Dear Colleagues,
As many of you are aware, in October 2010 Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton committed the United States Government to developing a national action plan on women, peace and security. Inspired by the groundbreaking UN Security Council Resolution 1325 which was passed a decade ago, the United States joins over 25 other countries in creation of a policy that focuses on women, peace and security throughout the U.S. Government.
In anticipation of the U.S. National Action Plan (U.S. NAP), members of the U.S. Civil Society Working Group on Women, Peace and Security are delighted to share our expert statement and recommendations for the upcoming U.S. NAP, in the hope that it informs and influences our Government and other partners on the way forward.
The statement is one outcome of our Working Group, which has met over the past year, and sought to engage US Government entities in support of turning declaratory policy into action. Our statement provides a brief overview of UNSCR 1325 and outlines a set of fundamental recommended actions that could ensure the U.S.’s leadership in realizing the word and spirit of the resolution. We believe that these actions undertaken systematically could ensure effective outcomes that bring peace, security and dignity to the lives of women and men in conflict and crisis settings. The statement also debunks 10 myths and misconceptions about women, peace and security.
We see tremendous opportunity in the forthcoming U.S. NAP and the collective momentum around this agenda. As a critical next step, the Working Group will convene a civil society town hall meeting in January 2012 to discuss the specific elements of the U.S. NAP (proposed launch is mid-December), effective means of implementation, and ways that civil society actors can play a vital role in supporting this agenda. A more detailed invitation and agenda will be forthcoming.
In the meantime, please share this widely with other civil society actors. For those organizations interested in becoming involved, please contact the convener of the US Civil Society Working group at gender@usip.org
*The US Civil Society Working Group
Organizations engaged in the regular meetings of the group include:
- Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government
- CARE USA
- Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington, Global Gender Initiative
- Futures Without Violence
- International Civil Society Action Network – Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (ICAN-GNWP)
- Peace X Peace
- Refugees International
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute – USA
- The Institute for Inclusive Security
- United Nations Association of the National Capital Area
- Women for Women International
- Women in International Security (WIIS)
- Women‘s Refugee Commission
- 1325 Training Partners
*The U.S. Institute of Peace plays a convening role for the U.S. Civil Society Working Group on Women, Peace and Security
