Operationalising Security Council Resolution 1325

In 2007, Alert launched a three-year global project called Supporting women’s peacebuilding priorities: Implementing UN SCR 1325. This project aims to assist civil society organisations in identifying shared priorities related to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (SCR 1325) on Women, Peace and Security, to enhance their capacity to influence stakeholders at all levels and to develop a more coherent approach for the implementation of SCR 1325 amongst policy-makers.

Although UN Member States made a commitment to supporting women’s peacebuilding roles by unanimously adopting SCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in October 2000, they have few reference points for how to achieve the goals of their joint resolution. One of the key challenges for policy-makers is their lack of knowledge of women’s ongoing peacebuilding initiatives and the entry points for effective implementation of SCR 1325. To achieve maximum impact, policy-makers must first understand the key challenges that women face and the resources that they need to better contribute to peace and security processes.

Civil society at the grassroots level is a critical sustainable resource for implementing SCR 1325 on the ground. In conflict affected areas around the world, women are the most active agents at the community level in mobilizing for peace and in reconciling societies and building bridges across conflict divides. Investing in women and their grassroots initiatives is perhaps the most cost-effective form of conflict prevention. SCR 1325 is a valuable tool for supporting local women’s peace initiatives and enhancing their capacity to influence peacebuilding processes. To make SCR 1325 fully operational, the challenge for stakeholders is to link policy and aid strategies with an understanding of women’s peacebuilding initiatives and the gender dimensions of local contexts.

Alert will support a more coherent and strategic operationalisation of SCR 1325 at local and national level by supporting their partners in various regions including Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burundi and the South Caucasus through the following activities:

• Work with CSO leaders in identifying and addressing shared priorities related to SCR 1325 through workshops and consultations with a variety of stakeholders


• Capacity building with partners to enable them to garner broader support for their peacebuilding priorities within their communities and at national and regional levels. This will include advisory and organisational support, financial assistance and opportunities for cross-learning across countries and regions.


• Awareness-raising activities at local and national levels to build public support for the respect of women’s rights and awareness on women’s role in peace and security processes.

The project will promote more coherent implementation of SCR 1325 at the level of national, regional and international policy, through:

• Thematic research based on context-specific evidence gathered during consultations at local, national and regional levels. This research will include issues such as gender-based violence and political participation justice and the role these issues play in women’s ability to participate in peacebuilding


• Targeted advocacy through engagement with donors and governments, as well as influencing global policy through our involvement in networks at the UK, the EU and the UN. Read more about our policy-level advocacy work here


• This project also involves specific research and advocacy work on gender issues as part of the EC-funded Initiative for Peacebuilding.

• Read more about our work on SCR 1325 in West Africa here
• Read more about our work on SCR 1325 in Burundi here

For more information contact Karen Barnes

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Last updated: February 2006