The EASSI organized sub-regional Conference on women commemorating 10 years of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in Eastern Africa took place at the Africana Hotel in Kampala, Uganda, from 12-13 July 2010, with the purpose of assessing how Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda are implementing the Resolution. The conference also reiterated the ongoing regional integration processes and in particular the efforts to engender them through an East African Protocol for Gender Equality at the EAC level.
Communiqué on Eastern Africa Implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325 and Gender Mainstreaming in the EAC and Horn of Africa
The EASSI organized sub-regional Conference on women commemorating 10 years of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in Eastern Africa took place at the Africana Hotel in Kampala, Uganda, from 12-13 July 2010, with the purpose of assessing how Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda are implementing the Resolution. The conference also reiterated the ongoing regional integration processes and in particular the efforts to engender them through an East African Protocol for Gender Equality at the EAC level.
The meeting, with participants drawn from civil society organizations, inter-governmental organizations and concerned women and men involved in the struggle for peace, equality and development, recalled member countries commitments on gender, peace and security issues, as encapsulated in the various regional and international instruments, and which the UNSCR 1325 underscores.
The Conference, having assessed the status of implementation of the UNSCR 1325 in the sub-region, was deeply concerned at the inaction of most governments in implementing UNSCR 1325 epitomized by the existence of only 2 national action plans in Uganda and Rwanda.
Realising the centrality of peace in human and sustainable development in Eastern Africa and the fragility of peace where all the stakeholders are not involved;
Recognizing that 2010 marks 15 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), 10 years since the Millennium Declaration and Development Goals (2000), 10 years since the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), 5 years since the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa and 5 years since the AU Protocol on the rights of women in Africa came into force;
Welcoming the decision by African Union Heads of States declaring 2010-2020 the African Women’s Decade and 2010 the Year of Peace and Security in Africa;
Appalled at the 11 July 2010 twin bombings in Kampala, Uganda, which coincided with the opening of this meeting;
Deeply concerned about the loss of life, about the impacts of conflict upon the welfares and development of individuals and communities, about the impact of conflict on poverty eradication efforts and sustainable development, and about the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war, gender based violence as a cross-border issue, forced marriage, and other forms of GBV that are exacerbated during times of conflict;
Deeply concerned at the continued instability in Somalia that has posed security threats to the sub-region;
Noting with concern that there remain far too few women participating in peace building, conflict resolution and reconstruction processes, and that only one country in the sub-region, Rwanda, has achieved gender parity in political decision making;
Further noting the low level of political commitment by most governments in implementing the national and regional mechanisms for the engagement of women at all levels;
Further noting the need for a framework to ensure gender equality and equity within the regional groupings; and
Noting the need for strong government and civil society collaboration in ensuring that UNSC Resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889 become a reality for women in the sub-region;
Agrees on the significant importance of:
1. Women in decision-making processes and positions. As citizens, women have a right to be involved in decisions that affect their lives;
2. Research and analysis. Collect gender and sex-disaggregated data and undertake gender-responsive research and analysis for effective decision-making and evidence-based national planning;
3. Human rights and peace education. It is imperative to inculcate the human rights culture at an early age;
4. Monitoring and Evaluation. Development and application of gender-sensitive indicators, gender auditing and a monitoring tool at the sub-regional and country levels;
5. Coordination and coherence. Clear coordinating national and sub-regional strategy on women’s rights and peace and security; and
6. Awareness creation. Popularise UNSCR 1325;
Therefore urge Governments to:
1. put in place National Action Plans on UNSCR 1325 based on participatory consultation of stakeholders which must include national indicators in line with regional and global indicators;
2. commit the necessary resources for development and implementation of the national action plans;
3. develop a clear co-ordinated strategy on periodic reporting mechanisms on international and regional commitments
4. develop an education curriculum/ programme on human rights and peace from school level
5. popularization of 1325 to ensure that it reaches grassroots level
6. sensitization and capacity strengthening of decision makers and all role players on 1325
7. carry out action-oriented research and documentation for evidence-based planning;
8. generate and use gender-disaggregated data in national planning;
9. mainstream 1325 into National planning frameworks;
10. develop a framework at sub-regional level for harmonization of legislation on VAW; and
11. Involve women in UNSCR 1325 processes.
Urge the UN Management to:
1. ensure strict adherence to the basic principles of 1325 in deploying peace envoys; and
2. engage Governments to mobilize resources for participatory development of national action plans.
And further recommend that the EAC should:
1. strive to assist citizens understand the EAC and its purpose;
2. expedite the process of development and adoption of the Gender protocol;
3. support awareness creation on the gender Protocol at all levels;
We recommend that an appropriate regional organization and its Member States should:
1. Facilitate the signing of an MoU with EASSI for the Horn
2. Facilitate the signing of the Gender protocol for the Horn of Africa
3. Support the implementation of the Gender Protocol
4. Prioritise issues of women and conflict
5. Promote the mainstreaming of gender and peace-building within member States of the Horn particularly in Somalia;
6. Conduct capacity-building of women in the Horn on peace-building.
This communiqué shall be shared with Governments, RECs and all development partners in the Eastern Africa sub-region.
July 2010, EASSI
