Security Council resolution 2538 (2020) [on women in peacekeeping operations]
Symbol: S/RES/2538 (2020)
Date: 2020-08-28
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/75 [201] WOMEN IN ARMED CONFLICTS
S/75 [18] PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
S/ X United Nations peacekeeping operations.
Subjects: WOMEN'S ADVANCEMENT|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: BELGIUM
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
vote: yes
country: ESTONIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GERMANY
vote: yes
country: INDONESIA
vote: yes
country: NIGER
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
vote: yes
country: SOUTH AFRICA
vote: yes
country: TUNISIA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: VIET NAM
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                 S/RES/2538 (2020)
               Security Council                                                Distr.: General
                                                                               28 August 2020




               Resolution 2538 (2020)
               Adopted by the Security Council on 28 August 2020

                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling its previous relevant resolutions and presidential statements
               addressing issues of peacekeeping and women, peace and security,
                     Recalling the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
               reaffirming the primary responsibility of the Security Council under the Charter of
               the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security,
                     Underscoring the importance of peacekeeping as one of the most effective tools
               available to the United Nations in the promotion and maintenance of international
               peace and security,
                    Reaffirming the basic principles of peacekeeping, such as consent of the parties,
               impartiality, and non-use of force, except in self-defence and defence of the mandate,
               and recognizing that the mandate of each peacekeeping mission is specific to the need
               and situation of the country concerned, and that the Security Council expects full
               delivery of the mandates it authorizes,
                     Recognizing the significance of the 20th anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000)
               and the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action as
               momentum for Member States to commit to implementing the Women, Peace and
               Security agenda and its priorities, by ensuring and promoting the full, equal and
               meaningful participation of women in peace processes, including through
               mainstreaming a gender perspective, and remain committed to increasing the number
               of civilian and uniformed women in peacekeeping at all levels and in all positions,
               including senior leadership positions,
                    Recognizing the indispensable role of women in increasing the overall
               performance and effectiveness of peacekeeping operations, further recognizing that
               the presence of women and better balance between men and women among
               peacekeepers contribute to, among others, greater credibility of the missions among
               the population, more effective community engagement, and enhanced protection
               responses,
                     Noting with appreciation the progress made in efforts undertaken by the
               Secretary-General to mobilize all partners and stakeholders in support of more
               effective United Nations peacekeeping through the Secretary-General’s “Action for
               Peacekeeping” initiative, which places high importance on promoting the Women,
               Peace and Security agenda, alongside advancing political solutions, strengthening



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               protection of civilians, improving the safety and security of peacekeepers, supporting
               effective performance and accountability, strengthening the impact of peacekeeping
               on peacebuilding and sustaining peace, improving peacekeeping partnerships, and
               strengthening the conduct of peacekeeping operations and personnel,
                     Recalling resolution 2242 (2015) and its request that Secretary-General initiate,
               in collaboration with Member States, a strategy to double the number of women in
               military and police contingents of United Nations peacekeeping operations by 2020
               and further requests that this strategy ensure the full, effective and meaningful
               participation of women in all aspects of peacekeeping, further recalling the Secretary-General’s System-Wide Strategy on Gender Parity and Uniformed Gender Parity
               Strategy 2018–2028, and stressing the need to continue the efforts to increase
               participation of women in peacekeeping operations,
                     Stressing that promoting increased women’s participation in peacekeeping
               operations requires collective commitment and concerted efforts by all Member States
               and the United Nations Secretariat, and should be supported with appropriate
               resources, welcoming continuing efforts and initiatives by Member States and the
               United Nations Secretariat to increase women’s participation in peacekeeping
               operations, including by providing uniformed women personnel with equal access to
               education, training and capacity-building, networking opportunities, and taking steps
               to better understand and address barriers to participation of women in peacekeeping,
                     Recalling its resolution 2242 (2015), recognizing the indispensable role of
               women in United Nations peacekeeping and welcoming efforts to incentivise greater
               numbers of women in military, police and civilian deployed in United Nations
               peacekeeping operations, and noting the importance of increasing the number of
               women in leadership positions and of ensuring that the needs and participation of
               women are integrated in all stages of mission planning and implementation through
               the inclusion of appropriate gender technical expertise,
                    Underscoring the importance it places on the safety and security of
               peacekeepers, including women peacekeepers, in the field and the need for the
               Secretary-General and Troop- and Police-Contributing Countries and Member States
               to work together to ensure that missions are adequately resourced and all
               peacekeepers in the field are willing, capable and equipped effectively and safely to
               implement their mandate,
                    1.    Calls upon Member States, the United Nations Secretariat and regional
               organisations to strengthen their collective efforts to promote the full, effective, and
               meaningful participation of uniformed and civilian women in peacekeeping
               operations at all levels and in all positions, including in senior leadership positions;
                     2.  Encourages Member States to develop strategies and measures to increase
               the deployment of uniformed women to peacekeeping operations, including by:
                    (a) Disseminating information about and providing access to deployment
               opportunities for women personnel, including for senior positions;
                     (b) Providing access to training for uniformed women personnel, and ensuring
               that trained uniformed women are deployed for peacekeeping operations;
                    (c) Developing a national database of trained women personnel interested in
               and available for nomination and deployment;
                   (d) Identifying and addressing barriers in the recruitment, deployment, and
               promotion of uniformed women peacekeepers;
                     (e) Considering ways, as appropriate, to increase the participation of women
               in national militaries and police;


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               (f)    Supporting the capacities of regional organisations in training uniformed
           women;
                (g) Taking measures to provide support and incentives including child care
           and other relevant needs;
                 3.    Calls on the Secretary-General to continue to implement the System-Wide
           Strategy on Gender Parity and Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy 2018–2028, and to
           continue to monitor and evaluate progress and challenges in meeting the targets,
           taking into account the views, best practices, and lesson learned from Member States,
           particularly Troop- and Police-Contributing Countries as well as countries hosting
           peacekeeping operations, and further calls on all Member States to continue to
           support the strategies, including by increasing the number and participation of
           uniformed women personnel in peacekeeping operations;
                 4.    Encourages Member States to strengthen cooperation to support greater
           participation of women in peacekeeping operations, including through sharing best
           practices for recruitment, retention, training, and deployment of uniformed women;
                5.   Encourages cooperation between the United Nations and regional and
           subregional organisations in advancing greater participation and role of women in
           peacekeeping operations;
                6.    Calls upon Member States and the United Nations Secretariat to ensure
           safe, enabling and gender-sensitive working environments for women in
           peacekeeping operations and to address threats and violence against them, urges the
           United Nations Secretariat or Troop- and Police-Contributing Countries, where
           appropriate, to provide adequate and appropriate infrastructure and facilities for
           women in the missions, such as accommodation, sanitation, health care, protective
           equipment, taking into account their specific needs as well as demands with regard to
           security and privacy, further urges Member States and the United Nations Secretariat
           to make available adequate resources in this regard;
                 7.   Expresses concern regarding allegations of sexual harassment in
           peacekeeping operations, affirms its support for the Secretary-General’s zerotolerance policy on all forms of sexual harassment, and requests the Secretary-General to strengthen efforts to prevent and address sexual harassment within
           peacekeeping operations, in close cooperation and consultation with Member States;
                 8.   Encourages Troop- and Police-Contributing Countries to provide all
           military and police personnel with adequate training to carry out their responsibilities
           in the missions, and requests the United Nations Secretariat to provide and update the
           necessary guidance and training materials;
                 9.    Encourages Member States and the United Nations Secretariat to enhance
           partnerships to support targeted trainings and capacity-building programmes for
           uniformed women personnel, including through the Light Coordination Mechanism,
           triangular partnership, bilateral, and regional frameworks; further encourages
           Member States to nominate uniformed women personnel to participate in such
           training activities and to promote their deployment to peacekeeping operations;
                10. Requests the United Nations Secretariat to continue public
           communications and advocacy to encourage women’s participation in peacekeeping
           operations, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders;
                 11. Encourages Member States, the United Nations Secretariat and
           peacekeeping missions to facilitate networking opportunities and develop sustainable
           networks among former, current and prospective women peacekeepers, as a means to
           exchange experience and information about participation in peacekeeping operations
           and to inspire more women to participate in peacekeeping operations;

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                     12. Urges peacekeeping operations to promote full, effective and meaningful
               participation of women in all components and functions and at all levels at
               headquarters and in the field, including through the establishment of mixed
               engagement teams which include both men and women, and increased involvement
               of women peacekeepers in components and functions where they are
               underrepresented;
                     13. Requests the Secretary-General to report the progress of the
               implementation of this resolution and other related aspects of participation of women
               in peacekeeping operations in his comprehensive annual briefing mandated by its
               resolution 2378 (2017);
                    14.   Decides to remain seized of the matter.




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