Ending peacekeeping and political missions puts women at risk, UN members say

Number of deployed UN peacekeepers has dropped to about 71,000

Sudanese women plant seeds on the outskirts of the city of Gedaref. The Security Council voted to terminate a political mission in Sudan after a request from the country's acting foreign minister. AFP

UN member states including the US and UK voiced concerns on Wednesday over the effect of abrupt reductions, reconfigurations or terminations of peacekeeping and special political missions on women in global hotspots.

The Security Council signatories to the Statement of Shared Commitments for the principles of Women, Peace and Security emphasised that such actions pose significant risks to the rights and safety of women and girls.

“We are especially concerned about situations where a UN mission must leave without even the minimum conditions for a planned transition in place. This has the potential of not only jeopardising hard-won peace gains but also important progress made in gender equality,” the signatories stated.

“The UN’s peace operations are among the United Nations’ most impactful tools to implement the Security Council’s resolutions on women, peace and security. When they leave, or when they are requested to leave, they can leave a vacuum that creates the conditions for harm.”

The UN reported that the number of deployed peacekeeping personnel worldwide has dropped by almost half from 121,000 in 2016 to about 71,000.

Under pressure from the military government, the Security Council ended its peacekeeping mission in Mali in June last year.

In December, the Security Council voted to terminate a political mission in war-torn Sudan after the country's acting foreign minister requested the move.

Sima Bahous, head of UN Women, told the 15-member Security Council that she was concerned about the potential effects of several recent decisions to shrink or close peacekeeping and special political missions.

“Today in Sudan, with no peacekeeping or political mission in place, famine is imminent, and thousands of new mothers could die in the next few months,” she said.

“These decisions are made even as the number and intensity of conflict and insecurity grow. It is counterintuitive that in the face of unprecedented levels of conflict and violence.”

Slovenia’s ambassador to the UN, Samuel Zbogar, told council members that women and girls are “often the first to suffer the devastating impacts of conflicts and the last to benefit from the peace that follows”.

“In order to contribute to lasting peace it is essential to ensure their full, equal, meaningful and safe participation in peace and security processes,” he added.