Examination of the UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security: Theory and Practice

Examination of the UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security: Theory and Practice

Yakubu Funom Rapha, Prof Olabisi Aina

Centre for Gender, Humanitarian and Development Studies, Redeemers University, Ede, Osun Stat e, Nigeria.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2024.11110029

Received: 22 October 2024; Accepted: 03 November 2024; Published: 04 December 2024

ABSTRACT

This paper provides an in-depth review of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), from the landmark UNSCR 1325 in 2000 to the UNSCR 2493 in 2019. By analysing key components and contrasting the principal asks of these resolutions, the paper aims to assess how they have shaped regional and national discussions on women’s role in peace and security. It critically examines the African and Nigerian contexts, where the impact of violent conflict on women and their participation in peace processes is especially pronounced. The study draws upon a systemic review of existing literature to underscore the disproportionate negative effect of armed conflict on women and girls while highlighting the often-overlooked role of women as active agents of peace. Ultimately, the paper concludes that for United Nations peacekeeping efforts to succeed and for sustained peace to be achieved, the unique insights, experiences, and capacities of women must be acknowledged and incorporated across all levels of peace operations.

Key Words: Women, Peace and Security (WPS), UNSCR, Gender, Conflict, Peacebuilding.

INTRODUCTION

Women’s participation in matters of peace and security is increasingly acknowledged as critical to establishing long-term stability by an ever-expanding body of research. This acknowledgment is a result of the work done by international organisations, national governments, and civil society groups throughout the globe to develop the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, which is now known as such, via the approval of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and other subsequent Resolutions that followed (United States Institute of Peace, 2022).

UNSCR 1325 was enacted as a result of the dedication and foresight of civil society and UN member states to address the policy gap of accounting for women’s contributions to peacebuilding and the long-term effects of war on their lives. Several significant international conferences and policy frameworks that aimed to enhance women’s and girls’ rights were supported before its adoption (United States Institute of Peace, 2022). To advance gender equality worldwide, the United Nations began holding international conferences in 1975.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform, whose main goals emphasised the role of women in promoting peace, was produced in 1995 as a result of the Fourth World Conference on Women. As a result, the Coalition on Women and International Peace and Security was established. It quickly became the primary lobbying group supporting UNSCR 1325 (United States Institute of Peace, 2022). When Namibia presided over the Security Council in 2000, an open session on women, peace, and security was held, which was the Coalition’s goal. The United Nations Security Council recognised the evolving character of warfare during this session, which led to the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. However, although people were increasingly targeted in this kind of warfare, women were still not included in peace negotiations.

Since then, nine additional resolutions on women, peace, and security have been adopted, emphasising the value of women’s leadership and meaningful participation in conflict prevention and resolution. It also addresses the effects of sexual violence, promotes the development and use of measures and standards for monitoring the implementation of women, peace, and security mandates, and promotes training and capacity building (United Nations Peacekeeping, 2022). Furthermore, women’s full, equal, and meaningful engagement in peace processes and political solutions is crucial for successful peacekeeping, as stated in the Secretary General’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) program, which includes a political commitment to execute WPS principles.

Despite these substantial measures, there is still a general lack of acknowledgment of women’s considerable contributions to national and international policy, particularly regarding peacekeeping and their involvement in peace processes. Hence, this paper will examine the United Nations Security Council Resolutions from 2000 to 2019, their impact on women, peace, and security, and tracking the implementation of the resolutions in Nigeria’s National Action Plan.

Purpose of Study and Objectives

The purpose of this study is to critically examine the United Nations Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security to determine the extent to which their key provisions have been implemented across Africa and in Nigeria in particular. The study seeks to assess how these resolutions have influenced the role of women in peace and security discussions and decision-making and how they have shaped gender-responsive approaches to peacekeeping, conflict resolution, and post-conflict peacebuilding.

The study’s objectives are, therefore, to:

1. To review the content and evolution of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions from 2000 to 2019.
2. To analyse the regional and national impacts of these resolutions on women’s participation in peace and security processes.
3. To identify the key components of these resolutions and evaluate their effectiveness in addressing the unique challenges faced by women in conflict zones

Research Questions

To guide this review of the UNSCRs and to provide relevant discussion to the impacts of the resolutions, this paper seeks to answer the following questions:

1. How has the United Nations Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security shaped discussions on women’s roles in peace and security in Africa and Nigeria?
2. What are the key components of these resolutions, and how have they evolved since 2000?
3. How have the provisions of these resolutions been implemented in real-world contexts, and what challenges persist?

METHODOLOGY

This study employs a systematic review methodology, synthesizing existing academic literature, policy documents, and reports to examine the theory and practice of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda through UNSCRs from 2000 to 2019. The systemic review identifies recurring themes, analyses key provisions, and explores their regional and national impacts. The paper further contrasts the objectives set out in these resolutions with their real-world implementation, drawing on case studies to highlight successes, challenges, and gaps. The inclusion criteria for the literature are grounded in relevance to the subject, geographical coverage, and contributions to the discourse on women, peace, and security.

The United Nations Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security

The UN Charter states that the Security Council’s role is to “keep international peace and security.” As a result, the UN body is dedicated only to the organisation’s primary goal. Given that the UN Charter’s second article states that “the Organization is built on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its members,” its mission is also the one that presents the most implementation difficulties (UN Women & POTI, 2021). As a result, conflict may arise between the UN Member States needing to collaborate, including via force, to safeguard global peace and security and State actors’ sovereign rights.
The Security Council is given considerable authority by the UN Charter, which reads in part, “To ensure prompt and effective action by the United Nations, its Members confer on the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility, the Security Council acts on their behalf” (Article 24) (UN Women & POTI, 2021). In other words, the Security Council is in charge of these duties and carries them out as necessary. However, in line with Article 25 of the UN Charter, UN Member States are also required to “accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council in conformity with the present Charter.” Hence, the Security Council makes decisions via resolutions, which the Member States must officially accept and put into effect.

Beyond its initiatives primarily directed at gender problems, other aspects of the UN system have changed in line with the mandate of the Security Council, making room for gender concerns to show up in new situations, especially in relation to international peace and security. The Security Council held several sessions to discuss the obligation to protect civilian populations during times of conflict, for instance, in the wake of the horrifying bloodshed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia in the late 1990s (UN Women & POTI, 2021). As a result, the United Nations Security Council (UNSCR) 1325 (2000) on women, peace, and security was approved to address this situation. The Council unanimously approved UNSCR 1325 (2000) on October 31, 2000, and subsequently approved nine other resolutions on women, peace, and security. The first resolution the Security Council adopted dealt explicitly with how war affects women and girls and how women contribute to conflict resolution and the upkeep of peace and security. This resolution especially stressed the importance of gender mainstreaming in the UN’s armed conflict and security side, although it has been an official UN policy since 1997 (UN Women & POTI, 2021).

 

Source: (Department of Peace Operations, 2020)

Resolution 1325 (2000)

Resolution 1325 of the UN Security Council outlines an eighteen-point agenda for women, peace, and security. It demands that crimes against women be prosecuted, that girls and women be better protected during times of conflict, that more women be appointed to UN field missions and peacekeeping operations, and that more women be included in regional, national, and international decision-making processes (Cohn, Kinsella, & Gibbings, 2004). Furthermore, 1325 defines the steps that should be taken by the Secretary-General, the Security Council, UN agencies, and member states in order to “mainstream gender” into peace and security practices and policies. NGOs first created a draft of the resolution as part of their advocacy work, working closely with many UN Organisations and Missions to provide precise, actionable suggestions that were also amenable to cultural variances and operational flexibility. On October 13th, 2000, the Security Council unanimously approved the resolution.

CSR 1325 is notable because it is the first time the Security Council has spent a whole session discussing women’s experiences in war and post-conflict circumstances (Arino, 2016). It has taken the United Nations fifty-five years to have a thorough discussion on “Women, Peace and Security” in the Security Council, according to Angela King, the Secretary-Special General’s Adviser on Gender and the Advancement of Women. Its passage also serves as a powerful testament to the abilities and efforts of the NGOs that made it possible (Cohn, Kinsella, & Gibbings, 2004).

Resolution 1325 tackles two important issues: the disproportionate effects of violent conflict and war on women and girls and the significant role that women should and currently play in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Every facet of establishing and maintaining peace and stability within a community depends on women’s full participation and commitment. Accordingly, the Resolution calls on all participants to boost the representation of women and include gender considerations in all UN peace and security initiatives (United States Institute of Peace, 2022). In addition, war parties must take extra precautions to shield women and girls from all types of gender-based violence, notably rape and other sexual assaults, which are particularly prevalent during the bloody conflict. Each of its responsibilities fits into one of the four fundamental pillars of UNSCR 1325: participation, protection, prevention, and relief and recovery.

The four fundamental pillars of participation, protection, prevention, and relief and recovery are each tied to a different one of the resolution’s missions. According to the resolution, each pillar is listed below (United Nations Security Council, 2000).

1. Participation: Calls for more women to take part in decision-making at all levels, including in national, regional, and international institutions, as well as in mechanisms for conflict prevention, management, and resolution, peace negotiations, and participation in peace operations as soldiers, police officers, and civilians as well as Special Representatives of the UN Secretary-General.

2. Protection: Calls for protecting women and girls, particularly in emergency and humanitarian settings like refugee camps, against sexual and gender-based abuse.

3. Prevention: Calls for bettering intervention strategies in preventing violence against women, including bringing those accountable for transgressions of international law to justice, bolstering the legal status of women, and supporting local peace initiatives and conflict resolution procedures led by women.

4. Relief and Recovery: Advocates for the advancement of relief and recovery measures to address global crises from a gendered perspective, including by respecting the civilian and humanitarian nature of refugee camps and considering the needs of women and girls when designing refugee camps and settlements (United Nations Security Council, 2000).

Through the creation of government-led National Action Plans (NAP) or other national-level plans, UN Member States have carried out the resolution’s principles since 2005. The UNSCR 1325 is an international commitment to advancing the systematic and long-term inclusion of women and girls in peace and security. This indicates that the Resolution must be implemented by a worldwide effort (United Nations Peacekeeping, 2022). Certain steps have been taken to advance the cause of women in top leadership positions at the UN, notably the Secretary-appointment General of a Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and his pledge to do so.

However, the UN Member States are primarily responsible for implementing UNSCR 1325. This NAP method helps nations determine their priorities and resources, establish their obligations, and commit the government to action (United States Institute of Peace, 2022). These Action Plans are crucial to the global implementation of the resolution. National Action Plans were produced by 86 countries as of October 2020, including the United States, in 2011. Several nations are now working on their national action plans’ second or third iterations. Still, it is the only Security Council resolution whose anniversary is commemorated by a growing group of supporters and practitioners.

Resolution 1820 (2008)

Sexual assault in conditions of armed conflict became one of the major topics on the table when UNSCR 1820 was enacted in 2008. A war crime, a crime against humanity, or even an act of genocide might be committed using sexual assault, which is mentioned in the resolution as a weapon and technique. In addition to calling for more women to be deployed in peacekeeping missions, it also urges that the armed forces be taught about sexual assault prevention and response (Arino, 2016).

It emphasises that sexual violence, when used or ordered as a war tactic to target civilians deliberately or as part of a widespread or systematic attack against civilian populations, can significantly exacerbate armed conflict and may obstruct the restoration of international peace and security. In this regard, it affirms that effective measures to prevent and respond to such acts of sexual violence can significantly contribute to maintaining international peace and security (United Nations Security Council, 2008).

In addition, it demands that all parties to the armed conflict stop all sexual assaults against civilians wholly and immediately. It also demands that all parties to an armed conflict take prompt action to protect civilians, especially women and girls, from all forms of sexual assault (United Nations Security Council, 2008). This action could include, among other things, enforcing appropriate military disciplinary measures, upholding the principle of command responsibility, and providing appropriate training.

The resolution also requests that the Secretary-General and pertinent United Nations agencies, among other things, develop efficient mechanisms for protecting women and girls from violence, particularly sexual violence, in and around UN-managed refugee and internally displaced person camps, as well as in all disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration processes, and in justice and human rights systems.

It emphasises, among other things, the crucial role the Peacebuilding Commission can play by ensuring consultation with and effective representation of women’s civil society in its country-specific configurations as part of its broader approach to gender issues. It also emphasises ways to address sexual violence committed during and after armed conflict in its advice and recommendations for post-conflict peacebuilding strategies (United Nations Security Council, 2008).

Resolutions 1888 and 1889 (2009)

The resolution 1820 was followed by UNSCR 1888 (2009), which established the position of Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and called for a team of experts to deal with the most alarming situations. Next came UNSCR 1889 (2009), which focuses on the participation of women in peace processes and post-war peacebuilding and calls for the development of indicators to evaluate the implementation of UNSCR 132 (Arino, 2016).

The 1888 resolution, for example, requests that the UN Secretary-General appoint a Special Representative to provide effective and strategic leadership, to work effectively to strengthen existing United Nations coordination mechanisms and engage in advocacy efforts with governments, military, judicial representatives, and all parties to armed conflict and civil society, to address, at both headquarters and council meetings, the issues that the 1888 resolution addresses (United Nations Security Council, 2009). It also exhorts States to immediately implement thorough legal and judicial reforms, as necessary, in accordance with international law, to prosecute those who commit sexual violence during armed conflict and ensure that survivors have access to justice, and are treated with respect throughout the legal system, are protected, and are compensated for their suffering.

On the other hand, the 1889 (2009b) resolution calls on the Member States to ensure gender mainstreaming in all post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery processes and sectors. It also calls on the Member States, United Nations agencies, donors, and civil society to ensure that women’s empowerment is considered during post-conflict needs assessments and planning and factored into subsequent funding disbursements and program activities, including by developing transparent analysis and tracking of funds allocated for addressing women’s needs in the post-conflict phase.

Additionally, it urges Member States to specify in detail the needs and priorities of women and girls in post-conflict settings, in consultation with civil society, including women’s organisations, and to develop practical strategies, in accordance with their legal systems, to address these needs and priorities, which include, among other things, support for improved socioeconomic conditions and greater physical security, through education, income-generating activities, and access to essential services (United Nations Security Council, 2009b).

Resolution 1960 (2010)

UNSCR 1960 (2010), which also focuses on sexual violence in armed conflict, establishes a mechanism for the Secretary-General to provide detailed information about those parties to the conflict who are credibly suspected of committing acts of sexual violence and includes sexual violence criteria in sanctions mechanisms (Arino, 2016). It reiterates its intention to consider rape and other forms of sexual violence when adopting or renewing targeted sanctions in armed conflict situations. It also calls on all relevant United Nations missions, including the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict (United Nations Security Council, 2010).

In order to achieve this, it requests that the Secretary-General establish monitoring, analysis, and reporting arrangements on conflict-related sexual violence, including rape in armed conflict and post-conflict situations, and other situations relevant to the implementation of resolution 1888 (2009). This would be done by taking into account the unique characteristics of each country that ensure a coherent and coordinated approach at the field level (United Nations Security Council, 2010). It also encourages the Secretary-General to engage in this issue.

Resolutions 2106 and 2122 (2013)

While Resolution 2106 focuses on the accountability of sexual violence in conflict perpetrators and emphasises women’s political and economic empowerment, Resolution 2122 addresses ongoing implementation gaps in the WPS agenda and positions gender equality and women’s empowerment as essential to international peace and security. It also acknowledges the differential impact of all violations in conflict on women and girls and calls for the consistent application of WPS across the Security Council (United Nations Peacekeeping, 2022).

Resolution 2106 acknowledges the need for more timely, objective, accurate, and reliable information as a foundation for prevention and response and requests the Secretary-General and pertinent United Nations entities to speed up the establishment and implementation of monitoring, analysis, and reporting arrangements on conflict-related sexual violence, including rape in situations of armed conflict and post-conflict as well as other situations relevant to the implementation of resolution (United Nations Security Council, 2013).

Additionally, it requests that the Secretary-General make sure that the need for, the number of, and the roles of Women Protection Advisors (WPAs) are systematically assessed during the planning and review of each United Nations peacekeeping and political mission and that these experts are adequately trained. This is in accordance with Security Council resolution 1888, which calls for the further deployment of WPAs to facilitate the implementation of resolutions on women, peace, and security.

Similar to Resolution 1325 (2000), Resolution 2122 calls on the concerned Member States to create special funding mechanisms to aid in the work of and strengthen the capabilities of organisations that support women’s leadership development and full participation in all levels of decision-making, including by increasing contributions to local civil society (United Nations Security Council, 2013b).

Additionally, it requests the Secretary-General to make gender expertise and gender experts available to all United Nations mediation teams to improve the knowledge of negotiating delegations to peace talks and members of mediation support teams on the gender dimensions of peacebuilding. Additionally, it requests the Secretary-General to support appointing women at senior levels as United Nations mediators and within the composition of United Nations mediation teams.

Resolution 2242 (2015)

This resolution establishes the Security Council’s Informal Experts Group (IEG) on WPS, addresses enduring implementation barriers like funding and institutional reforms, focuses on better integrating the agendas for WPS, counterterrorism, and countering violent extremism, and calls for improved Security Council working procedures on WPS (Arino, 2016).

Additionally, it reiterates its call for the Member States to ensure greater representation of women at all levels of decision-making in national, regional, and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention and resolution of conflict. It encourages those supporting peace processes to facilitate women’s meaningful participation in peace processes (United Nations Security Council, 2015).

It also calls on the Secretary-General and pertinent United Nations bodies, such as the Department for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), the Department for Political Affairs (DPA), and the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), to step up their efforts to incorporate gender perspectives and women’s needs into their work, particularly in relation to the demands made in Resolution 2122 (2013).

Along with the elements outlined in resolution 2122 (2013), it also acknowledges the ongoing need for greater integration of resolution 1325 (2000) in its work in accordance with that resolution (United Nations Security Council, 2015). This includes the need to address challenges related to providing specific information and recommendations on the gender dimensions of situations on the Council’s agenda to inform and help strengthen the Council’s decisions as listed below:

1. States that it intends to call sessions of the appropriate Security Council, facilitating a more systematic approach to Women, Peace and Security within its work and enabling stronger supervision and coordination of implementation initiatives via the participation of experts in an informal experts’ Group on Women, Peace and Security;

2. Makes the decision to include women’s, peace, and security issues in everything expresses its intention to devote periodic Security Council consultations on country situations, as necessary, to the topic of Women, Peace and Security implementation, progress, and challenges. It also reiterates its intention to ensure Security Council missions take gender considerations and women’s rights into account, including through consultative processes.

3. Declares its desire to welcome civil society, particularly women’s organisations. The Under-Secretary-General/Executive Director of UN-Women and the Under-Secretary-General/Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict should brief the Council more frequently on country situations and pertinent thematic areas of work on its agenda, including urgent issues affecting women and girls in conflict and crisis (United Nations Security Council, 2015).

Resolutions 2467 and 2493 (2019)

Resolution 2467 (2019) places the issue of children born of rape at the forefront of the larger conversation about women, peace, and security. It also emphasises justice and accountability efforts, supports and protects women’s civil society organisations, and strongly emphasises conflict-related sexual violence.

The most recent WPS resolution, Resolution 2493 (2019b), on the other hand, urges the Member States to ensure and provide prompt support for the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in all stages of peace processes, including in the mechanisms established to implement those processes. Resolution 2493 also requests that the UN develop context-specific approaches for women’s participation in all peace processes supported by the UN.

It also strongly urges Member States to address threats, harassment, violence, and hate speech directed at civil society members, including formal and informal community women leaders, women peacebuilders, political actors, and those who defend and promote human rights, and to create safe and enabling environments for them to do so in armed conflict.

TRACKING IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION 1325 IN AFRICA

In order to hasten implementation, the Security Council requested in resolution 1889 (2009) that the Secretary-General…

“submit to the Security Council (…) for consideration, a set of indicators for use at the global level to track implementation of its resolution 1325 (2000), which could serve as a common basis for reporting by relevant United Nations entities, other international and regional organisations, and Member States on the implementation of resolution Security Council Resolution 1889 (2009), operative paragraph 17” (UN Women, 2012).

To create a draft set of indicators based on this directive, a process was started in 2009. In its Presidential Statement of October 26, 2010, the Security Council backed using this set of indicators “to utilise as a first framework to monitor implementation” of resolution 1325 (2000). The Security Council requested the Secretary-General to “guarantee that country-specific and related thematic problems reports and briefings” include information on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) “using this set of indicators, if appropriate.” Furthermore, the implementation of resolution 1325 was urged to “take into consideration the set of indicators” by the Member States.

The creation of indicators for women, peace, and security is intended to offer a consistent way to monitor the accomplishment of the goals of Resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions in accordance with the Security Council’s mandate. In response to this requirement, the UN created an interagency task group to rigorously examine and rank the current indicators used to monitor resolution 1325 (2000). Furthermore, this task force started an extensive and inclusive procedure to gather data on indicators used by national governments, other organisations, and the whole UN system (UN Women, 2012).

The interagency task group created a list of indications throughout many stages.

1. Consultations: With Member States, civil society, and other stakeholders, participating United Nations organisations organised a number of meetings and dialogues.

2. Mapping Process: By studying pertinent data and desk research, more than 2,500 indicators on women and peace and security were collated and examined. The 400 groups of these indicators were compiled, and the pillar structure was used to classify them.

3. Technical Fine-tuning: A technical process of fine-tuning the indicators gathered was aided by review by technical experts and United Nations professionals, including the United Nations Statistics Division.

The primary emphasis of the National Action Plans (NAPs) in Africa for the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda has been on two key areas: political decision-making involvement and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (Kezie-Nwoha, 2020). These areas align with the participation and protection pillars outlined in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000). Nevertheless, the resolution fails to address the crucial components pertaining to conflict prevention and humanitarian response in terms of recovery, which are the most impactful features. Inadequate or insufficient monitoring and evaluation frameworks have been a contributing factor to the absence of accountability in the implementation process (Kezie-Nwoha, 2020).

In addition, it is worth noting that several indicators designed to monitor the implementation of Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) frameworks primarily rely on quantitative measures, focusing on numerical data without adequately capturing the qualitative aspects of transformative changes (Prugl, et al., 2019). Moreover, these indicators fail to consider the constraints of peacebuilding strategies employed by international organisations in Africa, which are characterised by excessive frameworks and a narrow emphasis on prevention. The discourse around the necessary conditions for attaining substantial peace for African women and girls has led to a growing acknowledgement of the potential efficacy of using a feminist perspective in peacebuilding efforts. This acknowledgement highlights the possibility that adopting a feminist approach to the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda might catalyse realising transformational peace.

An academic examination of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda through a feminist lens enables a more profound comprehension of the transformative concept of peace and security. It facilitates the evaluation of existing practises embedded within power dynamics and institutional frameworks that neglect to tackle the underlying factors contributing to conflict. Moreover, it facilitates the articulation of strategies that can prevent future conflicts, with a central focus on women’s involvement in peacebuilding efforts.

Feminist scholars, with a specific focus on African feminism, have emphasised the need of addressing militarism and its ongoing effects on women’s human rights and safety in times of both violent conflict and periods often referred to as “peace times” (Porter, 2018). These scholars also examine how militarism influences women’s involvement in various contexts. The ideology of militarism fosters a climate of apprehension and endorses the use of aggression, violence, and military intervention as means of resolving conflicts. Militarism confers advantages to aggressive manifestations of masculinity, resulting in significant implications for the well-being and protection of females (Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, 2019).

Promoting the advancement of movement building efforts focused on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) in Africa would facilitate the coming together of diverse viewpoints held by women, allowing them to collaborate in order to effectively highlight the specific requirements and issues faced by women and girls impacted by conflict. The case study of the women’s movements in Liberia and South Sudan as highlighted by Kezie-Nwoha (2020) exemplifies the outcomes that arise from women engaging in collective action. In both instances, women actively engaged in transcending religion and ethnic boundaries, collaborating to establish a shared objective and garnering support to effectively exert their influence on the peace process.

Using these established guidelines for development, mapping, and fine-tuning by the UN Interagency Task Group, this paper examines how Nigeria has implemented UNSCR 1325 in its National Action Plan.

Source: (Department of Peace Operations, 2020).

NIGERIA’S NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF UNSCR 1325 ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

Nigeria’s most current National Action Plan (NAP) for 2017-2020 was enacted in 2017. The Nigerian Stability Reconciliation Programme (NSRP), the European Union, and UN Women assisted the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (FMWASD) in the development of the NAP (WILPF , 2022). The NAP’s goals are organised around five main thematic pillars: partnerships, coordination, management, participation and representation, protection and prosecution, crisis management, early recovery, and post-conflict rebuilding. In addition, the strategic goals include related activities, results, indications, target completion times, and lead actors. Nevertheless, a budgetary allocation is absent from the NAP.

A previous NAP, established in 2013 and put into effect from 2013–2017, came before Nigeria’s most current NAP. However, several gaps were found while implementing the first NAP, and this served as one of the impetuses for the plan’s review in order to take into account new issues in Nigeria (such as the exclusion of violent extremism and the limited consideration of post-conflict and reintegration issues) as well as fill in the gaps that had been found (i.e., absence of crisis management and recovery strategies, ambiguous language and inadequate monitoring and evaluation architecture) (WILPF , 2022).

In its national reporting for Beijing+25 and anticipation of CSW64, Nigeria discussed the execution of both its NAP and WPS commitments. In particular, the nation said there had been a little increase in women’s political engagement, regular gender training for security sector agencies, and the inclusion of women in councils of traditional rulers.

For instance, Nigeria recorded the achievements of its first UNSCR 1325 NAP strategies as the following (FMWASD, 2017):

1. Establishing an FMWASD-based WPS project office and a multi-sectoral national steering committee on WPS at the federal level.

2. The Ministry and CSOs formed a coalition known as the Legislative Advocacy Coalition on Violence Against Women (LACVAW) to promote laws and regulations essential to implementing UNSCR1325 and the NAP.

3. Establishing gender desks at particular police stations in each of the six (6) Geo-political Zones and developing a gender policy tailored to the Nigeria Police sector.

4. The development of an M&E framework to improve monitoring of the NAP implementation’s progress

5. The 2015 passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill created the VAPP Act (2015).

6. The existence of partner-supported projects and initiatives, such as the I Nigeria Stability Reconciliation Programme funded by the UK Department for International Development, and (ii) “Promoting Women’s Engagement in Peace and Security in Northern Nigeria” funded by the European Union and implemented by UN Women (NSRP).

7. Domestication of the NAP, presence of two Local Action Plans (LAPs) at the local government level and five State Action Plans (SAPs) and evaluation of peace architecture in various states

8. The passage of Gender Equal Opportunity legislation in Plateau State and the NASS’s examination of a draft GEO bill.

9. The creation of many youth and women’s peace networks and the signing of a peace agreement in Plateau State

10. The Nigerian military has adopted gender-responsive policies, including the acceptance of female cadets into the prestigious Nigerian Defense Academy and the revision of the curriculum of the Nigerian Army Peace-Keeping Center to reflect gender equality.

11. Major stakeholders, including COs, have conducted studies and collected data on WPS.

12. The commemoration of UNSCR 1325’s 15th anniversary in order to raise public awareness, improve and expedite the NAP’s implementation, and take into account new peace and security challenges

13. The construction of the NAP media network as well as the formation and induction of lead mentors and peace ambassadors in each of the 36 States to promote WPS at the state and local levels

14. Recurrent meetings of the NAP Steering Committee on WPS at the national level. Training on Monitoring, Tracking, and Reporting of UNSCR1325 Implementation for FMWASD and SWA Ministry Staff, Security Agencies, and Personnel.

15. National lobbying on behalf of the Minister of Women’s Affairs to State Governors on domesticating the VAPP and WPS-related laws and policies.

Since then, Nigeria has continued to draft our strategies built on the four pillars – participation, prevention, protection, relief, and recovery – of the UNSCR 1325 and its nine subsequent resolutions discussed above to ensure the continued interconnectedness between women, peace, and security.

CONCLUSION

It is common knowledge that violent conflict disproportionately negatively impacts women and girls and exacerbates gender inequality and discrimination that already existed before the war. Women are also active agents of peace in armed conflict, yet, their position as significant participants and change agents of peace has been largely overlooked thus far. Women are active agents of peace in armed conflict. Hence, it is essential, both for the success of United Nations peacekeeping efforts and for maintaining peace, to acknowledge and incorporate the unique insights, experiences, and capacities that women bring to all elements of UN peace operations.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Following an examination of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions, this paper thus presents the following recommendations that would ensure the proper implementation of its frameworks.

1. Those who mediate peace processes and those who manage United Nations field operations have a responsibility to be proactive with respect to the engagement of women. The presence of women is what makes peace durable.

2. The localisation of peacebuilding programs must include the involvement of women at every level and be complemented by comprehensive security measures to safeguard women and girls in the aftermath of conflict.

3. One of the most significant things that can be done to combat extremism is to provide financial support to female peacebuilders and respect their agency.

4. Fifteen percent of the total budget for maintaining peace and security should be set aside to support programs that affect women.

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