Women's Dialogue on the Effective Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 at the Regional Level
From 21 – 24 June 2016, the Austrian Center for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution held a Women's Dialogue on the effective implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 at the regional level (Austria, Schleining). The women’s dialogue evolved from a bilateral dialogue to a regional one.
The common goal of the women's dialogue is to create a regional women's platform for more effective and purposeful application of the provisions of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions, as well as national action plans on these resolutions in the whole region of Eastern Europe. The second objective is to increase women's participation in the resolution of local conflicts and regional peace negotiations through their willingness to help control local mechanisms designed to create conditions for the implementation of the provisions of resolution 1325.
The proposed regional Platform for Women's Dialogue on Resolution 1325 is designed as an initiative of civil society, involving representatives of women's, religious and community organizations. One of the expected results of this round of dialogue, conducted with a broader regional representation, will be the opportunity to obtain a practical assessment of the overall local risks felt in the region.
Objective 1: The main task of the regional women's platform is to raise awareness in the region about UNSCR 1325 and to develop, test and implement a reproducible training model to inform about UNSCR 1325 and its application.
Objective 2: The second task is to increase women's participation in local conflict resolution and regional peace negotiations through their willingness to help control local mechanisms that should create conditions for the implementation of resolution 1325.
Expected results:
- The dialogue process will prepare an analysis of the gender aspects of the conflict, provide a definition of security from a gender perspective and create a regional platform under the leadership of women for continuous efforts to ensure peace and security in the region. It will contribute to strengthening the women's movement in the region and slowly abolish threats to the democratic prospects of the region.
- Raising awareness and understanding of the practical application of UNSCR 1325 at the local level. The proposed program of the second meeting of the dialogue directly addresses the issue of the mandate for "localizing" activism on UNSCR 1325: these efforts will contribute to the preparation of a plan for the implementation of the resolution in practice
- Expand partnerships and cooperation between women's organizations that work on peace and security issues in the region, which will improve opportunities for information sharing and joint action through a regional platform for the implementation of resolution 1325. These activities will facilitate the direct participation of women in mediation, conflict and reconciliation. They will support the development of common strategies and plans, as well as the creation of an information bridge to improve the level of communication and understanding of the realities of the region and specific countries.
In total, 20 women from NGO representatives, women's community and community organizations, academia, activists and experts in the field of human rights protection and women's rights from such countries as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, The Russian Federation, Moldova, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan (from the NGO "Sana Sezim" participated - Shahlo Yusupzhanova, social worker). The moderator of the meeting was a specialist in the field of conflict resolution.