UN Security Council Resolution 1325 anniversary marked

The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), has organised a four-day conference on Women, Peace and Security to mark the 15th anniversary of the Adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.

The programme, which was supported by the African Union Commission, includes a special training on election observation and dispute resolution.

It aims at contributing to the efforts of increasing African women’s participation in governance and peace processes by supporting the ongoing efforts of the African Union (AU) Chairperson to bring women’s voices, perspectives and contributions to bear on Africa’s peace architecture.

In his welcome address, Major General Obed Boamah Akwa, the Commandant, KAIPTC said the conference would create the platform to rally the perspectives of key Women, Peace and Security advocates, experts and actors, to ensure the voices of African women is heard directly.

He noted that with KAIPTC as an African Centre of Excellence for training, education, research and advocacy; partnership and collaborative initiatives were critical in dealing with the ever increasing challenge of conflict on the continent.

The Commandant stated that the rise of religious radicalism and violent extremism, as evidenced in the cases of Boko Haram in Nigeria, as well as Al shabab in Somalia, are crucial examples of threat to peace and security, as such, the search for lasting solutions should continue.

Major General Akwa, therefore, commended Mrs Bineta Diop, the African Union Commission’s (AUC) Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security for contributing towards the agenda perspective in the transformation processes of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to the AU.

“The achievement of gender parity, and the adoption of Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Right on the Rights of Women in Africa, among others, clearly demonstrate your commitment and dedication to the cause of women on our continent”, he added.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency Mrs Diop, said within the 15 years of the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, Africa had made comprehensive efforts in terms of women participation in conflict resolution.

Mrs Diop said women are transforming societies, citing examples where she observed in Somalia and South Sudan; where women were getting involved in peacekeeping operations.

She said practical steps taken towards agenda 2020, was to ‘silence the gun’ in Africa; “but how can you ‘silence the gun’ if you don’t empower the people about it,” she asked.

The AUC Special Envoy explained that the training programme is to give women the necessary skills and tools, purposely to redeploy when there are electoral disputes.

The programme comprises two parts; a day’s roundtable that looks at religious radicalisation and the role of women in countering violent extremis.

Whereas, the second tier features a special election observation and dispute resolution training for high ranking African women, to help strengthen their capacity and enhance their prospects for participation in high level election observation missions across Africa and also help mediate election-related conflicts.

In a landmark recognition and acknowledgement of the disproportionate impact of violent conflict on women and their largely undervalued and under-utilised contribution to conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution and peace building, the United Nations Security Council in October 2000 unanimously adopted Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 to help pave way for women’s greater involvement in peace efforts.