Invitation til Helsinki +50 seminar - "Enhancing the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 across the OSCE Region: Parliamentarians' Contribution to Women, Peace, and Security"

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OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling
Til:
Dato:
Delegationens medlemmer og stedfortrædere
26. august 2021
Invitation til Helsinki +50 Seminar - "Enhancing the Implementation of
UNSCR 1325 across the OSCE Region: Parliamentarians' Contribution to
Women, Peace, and Security"
Mødet finder
sted:
Online
I perioden: 8. september 2021 kl. 14.30-17.00
Information:
Bemærk: Tilmelding skal ske online senest den 7. september
2021 kl. 17.00
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Kontaktperson: Lokalnr.:
Frist for aflevering: 7. september 2021
Med venlig hilsen
Charlotte Faber
Det Internationale Sekretariat
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 20th
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 resolutions1
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 stagnant2
. As of November 2020, 92
(47%) UN Member States and territories had adopted at least one NAP on WPS3
.
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
1
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).
2
UNDP, An important milestone for women, peace and security, Asako Okai, November 10, 2020
3
UN Women, Independent Evaluation and Audit Services (IEAS), TRANSFORM magazine, Issue 21/June 2021
OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling 2020-21
OSCE Alm.del - Bilag 40
Offentligt
of all official development assistance to conflict-affected countries being dedicated to
advancing gender equality4
.
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 50th
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 WPS5
, 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
4
UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary General, p.36-37, September 25, 2020
5
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 aidyn.kaiyrbekova@oscepa.dk or +43 676 720 99 07 for
any issues related to registration.