Fifteen years of the UN resolution on women, peace and security – Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter calls for further efforts

Fifteen years ago, the UN Security Council clearly signalled its support for women to be more involved in peace processes in adopting Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. Switzerland was one of the first countries to adopt, in 2007, a national action plan to implement this and subsequent resolutions. This plan spans all aspects of Switzerland’s peace policy, humanitarian policy and development cooperation activities, including the Federal Administration’s recruitment policy. Switzerland is also working in about forty conflicts or fragile contexts, notably in North Africa and the African Great Lakes region, where it supports projects designed to empower women economically and politically, reduce gender-based violence and provide psychosocial care for women who are victims of such violence.

Today Wednesday 9 September, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Resolution 1325, Switzerland has reconfirmed its commitment by staging at the Maison de la Paix in Geneva an international conference to bring together the experiences and opinions of both local and international actors. This conference will contribute to the assessment of global implementation of Resolution 1325, which will be carried out at the UN headquarters in New York in October 2015.

In his opening speech, Mr Burkhalter encouraged the members of the international community to focus on one objective, namely to move on from good standards towards good practices. While he highlighted the progress made by the international community over the past 15 years, Mr Burkhalter nonetheless expressed the need for efforts to be redoubled. Lack of security and serious abuses of women’s rights are still causes for extreme concern in many conflicts, and at global level women are still not sufficiently involved in peace and transition processes.

Mr Burkhalter also stated that he believed Resolution 1325 marked a new beginning: it was the first text adopted by the Security Council to integrate the gender perspective into issues of peace and security. Furthermore, the resolution does not perceive women to be victims only; they are also seen as key players in peace and transition processes.

At the international level, Switzerland’s activities in relation to Resolution 1325 involve local psychosocial support, socioeconomic reintegration and legal aid programmes for victims of sexual violence, in particular in the African Great Lakes region. Switzerland is also supporting an initiative for peace and democracy set up by Syrian women. This project unites different women’s networks with the aim of gaining a place at the negotiating table for a political solution to the Syrian crisis. In Myanmar, women have also played a more effective role in the peace process thanks to training delivered by Switzerland’s local institutional partners.

Further information:

Opening Address by Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter
National Action Plan 1325
SDC: Gender equality
"15 Years UN Resolution 1325", Swiss Peace Supporter (June 2015)

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