OSCE participating States assess progress on women’s involvement in conflict management and sustainable peace

VILNIUS, 20 April 2015 – More than 70 experts from across North America, Europe and Asia are meeting in the Lithuanian capital today for a conference to discuss the implementation of the key UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. The conference is organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), UN Women and the Lithuanian Government.

Adopted in 2000, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 addresses the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women, recognizes the importance of women's equal participation and full involvement in maintaining and promoting peace and security, and the need to enhance protection of women, girls and their rights.

“Fifteen years ago, the UN Security Council sent a powerful message: the impact of armed conflicts on women is a matter of international peace and security,” said the President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė. “It is our responsibility to promote women’s participation in decision-making as it means greater national and international security. This is one of the ways to transform the culture of violence into a culture of peace”.

“Globally, of the 50 existing National Action Plans to implement Resolution 1325, more than half are being put into action by OSCE participating States,” said OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier. “This shows that the OSCE and its participating States have taken the women, peace and security agenda to heart and are aiming to change the way we look at security. Today’s meeting has shown that there is steady progress to ensure that women and girls reap the benefits of a vitalized security concept.”

To mark the 15th anniversary of the adoption of Resolution 1325, the UN Secretary-General has commissioned a Global Study on the implementation at the global, regional and national levels of this key Resolution, highlighting good practice and challenges, as well as emerging trends and priorities.

To contribute to this Study –which will be discussed at the UN High-level Review later this year, today’s meeting in Vilnius assesses progress made in the OSCE’s 57 participating States, a region spanning from Vancouver to Vladivostok. Conclusions from the meeting in Vilnius will be available shortly at www.osce.org/gender. 

“The OSCE’s work with participating States to implement Resolution 1325 is a positive example of the important role that regional organizations can play in ensuring that women play a role in preventing and resolving conflicts,” said Radhika Coomaraswamy, lead author of the Global Study. “Fifteen years after the adoption of Resolution 1325, there is still much work to be done to ensure that women have a seat at the table. We need strong leadership from organizations like the OSCE to show that implementation of Resolution 1325 is possible, and has benefits for peace and security in the region and around the world.”

UN Women’s Regional Director Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir, said: “The equal participation of women in decision-making is essential. While achievements have been made, obstacles persist in translating policy commitments into accelerated action. To increase results throughout the women, peace and security agenda, inequalities and multiple forms of exclusion need to be addressed.”

The conference is livestreamed via Chair of Council of Women World Leaders.