WPS Agenda: Resolution 1889 (2009)
Resolution 1889 (2009) followed closely after Resolution 1888 (2008) and was presented by Vietnam. Adopted unanimously, the resolution emphasized heavily on the participation of women in peacebuilding and in the prevention of violent conflict, as well as their participation in all stages of peace processes. It also emphasizes on monitoring and the introduction of accountability mechanisms under Resolution 1325.
What does Resolution 1889 say?
Resolution 1889 calls for the increased participation of women in both decision-making and peace processes at every stage. It reaffirms the vital role that women play in preventing conflict and in enabling peacebuilding. The resolution also acknowledges the need to dispense with the victims-only narrative, where the general perception is that women are victims and not leaders or stakeholders with a major role to play in addressing and resolving war. The resolution thus calls on member states to implement gender mainstreaming strategies in all aspects of post-conflict recovery.
Further, the resolution also calls upon the secretary-general to develop methods and approaches toward increasing the number of women in peacekeeping operations, and also asked for donors to prioritize the roles of women in peace processes. The resolution also emphasizes on prioritizing transparency in allocating and tracking the funds allocated toward assessing women’s needs in post-war contexts. It also asked for the continued deployment of gender advisors on UN peacekeeping missions.
The resolution specifically called for:
Governments and non-governmental organizations to create rosters of qualified women for appointment to high-level UN positions.
Member states to revise requirements for high-level peacekeeping missions, making them more accessible to female peacekeepers.
NGOs and governments to continue to ensure system-wide attention to and mobilization of resources for advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment as an integral part of peacebuilding, and to encourage the full participation of women in all phases of the peace process.
The resolution also prioritized monitoring and accountability and called on all states to develop National Action Plans to operationalize the WPS Agenda. It emphasized on the need for regular reportage on the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, and asked the secretary-general to guarantee that relevant UN bodies, in cooperation with member states and civil society, will collect data on the needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations, including women’s participation in decision making and post-conflict planning.
Resolution 1889 is also calls on the Secretary General to establish and provide global indicators to measure progress in implementation of UNSCR 1325. These indicators are vital in the process of demanding reportage by UN entities, global and regional organizations, and member states, on the implementation of the WPS agenda. The Secretary General is expected to include data and information pertaining to the WPS agenda in the annual report, and to prioritize gender-disaggregated data.
In a nutshell, Resolution 1889:
Calls for accountability, reportage, and the continued monitoring of the implementation of the WPS agenda.
Urges for the participation of women in peace processes, particularly in conflict resolution, post-conflict planing and peacebuilding.
Emphasizes the responsibility of States to protect women and girls in armed conflict, including from sexual violence, and to prosecute perpetrators of violence.
Calls for the inclusions of provisions related to gender equality and women’s empowerment when renewing the mandates of United Nations missions.
Requests that all country reports to the Security Council include information on the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, and their needs in post-conflict situations.
Encourages States to design strategies to address the needs of women and girls during post-conflict situations, including access to education, socio-economic conditions, and gender equality.
Calls for the protection of women and girls in refugee camps and secure humanitarian access.
Requests the Secretary-General to submit a set of indicators to track the implementation of resolution 1325.
Engaging further
Read the resolution here.
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