Category: Localization

Category: Localization

“Our conflicts are not frozen!” – civil society, national and local authorities from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine discuss conflict prevention and Localization of UNSCR 1325

“Our conflicts are not frozen!” – civil society, national and local authorities from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine discuss conflict prevention and Localization of UNSCR 1325

April 8, 2019 by Agnieszka Fal-Dutra Santos
 
Conflicts in Eastern Europe and South Caucasus are often described as “frozen.” However, many of the conflicts in the region have been characterized by low-intensity violence that span more than a decade. Despite the ongoing peace negotiations or settlement efforts, the violence and insecurity continue to affect local populations every day.
 
Between 2017 and 2019, the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) with support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and in partnership with national and local civil society, governments and UN Women country offices implemented the project “Local, National and Regional Strategies to Improve the Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and its supporting resolutions in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.” The project aimed to enhance the implementation of the WPS resolutions in these countries, and to contribute to addressing root causes and the lingering impacts of conflicts. On 21-22 March 2019, GNWP and IDP Women’s Association “Consent”, its implementation partner in Georgia convened civil society, local and national government actors who participated in the project at a Regional Monitoring Conference in Borjomi, Georgia.
 
The Regional Monitoring Conference provided a space for the project participants to reflect on the achievements of the project, remaining challenges, and next steps to ensure sustained and effective implementation of the WPS resolutions in their countries and across the regions.
 
 

What have we achieved?

 
1. Building stronger understanding of UNSCR 1325 at the local level and bringing local voices to the national-level discussions.
 
In total, over 350 local authorities and grassroots civil society groups participated in the Localization workshops in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. For many of them, the workshops were the first time they heard about UNSCR 1325 and the supporting WPS resolutions. Localization helped them understand how the agenda is relevant to their local context. In Lviv and Kherson in Ukraine; as well as Gori and Zugdidi in Georgia, local authorities developed Local Action Plans (LAPs) to implement the WPS resolutions in their local areas.
 
LAPs are critical tools that allow to use WPS effectively to address the local security threats stemming from each local area’s specific situation. For example, Kherson, which borders the Crimea region, which had been annexed by Russia, is a host community for internally displaced people (IDPs). Lviv, on the other hand, is home to many volunteers who fought in the war in the East of the country. As they returned home, a major source of insecurity has been the untreated Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder suffered by veterans.
 
Gori and Zugdidi border the disputed territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. More than 10 years after the end of the war, there are still over 200,000 IDPs in Georgia. Gori and Zugdidi host the highest number of them.
 
The project also enabled local actors, including local women, to voice their security concerns and WPS priorities. “Localization is the most important tool we have to engage local women in discussions about peace and security. For many women from Gagauzia and Tiraspol, the Localization workshop was the first time they were asked about their fears and their views on security” – highlighted Victoria Bucutaru from the Foreign Policy Association, GNWP’s implementation partner from Moldova. For example, during the Localization workshop, an activist from Gagauzia, an autonomous region of Moldova bordering the Transnistrian region, shared the challenges women and human rights defenders face across the administrative line. The local authorities from Gagauzia as well as civil society from both sides of the administrative line identified concrete steps towards addressing these challenges, such as holding workshops to raise awareness about WPS, and the importance of women’s participation in peace and security in the Transnistrian region.
 
2. Improving coordination between government and civil society, and local and national actors.
 
During the project, GNWP and its local civil society partners worked closely with the national and local authorities to build trust and cooperation for stronger UNSCR 1325 implementation.
 
As stated by Marin Bodrug from the Bureau of Reintegration in Moldova, the State institution responsible for NAP monitoring, “the project improved the communication between government and civil society. It helped us develop cooperation in good faith.”
 
In Georgia, the project also contributed to improving the cooperation between local and national level authorities. Sopho Japharidze, Assistant to the Prime Minister of Georgia on Human Rights and Gender Equality recalled that being able to participate in Localization workshops in Gori and Zugdidi allowed her to build a stronger relationship with the local authorities and pass on the message that they should not wait for an approval for the centre to implement – they have the lead on implementation!
 
The strengthened cooperation between local and national actors has had tangible impacts. For example, Localization workshop participants in Zugdidi called raised the need for public transportation from Ganmukhuri to Zugdidi. In response, the Prime Minister’s Office on Human Rights and Gender Equality, discussed the transportation request with relevant stakeholders at the national level, which led to the establishment of a bus that regularly travels local people from Ganmukhuri to Zugdidi.
 
3. Changing the narrative on gender and conflict
 
Localization helped “break taboo that surrounds the concept of gender” in local communities in Armenia – shared Knarik Mkrtchyan, one of the implementers in Armenia. It also helped raise awareness about the human impacts of the conflict.
Partnership with the media was also a central component of the project. 127 journalists and media practitioners participated in training workshops in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, and media strategies on how to report on UNSCR 1325 were produced in all four countries. These have contributed to a more gender-sensitive coverage of conflict and security. In Ukraine a media and WPS prize was launched. This generated more interest from the media to report on peace and conflict issues that highlight women’s roles ad leaders, peacebuilders and change agents.
 

What challenges remain?

 
Building sustainable and inclusive peace is a long-term process. Despite the progress achieved, the Conference participants identified several remaining gaps as well as emerging challenges, including:

– Focus on institutions and policy-making structures in UNSCR 1325 implementation – The “human dimension” – meaning the impact of conflict on lives of the individuals – still remains neglected and is absent from the National Action Plans;

– Lack of data and evidence – especially from the local level. Local Action Plans and National Action Plans should be more strongly based on needs assessments;

– Insufficient funding and technical capacity for implementation, especially at the local level;

– Gender stereotypes, misunderstanding of gender equality and emergence of “anti-gender movements.”

 
What lies ahead?
 
Based on the challenges, the participants identified the following recommendations and priorities for future work on UNSCR 1325 in the region:
 
1. Continue localization of UNSCR 1325: There is a need to further enhance capacities among local authorities, especially on data collection, needs assessment and monitoring and evaluation. New target groups, such as teachers and religious leaders, should also be reached.
 
2. Strengthen focus on human security: New LAPs and NAPs should include stronger focus on human security.  In countries where NAPs are not up for revision, implementation should include human security components, including women’s access to education and economic opportunities as important drivers of peace.
 
3. Continue regional experience exchanges: The regional component of the project, including “Peace Exchange”, wherein civil society and government representatives from one country would participate in Localization workshops in another country, was particularly valued by participants. More peer-to-peer exchange between local authorities from different countries and from different regions within a country should also be encouraged.
 
4. Engage and train the media at the local level: The media are a critical actor in reconciliation and peacebuilding. It is important to continue enhancing their capacity to report on conflict in a gender-sensitive manner. This is also important for the local media, especially in contexts such as Ukraine, where they are a popular source of information and opinion makers.
 
5. Strengthen decentralization to give local authorities more autonomy to implement the WPS resolutions at the local level.

“Women are our everything” – implementing UNSCR 1325 in Kherson, Ukraine

“Women are our everything” – implementing UNSCR 1325 in Kherson, Ukraine

February 26, 2019 by Agnieszka Fal-Dutra Santos
 
Sharing the border with Crimea, as well as with Zaporizhia – one of the oblasts affected by the violence in Eastern Ukraine – Kherson, an oblast in southern Ukraine has faced multiple security challenges. These include high numbers of internally displaced persons, and the need to provide adequate services for veterans returning from the frontline, and their families. Women have been disproportionately affected by the impacts of conflict in Kherson. On February 14-15, 2019, the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) together with its local partner, Democracy Development Center, held a writing workshop (“writeshop”) on the implementation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSCR) 1325 and Ukraine’s National Action Plan (NAP) in Kherson.
 
The workshop gathered over 30 participants from different rayons and cities in the Kherson oblast. Participants included representatives of the Oblast State Administration, local (rayon) administrations and councils, city councils and the civil society. The “writeshop” built on the outcomes of GNWP’s Localization workshop in Kherson, held in June 2018.
 
An Oblast Action Plan was adopted in Kherson in January 2019, shortly before the “writeshop” was held. Therefore, building on the outcomes of the 2018 activities, during which key priorities for WPS implementation in the oblast were identified, the “writeshop” focused on reviewing the Oblast Action Plan to ensure that it is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). The participants, with support from GNWP and DDC experts, worked to revise objectives of the plan, making them more “SMART”, and to define concrete indicators. Three objectives were strengthened in this way during the “writeshop”. The State Oblast Administration committed to integrating the changes into the Oblast Action Plan, as well as reviewing the other objectives in a similar manner.
 
In a short interview, Mr. Ihor Pohorily, Head of Family, Gender and Children Rehabilitation section at the Department of Social Protection in the Kherson Oblast Administration, talks about why UNSCR 1325 is important to Kherson, and how the Oblast Administration plans to ensure its effective implementation.
 
Full video available here: https://youtu.be/5-3pbPy9gqM
 
Q: Why is United Nations Resolution 1325 relevant to your oblast?
 
A: UNSCR 1325 is very important for Kherson because women’s issues are important to the oblast. The objective of this plan is to increase the participation of women at all levels of decision-making so that the women are well represented in all spheres of governance in Kherson.
 
Q: Can you tell us about the Kherson Oblast Action Plan and how you adopted it?
 
The Oblast Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 was developed following a directive from Ukraine’s Prime Minister. It was developed by the local authorities, whose duty it is to implement national laws in the oblast, and to adapt them to the local reality in Kherson.
 
The plan also provides orientation for local authorities, including the authorities in the rayons and cities, to develop Local Action Plans.
The Local Action Plans should respond to the concrete issues and the needs of the local populations.
 
Q: What are the next steps for implementing UNSCR 1325 in Kherson following the workshop conducted by GNWP and Democracy Development Center on 14-15 February 2019?
 
Following the workshop, today and yesterday, conducted with the support of our international partners, we committed to revising the Oblast Action Plan, using the “SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant and Time-bound) methodology. This will be the first step towards updating and strengthening the plan. We will also collect feedback from the implementers at the local level, in order to identify the gaps in the plan and make necessary changes to ensure effective implementation of the Oblast Action Plan.
 
Q: How do you see your role in promoting women’s meaningful participation at all levels?
 
My role as a representative of the Oblast State Administration is to coordinate the actions by other key stakeholders, build the capacity of specialists who can support decision-makers at the local level to effectively implement their Local Action Plans, strengthen and monitor the activities and implementation at the local level.
 
Women are our everything. As a man, I strive to support them and help to make their life better every day.

“Women are our everything” – implementing UNSCR 1325 in Kherson, Ukraine

“Women are our everything” – implementing UNSCR 1325 in Kherson, Ukraine

February 26, 2019 by Agnieszka Fal-Dutra Santos

Sharing the border with Crimea, as well as with Zaporizhia – one of the oblasts affected by the violence in Eastern Ukraine – Kherson, an oblast in southern Ukraine has faced multiple security challenges. These include high numbers of internally displaced persons, and the need to provide adequate services for veterans returning from the frontline, and their families. Women have been disproportionately affected by the impacts of conflict in Kherson. On February 14-15, 2019, the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) together with its local partner, Democracy Development Center, held a writing workshop (“writeshop”) on the implementation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSCR) 1325 and Ukraine’s National Action Plan (NAP) in Kherson.

The workshop gathered over 30 participants from different rayons and cities in the Kherson oblast. Participants included representatives of the Oblast State Administration, local (rayon) administrations and councils, city councils and the civil society. The “writeshop” built on the outcomes of GNWP’s Localization workshop in Kherson, held in June 2018.

An Oblast Action Plan was adopted in Kherson in January 2019, shortly before the “writeshop” was held. Therefore, building on the outcomes of the 2018 activities, during which key priorities for WPS implementation in the oblast were identified, the “writeshop” focused on reviewing the Oblast Action Plan to ensure that it is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). The participants, with support from GNWP and DDC experts, worked to revise objectives of the plan, making them more “SMART”, and to define concrete indicators. Three objectives were strengthened in this way during the “writeshop”. The State Oblast Administration committed to integrating the changes into the Oblast Action Plan, as well as reviewing the other objectives in a similar manner.

In a short interview, Mr. Ihor Pohorily, Head of Family, Gender and Children Rehabilitation section at the Department of Social Protection in the Kherson Oblast Administration, talks about why UNSCR 1325 is important to Kherson, and how the Oblast Administration plans to ensure its effective implementation.

 

 

Q: Why is United Nations Resolution 1325 relevant to your oblast?

 

A: UNSCR 1325 is very important for Kherson because women’s issues are important to the oblast. The objective of this plan is to increase the participation of women at all levels of decision-making so that the women are well represented in all spheres of governance in Kherson.

 

Q: Can you tell us about the Kherson Oblast Action Plan and how you adopted it?

 

The Oblast Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 was developed following a directive from Ukraine’s Prime Minister. It was developed by the local authorities, whose duty it is to implement national laws in the oblast, and to adapt them to the local reality in Kherson.

 

The plan also provides orientation for local authorities, including the authorities in the rayons and cities, to develop Local Action Plans.

The Local Action Plans should respond to the concrete issues and the needs of the local populations.

 

Q: What are the next steps for implementing UNSCR 1325 in Kherson following the workshop conducted by GNWP and Democracy Development Center on 14-15 February 2019?

 

Following the workshop, today and yesterday, conducted with the support of our international partners, we committed to revising the Oblast Action Plan, using the “SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant and Time-bound) methodology. This will be the first step towards updating and strengthening the plan. We will also collect feedback from the implementers at the local level, in order to identify the gaps in the plan and make necessary changes to ensure effective implementation of the Oblast Action Plan.

 

Q: How do you see your role in promoting women’s meaningful participation at all levels?

 

My role as a representative of the Oblast State Administration is to coordinate the actions by other key stakeholders, build the capacity of specialists who can support decision-makers at the local level to effectively implement their Local Action Plans, strengthen and monitor the activities and implementation at the local level.

 

Women are our everything. As a man, I strive to support them and help to make their life better every day.

Ensuring local ownership for effective implementation: Localization of UNSCR 1325 in Iraq

Ensuring local ownership for effective implementation: Localization of UNSCR 1325 in Iraq

November 17, 2018 by Agnieszka Fal-Dutra Santos*

Beirut, Lebanon

“Iraq has a strong legal framework for women’s empowerment; we must now ensure that these laws and policies are implemented” declared Qassem Abdullah Jasim, the head of the Secretariat of Iraq’s Cross-Sectoral Task Force (CSTF) for the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 during the opening of the Localization Consultation workshop organized by GNWP. The workshop was held in Beirut, Lebanon on 16-17 November 2018 in partnership with Women’s Empowerment Organization (WEO), CSTF and with support from Global Affairs Canada.

Iraq was the first Arab country to adopt a National Action Plan (NAP) for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in 2014. Four years later, the country faces a different reality, due to the war with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In December 2017, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced a victory over ISIL. However, insecurity persists in many parts of the country, and the impacts of the conflict are still evident. As the country develops its second NAP, it is critical to reflect on how its implementation could best respond to the changing nature of the conflict.

The Localization Consultation provided a space for such reflection. It brought together key NAP stakeholders – both government and civil society – from the Baghdad Federal Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil. During the two days, they listened to expert presentations about Localization approach – an internationally recognized key strategy for NAP implementation – as well as about the decentralization system in Iraq and its implications for WPS implementation in governorates.

The participants discussed lessons learned from Iraq’s first NAP; identified tools that local governments have at their disposal to implement WPS, such as drafting local policies and Local Action Plans; and came up with concrete steps for ensuring NAP implementation at both national and local levels. They also worked on a “roadmap” for the completion of the 2nd NAP, assessing the progress thus far and assigning concrete timelines and responsibilities for the remaining tasks. The CSTF hopes to launch the NAP in summer 2019.

At the end of the second day of the consultation, the Iraqi stakeholders were joined by civil society representatives from Lebanon and Syria, who shared their perspectives on NAP development and WPS implementation. The regional experience exchange provided useful insights into the good practices of NAP planning. An important message was the need to include refugee women in the consultations and development of the NAP.

Inclusivity; local approach; and strong coordination are the essential elements of a high-impact NAP. In order to be implemented, Iraq’s 2nd NAP has to integrate these principles. The Localization Consultation was the first step towards ensuring that the plan is inclusive and locally-driven. GNWP looks forward to continuing the work with the CSTF and other key stakeholders to effectively implement the WPS resolutions in Iraq!

*The author is a Program Coordinator at the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders.

“Power to the people” – Congolese stakeholders discuss the impacts and challenges of Localizing UNSCR 1325 in their communities ahead of the national elections

“Power to the people” – Congolese stakeholders discuss the impacts and challenges of Localizing UNSCR 1325 in their communities ahead of the national elections

October 4, 2018 by Dinah Lakehal*

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

In the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the number of women appointed as provincial ministers increased from 0 in 2013 to 3 in 2018. In the same province, governor Marcellin Cishambo created a committee solely for the organization, function, and implementation of UNSCR 1325. In Katanga, traditional chiefs have begun to regularly include UNSCR 1325 in their work, as well as increasingly include women in their local security council. At the national level, fifty women were trained specifically to increase their participation in politics. These are just some of the impacts that Localization of UNSCR 1325 facilitated by GNWP between 2013 and 2015 had on the lives of Congolese women. Supporting local women as leaders and active agents of peace is all the more important in DRC, where women regularly face physical, sexual, economic, social, cultural, and political marginalization; and where regional peace and security challenges are felt by local communities from North to South Kivu.

DRC has adopted its second generation National Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 on September 8th, 2018. However, the institutional and cultural resistance to its effective implementation persists on many levels throughout the country. This is compounded by the social and political developments happening, such as the recent decentralization structure, and the upcoming and highly anticipated presidential elections. All these elements make this a critical time for GNWP to evaluate and reinforce the implementation of WPS resolutions in DRC.

On October 1-3, 2018, GNWP, in partnership with the Cadre Permanent de Concertation de la Femme Congolaise (CAFCO), and with support from the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program of the Global Affairs Canada, organized a workshop to evaluate the progress and impact of the Localization program to date, and to identify remaining gaps and recommendations for the future. The workshop brought together grassroots women activists, local and national authorities, and traditional leaders, who took part in the Localization program in South Kivu and Katanga in 2013, as well as representatives from North Kivu and Province Orientale, who plan to implement the strategy in their communities. Among the participants were several women who are campaigning for national and provincial parliamentary elections scheduled for December, and whose insights and perspectives were invaluable.

The participants asked themselves, “what were the most significant changes, both positive and negative, following the Localization programme in 2013? What were the successes and gaps in each province?” The exercise resulted in lively and engaging discussions over the evidence of the impacts. In South Kivu, the strategy contributed directly to raising awareness and taking ownership of UNSCR 1325 by authorities at the local and provincial level, and a Steering Committee for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 was established by the provincial government. In Katanga, Localization increased the ownership of UNSCR 1325 by local authorities and traditional leaders, who have begun regularly including UNSCR 1325 in their work, appointing women in leadership positions, and in their local security council. At the national level, the commitments made during the Localization workshop in 2013 contributed directly to the successful advocacy for the inclusion of marginalized groups, such as youth and women with disabilities, as groups of concern in the most recent National Action Plan. In addition, a local civil society organization, CONAFED, undertook a program to train 50 young women for political participation. Another significant contribution was the nomination of the first women generals in the national police and army.

The participants also discussed the remaining challenges such as the failure to implement some of the laws and policies due to a lack of budget. To counter that, the participants worked in groups disaggregated by province to produce a set of concrete recommendations, which will be shared with local and national stakeholders. The delegations from North Kivu and Kinshasa also planned to implement Localization and develop local action plans within their provinces.

“Decentralization and Localization go hand in hand; they are both about giving more power to the people,” –this message, highlighted by Professor Mukendi Munti from the Ministry of Decentralization, resonates particularly strongly in the Congolese context. The evaluation workshop has generated invaluable insights and reinforced the commitment to continue the implementation of the WPS agenda at the local level, and GNWP will continue to support the local stakeholders, and work with participants to ensure that their concrete commitments will be materialized into actions.

 

*Dinah Lakehal is a Program Officer at the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP).