Gender equality and women’s rights are fundamental to global progress on peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. We can only re-establish trust in institutions, rebuild global solidarity and reap the benefits of diverse perspectives by challenging historic injustices and promoting the rights and dignity of all.

Read the story on: https://medium.com/unpeacekeeping/gender-equality-and-womens-rights-are-fundamental-to-global-progress-on-peace-and-security-a991757942dc

Women are rarely given centre stage in the political arena of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Gender specialists within the country’s UN peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO) calculated that women typically receive less than 10% of all air time. In an attempt to carve out a space for women’s equal political participation, MONUSCO’s gender affairs team launched an initiative with Radio Okapi that brought Congolese women into the studio and on the air throughout the 2018 national elections. Through this concerted effort, participation of women in two of its most important political programmes increased to more than 50% and reached an astonishing 93% in another of the station’s weekly broadcasts. Listeners were thrilled.

Read the story on: https://medium.com/unpeacekeeping/uns-radio-okapi-sets-gender-equality-standards-for-media-in-dr-congo-9c53f6346bbd 

UN Peacekeeping held an event earlier today on Gender and Peacekeeping to provide an overview of the progress of the implementation of the women, peace and security mandates in peacekeeping operations and to advocate Member States for their continued support, including increasing women’s deployments into peacekeeping operations.UN Peacekeeping has set a target of recruiting 15% of women as military observers and staff officers by the end of the year, and to reach a goal of 20% female police officer deployments by 2020.

“The number of women deployed in peacekeeping remains too low. We still have a long way to go to achieve parity and implement the women, peace, and security mandates,” said Head of UN Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

The meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, was co-chaired by the UK Mission to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations, and the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores del Perú.

Some 8,000 women are currently deployed in our 14 peacekeeping missions across the world, more half of them wearing the police and military uniform. However, as the United Nations strives to reach gender parity by 2030, women represent less than 5% of the total uniformed personnel within our peacekeeping missions. Recruiting and retaining women in the field — including those in uniform — is an operational imperative, says Bintou Keita, Assistant Secretary-General for UN Peacekeeping Operations, in an interview with Medium UN Peacekeeping.

Read the story: https://medium.com/unpeacekeeping/women-in-peacekeeping-an-operational-imperative-24d4e9a86250

A Brazilian peacekeeper serving in the Central African Republic has been selected to receive the United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.

Read the story on: https://medium.com/unpeacekeeping/brazilian-female-peacekeeper-wins-united-nations-military-gender-advocate-of-the-year-award-5905f4399526

From children living in fear of cattle rustlers in South Sudan to families fleeing violent armed groups in the Central African Republic, trafficked small arms are devastating livelihoods and displacing communities.

We are working to save lives & build a safer, more secure world by helping prevent armed conflict & mitigating its impact. On the ground, our peace operations are deepening their support to governments on small arms control.

https://medium.com/unpeacekeeping/building-peace-in-societies-affected-by-small-arms-160c2b9f08e9

Preparing to enter a United Nations Protection of Civilians site for 39,000 displaced people near Juba, South Sudan, Cynthia Anderson, a United Nations Police - UNPOL officer is leading a group of five officers in a surprise search operation: “We are looking in shelters for weapons and ammunitions, military uniforms, as well as home-brewed alcohol, all of which are prohibited,” says Ms. Anderson. “We do this to ensure the civilian nature of the camp, and to keep people safe.”

This is one of the seven Protection of Civilians sites established by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to provide refuge to civilians who fled their homes after the conflict broke out in December 2013. Currently more than 200,000 people live in the camps, which are adjacent to United Nations bases and surrounded by protective fences guarded by military and police officers. Residents are allowed to leave, and with that comes the danger that some may re-enter with prohibited items, such as weapons, and that would have a destabilizing effect.

South Sudanese citizens who have sought shelter to UNMISS Protection of Civilians camps as a result of the conflict, say they feel safer after the searches.

“When the search is conducted by women police officers there’s a higher sense of trust, confidence, and security among people. The majority of the displaced civilians are women and children, and they feel safer to interact with us”, says Ms. Anderson.

The camps are a key element of UNMISS mandate to provide a protective environment for civilians, while the Mission works with the government to create the conditions for people to return to their homes.

Read more here: bit.ly/2vd9fDU

The General Debate of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly comes to an end on Saturday. Comprising 193 Member States, the General Assembly provides a forum for multilateral discussions on wide ranging topics, including related to peace and security.

Important issues related to peacekeeping were among those discussed by Member States at the highest level this year.

At  the margins of the General Assembly, the UN Security Council held a meeting on peacekeeping reforms chaired by Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn of Ethiopia.

Underscoring the importance of peacekeeping as the most effective tools available to the UN in the promotion and maintenance of international peace, the Security Council welcomed the Secretary-General initiatives to reform peacekeeping. Speaking at the meeting, Secretary-General António Guterres said that UN Peacekeeping remains a highly cost-effective instrument, adding that peace operations should be deployed in support, not as substitute, of active diplomatic efforts. Women in peacekeeping has also been a key topic of discussion this year, including at an event on the implementation of the women, peace, and security mandates in peacekeeping operations and to advocate Member States for their support, including increasing women’s deployments into peacekeeping operations.

The Secretary-General also got together world leaders and regional partners to discuss the implementation of the Mali Peace Agreement, boost efforts to address the deteriorating situation in the Central African Republic, and revitalize political efforts to end the conflict in South Sudan at various events last week.

Continuing his efforts to prevent and end sexual exploitation and abuse in the United Nations and support victims, the Secretary-General convened a special meeting to mobilize high-level political support. In his remarks, the Secretary-General announced the establishment of a “Circle of Leadership” as a means for Heads of State and Government to demonstrate resolve.

Learn more about the 72nd General Assembly: bit.ly/JGBH61

Deputy Secretary-General Amina J Mohammed told the UN Security Council today that the nature of today’s challenges requires us to connect all our efforts for peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.

Speaking at a debate on UN peacekeeping’s contribution to sustaining peace and security, Ms. Mohammed said that “implementing the Sustaining Peace Agenda requires an inclusive strategy that supports the diverse range of our missions and takes account of the entire peace continuum, from prevention, conflict resolution and peacekeeping to peacebuilding and long-term development.”

The Deputy Secretary-General noted the “vital role” of the UN Security Council, adding that peacekeeping operations need clear and realistic mandates with well-identified priorities.

Ms. Mohammed also emphasized on improving the review of UN peacekeeping operations, including to ensure a strong human rights and gender focus.

“It is an operational imperative that we recruit and retain female peacekeepers and police, not only because gender parity is essential for its own sake, but because the involvement of women increases the chances of sustained peace and reduces incidences of sexual abuse and exploitation,” she said.

Citing examples of Côte d'Ivoire and soon in Liberia, the Deputy Secretary-General said that one of peacekeeping’s most important contributions to peace is the preparation for a smooth and effective peacekeeping drawdown and handover to the UN Country Team.

Read the Deputy Secretary-General’s full remarks: bit.ly/2xKM56a