This summer, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2734–a critical step forward for the global campaign to end gender-based violence, and paving the way for greater accountability for conflict-related sexual violence. This article covers the impact of the resolution, the events leading up to it, and how stakeholders can leverage 2734.
Analysis
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Despite recent achievements, significant gaps remain in UN policies aimed at promoting racial equality. This is not just a matter of appearance; it’s a matter of policy. Many of the issues the UN deals with —such as climate change, development, and security— have disproportionate effects on countries in the Global South and on marginalized and minoritized populations. Racial diversity is a crucial indicator that a multiplicity of experiences, perspectives, and life stories are making their way into discussions, decision making, and actions.
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Rough times are ahead for the United Nations (UN) with the election of Donald Trump to a second term. Although we do not yet know the details of the incoming administration’s UN policy agenda, the experience of the first Trump administration (2017-2021) provides a good starting point.
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The new 2024 Multilateralism Index uses 45 indicators to assess changes in multilateral cooperation over the past decade (2013–2023) across five domains: What does it tell us about recent trends in multilateral cooperation, and how might these trends shift under a second Trump presidency?
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As the war in Sudan reaches the 18-month mark with no signs of abating and increasing devastation for civilians, the UN Secretary-General recently presented a report to the Security Council on recommendations for the protection of civilians in the country. This article looks at what’s in the report, what isn’t, and where it may fall short.
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Violence n South Sudan has created a patchwork of insecurity, and the country is neither in civil war nor fully at peace. How do South Sudanese themselves perceive peace and conflict in their communities and country?
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The Security Council has not committed to protecting the rights of LGBTIQ people in conflict-affected contexts—at least not explicitly. Yet as in other contentious areas, this lack of explicit mention in Security Council documents does not foreclose the possibility of the UN helping to protect LGBTIQ people in conflict-affected or post-conflict areas, including through UN peace operations.
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Despite operating in an increasingly challenging environment, the international feminist movement is actively working to counter anti-gender backlash and its impact. Although they face limited funding, shrinking civic spaces, and broader anti-rights political environments, feminist activists are mobilizing transnational networks and bringing together actors at the local, national, and global levels, along with communicating and raising awareness of norm-spoiling.
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Because of the widely held assumption that it is men who carry the weapons and “man” the frontlines for armed groups, women combatants have historically been excluded from reintegration support, and they remain grossly underrepresented in DDR programs.Drawing on research from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), this article examines the history and progress on the inclusion of women in DDR—and proposes five steps towards more inclusive and gender-responsive DDR processes.
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Next year marks 25 years since the adoption of landmark United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). A persistent question in preparing for this event is how Security Council members that support WPS can make sure their efforts lead to changes on the ground. This is central in an era […]