Since the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in 2000, there is a growing body of evidence showing that the participation of women contributes not only to the conclusion of peace talks, but also to the implementation of peace agreements and the sustainability of peacebuilding processes.
While there has been a gradual increase in the number of women taking part in conflict resolution and peace processes since the adoption of the resolution, many barriers remain in ensuring that they have the opportunity to engage substantively and the capacity to influence key outcomes.
Interventions around natural resources, environment and climate change provide significant opportunities to empower women politically and economically, and to strengthen their contributions to conflict prevention and peacebuilding in conflict-affected countries. Yet opportunities related to natural resources remain underutilized in peace and development programming.
The Joint Programme on Women, Natural Resources and Peace was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UN Women, the Unitted Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) in 2016. Building on the joint analysis published in the flagship report “Women and Natural Resources: Unlocking the Peacebuilding Potential," the four partners are working to pilot test innovative approaches in the field and develop good practices for using natural resource-based interventions as a tool for strengthening women’s participation in conflict prevention and resolution efforts; democratic governance; economic recovery and sustainable development.
The pilot project in North Kordofan, Sudan ended in October 2018. Another pilot project is currently ongoing in Colombia.
Knowledge Platform
A Knowledge Platform on Gender, Natural Resources, Climate, and Peace has also been launched to bring together practitioners, researchers and policymakers, to share resources on the intersection of gender, natural resources, climate change and peace.
The platform is co-produced by the Joint Programme on Women, Natural Resources, and Peace, a partnership between UNEP, UN Women, UNDP, and PBSO. The platform is hosted and co-produced by the Environmental Peacebuilding Association.
Publications
- UNEP, UN Women, UNDP and PBSO: Promoting Gender-Responsive Approaches to Natural Resource Management for Peace in North Kordofan, Sudan (2019)
- UNEP, UN Women, UNDP and PBSO: Women and Natural Resources: Unlocking the Peacebuilding Potential (2013)
- UNEP: Global Gender and Environment Outlook (2016)
- UN Women: Global Study on the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2015)
- Photo gallery
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