Politisk rådgiver Marit Berger

Trening og opplæring av norsk personell for internasjonale oppdrag – Hvorfor er kjønnsperspektivet relevant?

NUPI, 28. september 2005

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Dear participants,

Armed conflict prevent millions of people from living their lives in safety and in dignity. The humanitarian and developmental consequences of conflict are the bleak reality for women and men, girls and boys in many regions of the world.  Only stable and lasting peace can bring hope of a brighter future. Over the years, many peace efforts – military and non-military, have been tried. Some have led to peace, many not so. The international political and operational framework for action has often been the UN. This has been complemented with regional efforts, such as the African Union, as well as assistance from international organisations such as NATO.  Non-military elements of conflict resolution have been increasingly acknowledged and applied.  The UN Summit earlier this month established a UN Peace Building Commission.  The idea behind establishing such a Commission builds on a broader understanding of conflict, reasons for conflict, conflict resolution and peace building.

A continuous challenge is how the international community should take on its responsibility to assist in conflict resolution. New approaches are needed. The UN integrated mission concept is one example. The experience with integrated missions is mixed, and the designs of such missions need to be reviewed. There are examples of humanitarian action being hampered, rather than supported, in such missions. At the same time the military part of the mission may have been successful in the sense that armed conflict ceased. But that is not enough. Lasting and stable peace demands a more comprehensive approach. Stakeholder participation must be ensured.

This environment of changing views and a more developed understanding of conflict and conflict resolution gives us the opportunity to recycle proposals that were not really taken into account before.  Today’s seminar is about such a proposal: the gender perspective of peace and security, and women’s participation in shaping their own future and the future of the society the live in.

After many years of seminars, conferences, guidelines and manuals on the gender perspective and women’s participation we finally see a will to take the matter seriously by those who decide, be it at the UN or elsewhere. We want action and we should get it. UNIFEM has named their booklet on women, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration ”Doing it right – getting it right”.  I think that is also a fitting motto for your workshop today.

Dear participants,

Today you will hear a lot about Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the key framework for action. There is a will to hold organisations and people responsible and accountable. This applies not only to the UN system, but also to other participants in international peace and peacebuilding efforts.  Governments, including through their military and civilian personnel, as well as non-governmental organisations must follow up Security Council Resolution 1325. Norway has taken several initiatives to follow up the resolution, including in peace processes in the Sudan and Sri Lanka. Norway, with UNIFEM, has supported three important meetings for Sudanese women to assist the peace process. We have also supported specific gender-projects, including in the UN’s Department for peace-keeping operations. We also ask NGOs we support in conflict areas to include the gender aspect in their humanitarian projects. In Norway’s statement in the General Debate in the UN’s General Assembly last week, we also called for a specific focus on the role and needs of women in the establishment of the Peace Commission.

There is broad political agreement in Norway that it is key to integrate the gender perspective into our activities supporting conflict resolution and sustainable peace. This is, of course, a political and moral necessity, but also a matter of making our efforts effective and efficient.

Before I close I would like to thank NUPI and its staff for organising this seminar. I am certain you will have useful and concrete discussions.  Good luck ”Doing it right – getting it right”!

Thank you