United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 ‘on trial’

On 17 November 2004 an invited audience took part in a mock trial of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1325.

Among other provisions, Resolution 1325:

• 'urges member states to increase the representation of women at all decision making levels in national, regional and international institutions and in mechanisms or the 'prevention, management and resolution of conflict’
• calls on all actors involved, when negotiating and implementing peace agreements, to adopt a gender perspective, including, among other things (a) the special needs of women and girls during post-conflict resolution (b) measures that support local women’s peace initiatives and indigenous processes for conflict resolution, and that involve women in all of the implementation mechanisms of the peace agreements (c) measures that ensure the protection of and respect for human rights of women and girls, particularly as they relate to the constitution, the electoral system, the police and the judiciary.

‘Witnesses’ spoke on the role of women in public bodies, policing, politics and the peace process. They were then questioned by the ‘prosecution’ and ‘defence’; Kara Piccirilli and Sarah Shtier respectively from the Peace Women project in New York.

‘Judge’ Bronagh Hinds, who is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Governance, Public Policy and Social Research at Queen’s University, asked the 'jury' audience to take into account all that they had heard and vote on the following:

‘Has the UK government of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland Assembly when in being and Northern Ireland's political parties, demonstrated sufficient commitment to the implementation of Resolution 1325 in Northern Ireland, and in particular to those elements of the resolution that have been highlighted here today?’

The ‘no’ vote in response to this question was almost unanimous, with nobody voting ‘yes’ and two abstentions. It was therefore noted that the trial did not believe that the Resolution was being effectively implemented in Northern Ireland.

For further information on 1325, please visit www.peacewomen.org