After nearly two weeks of fighting in northeast Syria, the UN’s humanitarian wing has estimated that around 180,000 have been forced to leave their homes or shelters, including 80,000 children, all in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
After nearly two weeks of fighting in northeast Syria, the UN’s humanitarian wing has estimated that around 180,000 have been forced to leave their homes or shelters, including 80,000 children, all in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
First, thank you to the Permanent Mission of the UAE and the Georgetown Institute for organizing today’s event.
A growing body of research has shown that women’s effective political participation is fundamental to building stronger and more resilient societies.
Indeed, the United Nations has recognized that successful efforts to rebuild from conflict in just and inclusive ways are fundamental to preventing a return to conflict, breaking the cycle of violence, and achieving sustainable peace.
But achieving sustainable peace requires political will, effort and investment.
For its part, the United Nations has undertaken significant institutional reform to bring together its peace and security, sustainable development and human rights work to meet the challenges of sustaining peace.
This includes scaling-up our efforts to promote women’s participation in prevention, peace processes, governance and decision-making.
So, what are the strategies to ensure women’s participation in post-conflict life?
It is for this reason that in UN-facilitated political process for Syria, the UN has been working to ensure women’s direct participation by:
To strengthen our efforts in this regard, a few months ago I issued a new DPPA Women, Peace and Security Policy to ensure women’s meaningful participation and gender-sensitive analysis are integrated into all our work.
In Somalia, the UN Peacebuilding Fund has supported efforts by the federal and regional governments and women’s civil society to integrate gender equality in policy and legal frameworks, including the introduction of a new Gender Policy. Meanwhile, Iraq was the first country in the Middle East to adopt a National Action Plan on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, and has also adopted an implementation plan on preventing and responding to conflict related sexual violence.
The UN has supported women’s electoral participation in many countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Somalia. This includes by assisting national efforts to develop or reform electoral laws to provide better chances for women to participate in public life; and providing technical advice on temporary special measures, such as quotas in electoral laws, as well as voter registration, electoral security, awareness raising and voter sensitization. In Somalia, such efforts saw an increase in women’s representation in parliament from 14 percent in 2012 to 24 percent in 2016.
In Liberia, where women were at the forefront of peace efforts to end the civil war, the Peacebuilding Fund has established multi-stakeholder platforms to enable local communities – including women – to engage with companies and government representatives, empowering women to exercise greater voice in demanding their rights.
In Iraq, the UN Assistance Mission earlier this year established the Women’s Advisory Group on Reconciliation and Politics to enable women leaders to act as a source of independent expertise and advice. The Women’s Advisory Group has the potential to greatly contribute to the gender-inclusive rebuilding by allowing women leaders, the international community, political actors, the legislature and civil society to engage in dialogue, identify entry points, and advocate for measures to enable the meaningful participation of women in decision-making processes in Iraq.
In Sudan, where women played a prominent role in protests leading to the ouster of the former President, the new transitional government has committed to enhancing women’s participation and included two women on the 11-member Sovereign Council, four women Ministers in the new Cabinet [out of 18], among them Asmaa Abdallah, Sudan’s first woman Foreign Minister, and just last week swore in Sudan’s first woman Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It has also promised to ensure a minimum of 40 percent women’s representation in the Legislative Council. The UN has committed to supporting the transitional Government in these efforts.
In Liberia, the PBF has supported 12 women-led peace huts as local dispute resolution venues and rehabilitation efforts for marginalized youth in Monrovia improving young women and men’s access to agricultural employment in conflict-prone rural counties. It has also funded women filmmakers to document the role of women in the Liberia peace process, which will help to share lessons learned with women all over world.
Since 2015, the UN’s Peacebuilding Fund has exceeded the Secretary-General’s 15 percent target for gender-responsive peacebuilding, and the PBF’s own target of 30 percent. In 2018, 40 percent of its funding was allocated towards gender equality and women’s empowerment.
DPPA’s new Women, Peace and Security policy also comes with a commitment to provide resources in support of its implementation.
And the new PBF investment plan for 2020-2024 is based on the recognition of the importance of women’s inclusion to sustaining peace and allocates a growing share of the portfolio to the gender dimensions of the SDGs, including support for women’s participation in political, economic and social life.
Of course, many challenges remain.
In Iraq, women’s participation in national-level decision making positions remains limited with no women ministers currently appointed to the federal cabinet.
In Somalia, UN advocacy led to the introduction of a 30 per cent parliamentary quota for women for the 2016/17 election. Twenty-four per cent was achieved – a marked improvement on previous results -- but still short of the quota set.
Meanwhile, in Sudan, long-standing structural discrimination will have to be addressed to durably increase women’s participation in political and reconstruction processes. This will take time, support and ongoing advocacy.
Meaningfully improving women’s participation in post-conflict governance and reconstruction requires a long-term and sustained approach. The indispensable role of women must be seen not only as a rights or equality issue, but as a peace and security priority.
The UN is committed to supporting Member States rebuilding their societies and governance and to ensuring that women are afforded their rightful place in shaping national values, ideals and priorities .
A recap of Monday’s main stories: companies ‘failing’ to address offline harm incited by online hate; gender equality ‘precursor’ to sustaining peace; UN rights chief urges ‘immediate dialogue’ to resolve Chile crisis; African migrants would make perilous Europe journey again; Security Council visits South Sudan.
In a visit to South Sudan this past weekend, members of the UN Security Council urged leaders to expedite implementation of a 2018 peace agreement aimed at ending six years of ongoing conflict.
The top UN human rights official is calling for politicians and civil society in Chile to engage in “immediate dialogue” to resolve the deadly crisis which has gripped the nation in recent days.
Tensions around global trade and technology continue to rise and the international community needs to “do everything possible” to prevent the world being split into two competing spheres, led by the United States and China.
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
New YorkMore needed to increase women’s participation in political and electoral processes, DiCarlo tells General Assembly rights panel
Preparing roadmap for 2020 review of UN peacebuilding architecture Security CouncilGriffiths: “Signs of hopes for the people of Yemen” Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, briefed the Council in closed session on the situation in northeast Syria on 15 October, while and Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo briefed on Libya on 16 October and on Resolution 1559 on Lebanon’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence, on 18 October. Both those sessions also took place behind closed doors.
SyriaSpecial Envoy holds talks in Riyadh and Damascus
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ColombiaFormer FARC combatants and their families enjoy professional football match
Truth Commission, UN, and Caritas Colombiana promote social dialogue to strengthen peace process
HaitiNew Special Political Mission starts work in Haiti
NigerPeacebuilding Fund partners visit Niger
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A recap of Friday's main stories: Afghanistan mosque killings condemned by UN chief, Syrian civilians flee violence, thousands affected by flooding in South Sudan, UN migration agency warns of “pervasive” human trafficking in Ukraine, UN expert calls for better education to combat growing anti-Semitism.
A recap of Friday's main stories: Afghanistan mosque killings condemned by UN chief, Syrian civilians flee violence, thousands affected by flooding in South Sudan, UN migration agency warns of “pervasive” human trafficking in Ukraine, UN expert calls for better education to combat growing anti-Semitism.
Authorities in Egypt are being urged by the UN human rights office, OHCHR, to immediately release scores of citizens who have been arrested in connection with recent anti-government demonstrations in several cities.
Shelling and clashes in northern Syria on the border with Turkey continue to cause hundreds of people to flee, the UN said on Friday, despite a cessation of hostilities deal between Turkish forces and Syrian-backed Kurdish military.
In the light of on-going instability across Haiti and this week’s transition away from fully-fledged peacekeeping operations, the UN chief on Thursday promised “the continuous commitment” of the Organization “to support the Haitian people on their path to peace and development”.
Despite major political developments at a national level, which have led to the establishment of a civilian-led government, the security situation in the Darfur region of Sudan remains unstable, UN peace chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed the Security Council on Thursday.
A recap of Thursday’s stories: Hope rises as violence abates in Yemen; TB infections slowdown but not fast enough; civilian casualties in Afghanistan hit record level; thousands paint picture of sustainable development in Paris; labour research finds strategies to tackle poverty.
There are “small signs” of hope for Yemeni civilians caught up in fighting, following a reduction in violence, coupled with a 20 per cent increase in funding for the UN’s humanitarian response, the Security Council heard on Thursday.
There are “small signs” of hope for Yemeni civilians caught up in fighting, following a reduction in violence, coupled with a 20 per cent increase in funding for the UN’s humanitarian response, the Security Council heard on Thursday.
Afghanistan has seen record-high levels of civilian casualties in the third quarter of 2019, stemming mainly from the violence between rival political party supporters, the UN Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMA) revealed in a report published Thursday, which concluded that more must be done to protect the country’s people.
TRIPOLI/TUNIS, 16 October 2019 – The Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are marking World Food Day with initiatives to strengthen and support Libya’s efforts to realise the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030.
“Both WFP and FAO are working with communities and the Libyan government on projects that bolster food security...
UN Statement as delivered by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNOAU, Ms. Hanna Tetteh at the African Union Peace and Security Council Meeting on the Situation in South Sudan.
Eighty-five people were killed and another 373 injured during attacks related to the recent presidential election in Afghanistan, a report by the UN Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA, reveals.
A recap of Tuesday’s stories: Millions of children undernourished and overweight says landmark report; Security Council marks transition after 15 years of ‘blue helmets’ in Haiti; violence continues ‘on both sides’ of Syria-Turkey border; UN human rights office raises concerns over deportation of Haitian migrants from the Bahamas; UN migration agency helps migrants in Algeria return to Niger; rural women celebrated on International Day.
Although 15 years of UN peacekeeping in Haiti has drawn to a close, the Organization’s commitment to strengthening and stabilizing the country, will continue, the Security Council heard on Tuesday.
Amid ongoing fighting in northern Syria and disturbing reports that extrajudicial killings have been streamed online, the United Nations and their partners are continuing to deliver humanitarian supplies to tens of thousands of people displaced by the violence, UN agencies stressed on Tuesday.
A recap of Monday’s stories: UNICEF estimates some 70,000 children have been newly displaced in northeast Syria; UN chief sounds alarm on threat of ISIL amid fighting in Syria; Secretary-General welcomes start of Ecuador peace dialogue; Deadly Libya attacks 'blatant violation' of human rights; Food agencies reveal scale of global food waste problem.
The ongoing Turkish military incursion in northeast Syria could unintentionally lead to the release of scores of people associated with the terrorist group ISIL, the UN Secretary-General fears.
Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates,
I have the honour to introduce on behalf of the Secretary-General the report on strengthening the role of the United Nations in enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine elections and the promotion of democratization (A/74/785). In line with General Assembly resolution 72/164 of 19 December 2017, the report discusses developments in the field of elections and provides an update on the UN’s provision of electoral assistance to Member States.
I am pleased to report that during the last two years, the United Nations has assisted, at their request or on the basis of a Security Council mandate, some 55 Member States in conducting elections. While the nature of the requests has varied, our support is mainly provided in the form of technical assistance or the strengthening of the capacity of national electoral authorities.
Our response to Member States is a system-wide endeavour, which includes the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the Department of Peace Operations, the UN Missions on the ground, the Country Teams, the United Nations Development Programme, as well as other UN partners, among them: the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; UN Women; UNESCO; and UNOPS.
Let me highlight a few elements of the report.
As the General Assembly designated UN system-wide focal point for electoral assistance, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs is responsible for ensuring system-wide coordination and coherence with the partners I mentioned earlier. Over the past two years we have continued to make progress in ensuring that United Nations electoral assistance delivers as one. We have, for example, continued to expand the system-wide internal policy framework.
Beyond the UN system, I am also pleased to report progress made in strengthening our collaboration with regional organizations. We designed and implemented a number of activities in collaboration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the League of Arab States (LAS), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This included staff exchange programmes with some of these organizations. We have also engaged in new partnership activities with the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC).
I reaffirm our commitment to continue our strong regional cooperation, which offers a platform to facilitate actions in the electoral field by United Nations and non-United Nations partners.
During the reporting period, elections continued to be compelling and effective ways for citizens to participate in their countries’ political processes. In some case, however, Member States experienced tension or disputes around elections. As noted by the Secretary-General in his report, these experiences have reconfirmed that it is political leaders – from both government and opposition parties – who bear the overriding responsibility for successful elections. Both those who end up winning and those who are defeated face the choice of reaffirming public trust in their country’s political system or undermining belief in its legitimacy. Winning magnanimously entails: recognizing that a part of the electorate preferred another candidate or party; giving appropriate political space to such different views; and refraining from monopolizing a hold on State institutions or harassing opponents. Losing graciously after a credible process involves refraining from broad, potentially provocative comments about an “illegitimate” election without sufficient evidence.
Mr. Chairman
I wish to make few points on the question of women’s political participation and representation. Since 1997 the percentage of women in lower or single houses of parliament worldwide has almost doubled, increasing from 12.4 per cent to 24.3 per cent in 2019.
That is encouraging, but still far short of the gender balance highlighted in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which will be reviewed, at its 25-year mark, in 2020. Clearly, more needs to be done, in both developing and developed countries, to improve the situation. Supporting the efforts of Member States in promoting women’s participation in political and electoral processes therefore remains one of the highest priorities of the Organization.
The violence perpetrated against women in elections is of deep concern. It deprives women of exercising their right to participation and to live a life free from violence; hampers opportunities for their full and equal representation in decision-making; and thereby weakens democratic processes and institutions. We stand ready to support Member States, to understand these forms of violence and develop tools to prevent them.
Mr. Chairman
In his report, the Secretary-General notes that the influence of the Internet and social media in elections has raised complex issues for Member States. The paralyzing suspicion that any information or discourse can be or has been manipulated, leading to the erosion of trust, lies at the heart of the Internet’s challenge to democracy. Furthermore, the spread of hate speech through online platforms can have a damaging impact on an electoral process and be a trigger for violence. The response to these challenges is still evolving, as are opinions on how to best confront them. Member States may wish to focus on building the resilience of their societies to handle potentially false, emotive and incendiary online content, including by promoting critical thinking and digital literacy and supporting professional journalism. Particular attention should be focused on protecting those who are often the target of hate speech, such as women and vulnerable groups.
Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates
I would like to conclude by recalling that the United Nations system stands ready to support Member States, at their request, in facing these and other challenges in conducting their elections. The strength of the system lies in its political impartiality and in the global expertise accumulated over several decades. It also lies in the fact that United Nations assistance is designed to be multipronged, drawing on the expertise of a range of diverse United Nations entities, while maintaining a cohesive, coordinated framework with a global focal point function and a strong focus on integration and delivering as one. These institutional arrangements have proved to be efficient. Furthermore, electoral assistance is designed to complement other UN activities, in particular, those in support of peaceful transitions, democratic governance, the rule of law, human rights and gender equality.
We look forward to working together as we pursue these important goals.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
UN chief António Guterres has strongly condemned Friday’s attack on a mosque in northern Burkina Faso, in a statement released on Saturday.
Amid violent street protests that have rocked Ecuador’s Government, fomenting a political crisis, the UN Secretary-General has voiced his concern, saying the Organization is standing by to help mediate if politicians can agree to sit down for talks.
This Week in DPPA aims to keep you abreast of political and peacebuilding events at UNHQ and the field.
DPPA Chief in Middle EastUnder-Secretary-General DiCarlo visits Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, visited the Middle East from 5 to 11 October to discuss current efforts by UN Missions, agencies, funds and programmes in the region with key counterparts and partners. She met with government official and civil society organizations in Israel and Palestine and visited the Office of the Special Coordinator for the Security CouncilGuterres: “Prevention brings enormous rewards”
The same day, the Council held consultations on northern Syria following the latest developments in the region. Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari briefed the Council in closed session. The Council also discussed the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS).
New YorkFirst high-level political consultations between DPPA and GCC Peacebuilding Commission contributing to World Bank Strategy
AfghanistanAfghanistan’s Youth Representative to the United Nations selected
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Central AsiaFirst UNRCCA Preventive Diplomacy Academy held in Kazakhstan
Papua New GuineaPeacebuilding and sustaining peace in Papua New Guinea
Guinea-BissauJoint mission to secure Presidential election in Guinea-Bissau
LesothoSupport to national dialogue in Lesotho SomaliaInsecurity among the pressing challenges of business women
The GambiaIbn Chambas expresses support to The Gambia during three-day visit
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Airstrikes and a ground offensive by Turkey in northern Syria against Kurdish forces have left civilians dead and forced tens of thousands to flee, UN agencies said on Friday, amid fears of another “humanitarian catastrophe” in the war-torn country.
The winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize has been praised by the UN Secretary-General for creating a pathway to stability in the Horn of Africa region.
