The United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations has organised a strategy workshop with women’s constituencies from troop and police contributing countries. The workshop takes place from 7-9 February 2007 in Pretoria, South Africa.
As a follow-up to the Troop Contributing Country’s (TCC) policy dialogue, and in order to build on ongoing efforts to implement Security Council resolution 1325 (women, peace and security), the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in partnership with the South African Government, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), will organize a strategy workshop with women’s constituencies from troop and police contributing countries.
The workshop aims to enhance gender mainstreaming in the national policy setting, training and planning processes that inform pre-deployment to United Nation’s peacekeeping missions. It also seeks to expand partnerships to support the recruitment and deployment of more women to serve in UN peacekeeping missions. In particular, it will draw on the expertise and contributions of women constituencies in post conflict environments to inform the discussions.
Specifically, the workshop will aim to:
Facilitate women’s contribution at the country-level to policy setting and training of national troops prior to deployment on issues related to gender and peacekeeping;
Review good practices and opportunities for recruiting and deploying women to serve in peacekeeping, through the contribution of women’s constituencies in TCCs/ Police Contributing Countries (PCCs);
Build partnerships and information-sharing mechanisms between women’s constituencies in TCCs/ PCCs and women’s groups and constituencies in post-conflict countries that are hosting peacekeeping missions;
Support the establishment of monitoring mechanisms at country-level within TCCs/ PCCs to facilitate effective gender mainstreaming in policy and planning procedures related to troop deployments.
A total of 40 participants are expected to attend the workshop. These will include, technical experts from the national machineries for the advancement of women/ gender equality in TCCs/ PCCs, women’s representatives from countries hosting peacekeeping missions, resource persons from military and police services, gender specialists and some civil society representatives. The workshop will be hosted by the Government of South Africa, which is the largest contributor of female troops to UN peacekeeping at present.
