The WPS Agenda Needs Strong Wills to Counter Rough Headwinds – PassBlue

Report on the Status of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction: Setbacks in Achieving SDG 5 and SDG 16

Annual commemorations of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda are marked by growing concerns over the erosion of progress in women’s rights within conflict zones. The WPS agenda, established by UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000, is a critical framework for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). However, a global backlash against gender equality is threatening to reverse gains, necessitating urgent and clear political messaging to protect the rights of women and girls and ensure the continued pursuit of these SDGs.

2.0 Current Challenges to the WPS Agenda and Sustainable Development

The advancement of the WPS agenda faces significant obstacles that directly impede progress on the SDGs. These challenges are both procedural and political, undermining the international framework for gender equality.

2.1 Dilution of Focus in Multilateral Forums

The upcoming UN Security Council debate on WPS, hosted by Russia, lacks a structured format. This absence of guiding parameters creates a risk that member states’ statements will diverge, diluting the focus on WPS priorities. This procedural lapse could prevent the formation of a coherent political message supporting gender equality, at a time when it is most needed to advance SDG 5.

2.2 Erosion of Normative Frameworks and Political Will

A significant challenge stems from the active undermining of gender equality commitments by key member states, particularly the United States. This has a direct negative impact on the achievement of SDG 5.

• Normative Attacks: The US has insisted on limiting gender identity to “men and women” in UN documents and has attempted to steer the Security Council away from supporting women in peacekeeping operations.
• Financial Reductions: Global aid reductions are curtailing access to essential services for women and girls, including healthcare (SDG 3) and education (SDG 4), further exacerbating inequalities.
• Lack of Counter-Pressure: Fear of economic and political retaliation has resulted in sporadic and muted responses from other member states, weakening the collective action required under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The UN itself has adopted a cautious approach to avoid further conflict with the US administration.

3.0 Case Study: Colombia – The Gap Between Policy and Implementation

The situation in Colombia illustrates the critical role of political will in translating WPS commitments and related SDGs from policy into practice.

3.1 The Importance of International Partnerships (SDG 17)

International pressure was instrumental in integrating gender-specific programming into Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement, a key step toward fulfilling targets within SDG 5 and SDG 16. The country has also initiated training for its police forces to support survivors of gender-based violence. However, implementation remains a challenge.

3.2 Implementation Deficits and the Need for Political Messaging

Despite policy frameworks, a lack of sustained political will hinders effective implementation.

1. Superficial Training: Security personnel report that without clear political messaging from leadership, gender-related training is often treated as a tokenistic, box-ticking exercise rather than a genuine institutional priority for building effective and accountable institutions (SDG 16).
2. Politicization of National Action Plans: Colombia’s National Action Plan on WPS, which includes measures for protecting women leaders and preventing gender-based violence, has been delayed. Its association with the current presidential administration has led to political opposition, stalling its rollout at subnational levels where it is needed to advance SDG 5.

External political messaging from international partners is crucial to pressure national and subnational authorities to prioritize the plan’s implementation, irrespective of domestic political dynamics.

4.0 Recommendations for Upholding Commitments to SDG 5 and SDG 16

To counter the backsliding of the WPS agenda, a strategic focus on political messaging is required, complementing calls for financial support. The lack of political will, not just funding, is a primary obstacle.

4.1 Leveraging Multilateral Platforms for Coordinated Action

Pro-WPS member states must utilize upcoming UN events to deliver strong, coordinated political messages that reaffirm commitments to gender equality.

• Countering Negative Narratives: A coalition of Security Council members who are signatories to WPS commitments (e.g., Denmark, France, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom) should issue unified statements to counter anti-gender equality rhetoric.
• Reinforcing Commitments: These platforms must be used to remind all member states of their obligations under the WPS agenda and its direct contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 5 and SDG 16.
• Strengthening Partnerships (SDG 17): Pro-WPS signatories can use their collective influence to encourage broader UN membership to become more vocal in their support for gender equality in conflict-affected settings.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  This is the central theme of the article. The text revolves around the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, the global backlash against gender equality, the need to protect the rights of women and girls in conflict zones, prevent gender-based violence, and promote women’s political participation.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article is set within the context of conflict zones and peace processes, directly linking to SDG 16. It discusses the role of the UN Security Council, the implementation of peace agreements (e.g., Colombia’s 2016 agreement), and the function of national institutions like police forces and government ministries in protecting women and upholding their rights.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article emphasizes the role of international cooperation and partnerships. It discusses the negative impact of global aid reductions, the influence of powerful member states like the US on global policy, and the necessity of international pressure from other governments and the UN to ensure national governments implement gender equality commitments.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Under SDG 5 (Gender Equality):
  • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls. The article explicitly mentions the “prevention of gender-based violence” as a key part of the WPS agenda and Colombia’s National Action Plan. It also highlights efforts to train police forces to “support survivors of gender-based violence.”
  • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership. The article discusses the core goal of the WPS agenda to “advance women’s political participation.” It also references the need to protect “women social leaders” in Colombia.
  • Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality. The development of National Action Plans, as mentioned in the case of Colombia, is a direct example of this target. The article stresses that “political will” is crucial to move these plans “from paper to practice.”
• Under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions):
  • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence. The entire context of the WPS agenda is to protect women and girls from violence in conflict zones, which directly addresses this target.
  • Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation. The article provides a clear example of this by discussing how international pressure can help ensure that gender training for security personnel in countries like Colombia is effective and not just a “box-ticking exercise.”
• Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
  • Target 17.2: Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments. The article points to a failure in this area, stating that “Global aid reductions are cutting access to health care, education and other essential programming for women and girls.”
  • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development. The article calls for a stronger partnership among “pro-WPS signatories” on the UN Security Council to counter the anti-gender equality narrative and use their “power in numbers to motivate others to be more vocal.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Number of countries with National Action Plans for the WPS agenda: The article mentions that Colombia “recently developed an oft-used policy tool to realize the WPS agenda nationally, called the National Action Plan,” implying this is a common metric.
• Level of implementation of National Action Plans: The article implies a qualitative indicator by highlighting the gap between policy and practice. It notes that while plans exist, they often fail due to a lack of “political will to bring them from paper to practice” and require local roll-out and incorporation into subnational policies and budgets.
• Inclusion of gender programming in peace agreements: The article cites the “2016 peace agreement” in Colombia, where “international pressure was crucial to including gender programming,” as a measurable outcome.
• Number of police forces trained to support survivors of gender-based violence: The article explicitly states that according to UN Women, around “100 other nations… is training its police forces to support survivors of gender-based violence.”
• Effectiveness of security sector training: The article suggests that simply counting the number of trainings is insufficient. A more nuanced, qualitative indicator is whether the training is more than a “box-ticking exercise” and is reinforced by “clearer political messaging from government leadership.”
• Level of funding and aid for gender equality programs: The article points to “Global aid reductions” as a negative indicator, showing a decrease in financial support for essential programming for women and girls.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: passblue.com