25th Anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
The Resolution, adopted on 31 October 2000, remains one of the most significant in the field of security policy. It highlights the vital role of women in the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts, and calls on Member States to ensure women’s participation in decision-making at all levels. The Resolution also emphasises the importance of addressing the needs of women and girls and recognising their particular vulnerability to the adverse impacts of armed conflict.
The Women, Peace and Security Resolution was the first official document of the UN Security Council to call on parties to conflict to prevent violations of women’s rights and to promote women’s participation in peace processes and post-war recovery. It was also the first to explicitly acknowledge the impact of armed conflict on women and the need to protect women and girls from sexual violence during war.
In Ukraine, the first National Action Plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 Women, Peace and Security was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in 2016. In 2020, to mark the Resolution’s 20th anniversary, a second National Action Plan was adopted, covering the period until 2025.
International humanitarian law (IHL) provides special protection for women during armed conflict. The 1949 Geneva Conventions and other international IHL instruments identify women as a distinct category of protected persons. The rules of international humanitarian law prohibit rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture, outrages upon personal dignity, and discrimination on the grounds of sex.
On the 25th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the Ukrainian Red Cross underscores the importance of protecting women during times of war and calls for full respect of international humanitarian law.