has initiated a workshop for missions with civilian-protection mandates.

We share the general consensus on the importance of drawing up realistic mand...

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We share the general consensus on the importance of drawing up realistic mandates for the protection of civilians and ensuring they are adapted to the real situation on the ground and compatible with the capacity and human resources available to the respective peace keeping missions.

Malaysia reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that our peacekeepers are train...

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Malaysia reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that our peacekeepers are trained to face, to the best of their ability, the multitude of challenges that are prevalent in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

On the implementation side, we welcome the new monitoring, analysis and repor...

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On the implementation side, we welcome the new monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangement on conflict-related sexual violence requested under resolution 1960 (2010), which now is operational. We also very much welcome the recent progress made by DPKO on the completion of new training modules on protection issues for peacekeeping personnel and we look forward to their roll-out in the near future.

As we have seen over the past decade, peacekeeping operations can play an imp...

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As we have seen over the past decade, peacekeeping operations can play an important role in establishing and strengthening such a legal and political framework under which all individuals and institutions, including the state itself, are accountable. We also need to make this framework work for vulnerable groups, including women, children, IDPs and detainees, and make sure that they have access to justice.

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