di Luisa Del Turco
Abstract
The adoption of Resolution 1325 in 2000 marked the introduction of a gender perspective – already consolidated in human rights and development – into peace and security matters.
20 years and 10 resolutions later, its 2020 anniversary represents a precious opportunity to assess what the Women Peace and Security international Agenda looks like after two decades, to identify the main challenges of implementation, and also to look beyond to the place it occupies and can play in the bigger picture.
This paper seeks to trace the development of the WPS Agenda from a peace and security perspective, recalling in parallel the main steps of the evolution of the whole sector over recent decades. It is based on international policy documents and Security Council resolutions, just to offer a brief review of what can be useful to facilitate the reading and understanding of the WPS Agenda.
It can be seen how the main trends and challenges of the international system look amazingly mirrored in the architecture of the Agenda, as well as in the process of Agenda building from the setting of the benchmarks (Ius novum) to the new approach integrating humanitarian, development and peace actors and action (“triple nexus”).
The WPS Agenda looks indeed like a timely and emblematic representation of today’s international scenario with its multilevel, multidimensional complexity: centre stage Resolution 1325 there stands as a cornerstone, with its multi-stakeholders and integrated approach, originated by different actors and deep-rooted in multi-sectoral basic pillars (Participation – Protection – Prevention – Relief and Recovery).
Still, its “transformative” potential is partly yet to be voiced. In the conclusions it is suggested that this potential be fully revealed, just pushing the innovative strategy of Resolution 1325 further: putting into the spotlight what has been in the shadows (as it was yesterday for the active role of women in peace processes and can be today for conflict prevention and gender perspective in the implementation process).
20 years later it still seems to be the best way to value Resolution 1325 and the WPS Agenda as a whole, also for the benefit of the peace and security sector and the international cooperation system at large.
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