Participation-Protection-Prevention: The quest for sustainable peace beyond the 20th anniversary of UNSCR1325 

Canberra, 18 February 2020

The WPS agenda must make Prevention a Priority says Radhika Coomaraswamy in her  keynote address on Women, Peace and Security which set the tone for the 2020 Australasian Aid Conference in Canberra.

Coomaraswamy presented a perspective from a range of experiences including as a former UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women as well as the author of the 2015 UN Global Study on UNSCR1325.

Looking ahead beyond the 20th anniversary of UNSCR1325 she reminded us of the genesis of the groundbreaking resolution: "....there was a demand on #UNSC to take action; it was a result of the systematic and sustained advocacy by women across the world and at a time when the big powers (at the UN) supported the call"

Looking ahead she suggested the need for a framework that brings together the peace, justice and human rights agendas otherwise we will falter. 

Efforts were needed to adopt achievable practices and not "universal standards" with multi-dimensional approaches and women's participation is key: 

"We must make every effort to make women's presence count and ensure women's interests are met - women at the local level should be the starting point"

The realisation of the goals of UNSCR1325 also must be accountable to women's definitions of peace and security. In 2015 the demands for women in the military was a northern priority and not a recommendation from women interviewed in the global south: "Pushing for women in the military goes against the grain of civil society"

In progressing the WPS agenda she suggested the need to address the realities of child and female ex-combatants. 

The WPS movement needs to ensure the hidden victims of crisis situations - the young men, the elderly and a way to ensure there is clear and swift transition to recovery with practical economic development strategies that shift from the "do good" approach - this requires a peace-development-humanitarian nexus approach. 

Ultimately Prevention must be at the centre of progressing the peace and security agenda using dialogue at all levels - this creates the enabling space including for women in their communities:

"The WPS agenda must capture the localisms, local communities must be engaged in the formulation of strategies.. the WPS agenda must be in the context of Asia (and Pacific) realities - work with local and regional partners"

The WPS agenda needs to listen to women in their communities and not simply apply priorities from different regions.

The WPS agenda must make Prevention a Priority says Radhika Coomaraswamy in her  keynote address on Women, Peace and Security which set the tone for the 2020 Australasian Aid Conference in Canberra.

Coomaraswamy drew from a range of experiences including as a former UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women as well as the author of the 2015 UN Global Study on UNSCR1325.

Prevention must be at the centre of progressing the peace and security agenda using dialogue at all levels - this creates the enabling space including for women in their communities:

"The WPS agenda must capture the localisms, local communities must be engaged in the formulation of strategies.. the WPS agenda must be in the context of Asia (and Pacific) realities - work with local and regional partners" - she shows stressing the WPS agenda needs to listen to women in their communities.

Looking ahead beyond the 20th anniversary of UNSCR1325 she reminded us of the genesis of the groundbreaking resolution: "....there was a demand on #UNSC to take action; it was a result of the systematic and sustained advocacy by women across the world and at a time when the big powers (at the UN) supported the call"

She suggested the need for a framework that brings together the peace, justice and human rights agendas otherwise we will falter. Efforts were needed to adopt achievable practices and not "universal standards" with multi-dimensional approaches and women's participation is key: "We must make every effort to make women's presence count and ensure women's interests are met - women at the local level should be the starting point"

The realisation of the goals of UNSCR1325 also must be accountable to women's definitions of peace and security. In 2015 the demands for women in the military was a northern priority and not a recommendation from women interviewed in the global south: "Pushing for women in the military goes against the grain of civil society"