Title: NGO Briefing at the United Nations
Location: United Nations, NY, NY
Description: Women in Peacekeeping: the Power to Empower
In Observance of International Day of Peacekeepers
(29 May 2009)
on
28 May 2009
10:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
in
Venue: to be confirmed
Background Information:
The first UN Peacekeeping Mission was established in 1948, when the Security Council authorized the deployment of UN military observers to the Middle East to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours. Since then, there have been a total of 63 UN peacekeeping operations around the world, overseen by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). Some 110,000 men and women currently serve in 16 peacekeeping operations around the world. On 24 February 2003 the General Assembly approved a resolution establishing the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers which would pay tribute to the peacekeepers “who served and continue to serve in peace keeping operations. This year’s observance focuses on the role of Women in the peacekeeping process. The 1990’s saw a marked increase in conflicts across Africa, Asia and the former Soviet Union. These conflicts had a distinct impact on women, who while perhaps not engaged in the conflict itself, were sometimes left solely responsible for rebuilding their communities. On 27 October 2000, the Security Council adopted resolution 1325, addressing for the first time the fact that women bear an enormous burden in armed conflicts, and should therefore have an equal role in contributing to their prevention and resolution. The adoption of resolution 1325 was followed by an increase in the participation of women deployed by the Secretariat to work in peacekeeping operations. However, women still make up less than three percent of the ‘uniformed components of UN peacekeeping operations’ contributed by Member States, including eight percent of the 10,000 police officers and 2 percent of the 80,000 military personnel. Over the years, peacekeeping missions have evolved to meet the demands of large scale and multi-dimensional conflicts, such as those in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Sudan. This week’s briefing examines the role of women and the increasingly complex peacekeeping challenges they face maintaining peace on the ground in these countries.
Moderator:
Maria-Luisa Chávez; Chief, NGO Relations, Department of Public Information (DPI)
Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2009-05-28
End Time: 12:00
