OSCE, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 40: Invitation til Helsinki +50 seminar - "Enhancing the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 across the OSCE Region: Parliamentarians' Contribution to Women, Peace, and Security"

OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling 2020-21
OSCE Alm.del Bilag 40
Offentligt

Enhancing the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 across the

OSCE Region: Parliamentarians’ Contribution to Women,

Peace and Security

Call for Action

–

Helsinki +50 Process

Wednesday, 8 September 2021, 14:30

–

17:00 CEST, online

CONCEPT NOTE

2020 marked the 20

anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, a

milestone resolution which recognizes

women’s participation as central to conflict prevention,

management and resolution. The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda showcases the

fundamental role of women in conflict resolution while concentrating on the link between

gender inequality and conflict, as well as on its impact on women and girls. Throughout the

past 2 decades, the UN Security Council adopted 10 resolutions

aimed at fostering the

universal recognition of women’s rights as human rights,

while underlining the importance of

full and equal participation of women in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding

processes with a view to ensuring long-lasting and sustainable peace.

Τhe

COVID-19 pandemic

has served to exemplify the indispensable role of women in preventing and responding to

persisting and new security threats and brought to light the disproportionate impact of such

threats on women and girls.

Despite the WPS agenda providing the international community with an extensive and valuable

acquis, progress on its implementation has been met with significant challenges and setbacks.

According to a 2019 independent assessment commissioned by UN Women, only 50 % of the

gender-related

recommendations from the UN’s

Peace and Security Reviews have been

implemented and 10 % had either regressed or remained stagnant

. As of November 2020, 92

(47%) UN Member States and territories had adopted at least one NAP on WPS

In September 2020, UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, reiterated his call on advancing

the WPS agenda under five key recommendations, namely: enhancing

women’s equal and

meaningful participation in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts, placing

women’s

human rights at the forefront, encouraging greater investment in the social

infrastructure and services that buttress human security , initiating a gender data revolution on

WPS that reaches the general public and ensuring a universal compliance with a 15 % minimum

In total, the UN Security Council has adopted 10 resolutions under the WPS agenda:

SCR 1325 (2000), 1820

(2008), SCR 1888 (2009), SCR 1889 (2009), SCR 1960 (2010), SCR 2106 (2013), SCR 2122 (2013), SCR 2242

(2015), SCR 2467 (2019) and 2493 (2019).

UNDP,

An important milestone for women, peace and security,

Asako Okai, November 10, 2020

UN Women, Independent Evaluation and Audit Services (IEAS),

TRANSFORM magazine,

Issue 21/June 2021

OSCE, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 40: Invitation til Helsinki +50 seminar - "Enhancing the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 across the OSCE Region: Parliamentarians' Contribution to Women, Peace, and Security"

of all official development assistance to conflict-affected countries being dedicated to

advancing gender equality

The OSCE has committed itself to support the implementation of the WPS and Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs) agendas across its 57 participating States. Its commitment has been

outlined in its 2004 Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality, in which encouraging

women’s participation in conflict

prevention, crisis management and post-conflict

rehabilitation is enlisted as a priority. The OSCE has early affirmed the link between security

and sustainable development with the signing of the Helsinki Final Act in 1975. The

Organization’s

comprehensive approach to security rests on the recognition that conflicts may

arise not only from political and military threats but also from economic tensions,

environmental degradation, social insecurity and violations of individual’s rights, all relevant

for the achievement of the SDGs.

In the context of the 50

Anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act in 2025 (H+50), the OSCE PA

has offered its contribution through its

Call for Action

–

Helsinki +50 initiative

to revive

political interest in the OSCE by participating States and enhance the effectiveness of the

Organization. With a view towards further implementing UNSCR 1325, and in line with its

targeted acquis on WPS

, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is hosting this event to discuss

how political leaders and parliamentarians across the OSCE region can further the WPS agenda

and how to reflect any relevant recommendations by the Parliamentary Assembly in the

Helsinki+50 context. The event will be part of the Parliamentary Assembly's efforts to bring

added value to advancing multilateralism and promoting lasting and sustainable peace within

the OSCE region.

Invited speakers and participants will have an opportunity to exchange their views and valuable

insight on the role of national parliaments and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in,

inter alia,

ensuring the full and meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention and resolution,

protecting women and girls from gender-based violence in armed conflict as well as advancing

broader gender equality throughout all phases of the conflict cycle. The participants will

deliberate on the added value the parliamentarians bring to the implementation of the WPS not

only in their functions of law-making and oversight, but also

in their capacity as people’s

elected representatives that can use their platforms to generate political interest and mobilize

action with regard to this topic.

TARGET AUDIENCE

- OSCE PA Members

- Representatives of relevant OSCE executive structures

- Interested signatories of the OSCE Call for Action

UN Security Council,

Report of the Secretary General,

p.36-37, September 25, 2020

The Assembly’s

focus on WPS has been continuous. In its most recent

2019 Luxembourg Declaration

the PA

focused on the role of parliaments in advancing sustainable development to promote security. The OSCE PA called

for

“the

full implementation of the OSCE’s 2004 Action Plan on the Promotion of Gender Equality and UNSCR

1325 and associated Resolutions, and urged OSCE participating States to identify priorities, allocate necessary

resources and commit to government action to promote the meaningful participation in the settlement of

international disputes and post-conflict peacebuilding of a broad range of women with diverse life experiences,

including racialized women, women with disabilities and low-income women”.

AGENDA

14:30

–

14:45 Welcoming remarks

Ms. Margareta Cederfelt,

OSCE PA President

Mr. Roberto Montella,

OSCE PA Secretary General

14:45

–

15:45 Panel Discussion

Panellists:

H.E. Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov,

OSCE High Commissioner on National

Minorities

Hon. Hedy Fry,

OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues, Head of the

Canadian Delegation to the OSCE PA

H.E. Ambassador Neil Bush,

Head of the UK Delegation to the OSCE, Chair of the

OSCE MenEngage Network

H.E. Ambassador Tuula Yrjölä,

Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre

and Deputy Head of the OSCE Secretariat

Ms. Kari Henriksen,

OSCE PA Special Representative on South Caucasus

15:45

–

16:45 Debate

16:45

–

17:00 Concluding remarks

H.E. Ambassador Lamberto Zannier,

OSCE PA High-Level Expert

MODALITIES

Time:

14:30-17:00 (CEST)

Date:

Wednesday, 8 September 2021

Language:

English-Russian interpretation will be provided through the remote simultaneous

interpretation platform “Interprefy”.

Technology:

The event will be held through the WebEx video-conferencing platform.

Registration:

Please click

here

and fill out the form by

Tuesday 7 September 17:00 CEST.

Contact Ms. Aidyn Kaiyrbekova at

[email protected]

or +43 676 720 99 07 for

any issues related to registration.