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The Third African Women's Peace Table Seminar

Building mechanisms, institutions and intruments for Peace and Securtiy in Africa

by Dr. Monica K Juma from SaferAfrica

The Role and Responsibility of South African Women in the Furtherance of the AU-NEPAD Peace and Security Agenda in the African Continent and Internationally


The First Lady of the Republic of South Africa

Madame Deputy Minister

Secretary of Defence

Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of South Africa

General Sedibe

Your Excellencies

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

My task today this morning is to situate capacity building, a key prerequisite in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts within the AU-NEPAD Peace and Security Agenda and to attempt to locate the role of women in the processes of building mechanisms, institutions and instruments for the pursuance of peace and security in Africa . Since each of the distinguished presenters will speak to a specific AU-NEPAD agenda, I will limit myself to generic recommendations that apply across the board and only use a few specific examples for illustrative purposes.

Madame Chair I will begin my presentation with an extract that captures the reason for the full participation of women in issues of peace and security, from the UNSC Statement in the occasion of the International Women's day in 2000:

Peace is inextricably linked with equality between women and men. [and] the equal access and full participation of women in power structures and their full involvement in all efforts for the prevention and resolution of conflicts are essential for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security."

(UNSC Statement on the occasion of the International Women's Day on 8 March 2000 )

1 Introduction

The need to develop mechanisms, build institutions, create instruments and engage processes that deliver peace and security in Africa is one of the eight core priorities that constitute the AU-NEPAD Peace and Security Agenda, defined in February 2003. This agenda can be located within Article 3 (f) of the AU, which states as one of its basic objectives to: "promote peace, security and stability on the continent." Within the NEPAD framework document, capacity building seeks to address deficiencies of governments and sub-regional organizations, including in the areas of peace and security. More specifically, the NEPAD Peace and Security initiative addresses capacity building for peace and security as one of its three elements. Thus it seeks to build the capacity of African institutions for early warning, as well as enhancing their capacity to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts (NEPAD, 2001 pp.16). Other key elements that emerge throughout the NEPAD International Peace and Cooperation Programme are those that relate to strengthening national, regional and continental governance and action processes, which in essence have a bearing on sustainable peace and security.

Capacity building is necessary to address the root causes of insecurity and conflict, which derive from a complex amalgam of political, economic and social factors. This need (to build capacity) requires conscious efforts to enhance existing and build non-existent capacity to address emerging challenges such as increased cross-border crime, terrorism, generalized lawlessness and lack of public order. In process terms, capacity building calls for concerted action and strong political commitment that translates in heavy investment, in terms of human and material resources. The challenge for building capacity in Africa is, however, made greater when one considers the gender dimension. Commitment to capacity building will have to overcome an ethos that has over the years marginalized, and at times obstructed the involvement of women in issues of defence and security, and in this case in conflict prevention, management and resolution. Clearly, the sustainable implementation of the AU-NEPAD peace and security agenda will depend on the extent to which women, who comprise a critical constituency in Africa, engage fully in matters relating to peace and security in Africa and internationally.

This presentation highlights some opportunities for engaging women in the actualization of the AU-NEPAD Peace and Security agenda.

2. Background

Over the years, peace and security has been addressed at the national level, as a question of state security, or at the continental and regional level. While there were measures of success at the national level, mechanisms for dealing with conflict and security at the regional and continental levels have been found wanting at both structural and operational levels. The OAU mechanism for conflict management, prevention and resolution (CMPR) as well as regional mechanisms are recent creations and have been/are struggling with teething problems. Their creation was necessitated by the multiplication in the numbers of conflicts afflicting Africa after the end of the Cold War. They were also an African response to the apathy displayed by the international community in dealing with African conflicts that characterized the early 1990s. In line with this need and the attempt to craft African solutions for African problems, the OAU Conflict Management Prevention and Resolution Mechanism was created in 1993; ECOWAS restructured its mechanism in 1993; IGAD inserted an article in its agreement to address peace and conflict resolution in 1996 (article 7); SADC created an Organ for Politics Defence and Security in 1996; and the EAC created a military liaison office in 1998.

Although there have some of these mechanisms have attained a measure of success in dealing with some of the conflict situations, on the whole, such performance has been the exception rather than the rule. Poor performance has resulted from a combination of factors. While attempting to respond to intense pressure and insecurity, all of these mechanisms have been largely understaffed, with most of their staff lacking requisite skills for conflict management, prevention and resolution or sometimes with capacity that is deployed wrongly. The mechanisms have also been poorly resourced and this has limited their ability to recruit competent staff or obtain the required equipment. From a policy and conceptual perspective, these mechanisms have operated within restrictive or unclear mandates. Structurally, none have pursued a clear and committed policy on gender balance. The OAU had a gender directorate that was inherited by the African Union, whose mandate is to mainstream gender across all the directorates of the AU. In spite of this broad mandate, this directorate is under resourced. It has 2 officials meant to service 5 geographical regions of Africa , African member states and the global multilateral system. As currently constituted, this structure is clearly set up for failure. Among the regional organizations only IGAD has a gender unit. However, this unit, like its AU counterpart is understaffed, under resourced and enjoys lesser status compared to other departments in the organization.

3. Where are we?

Although women have begun to play an important role in conflict resolution, peacekeeping and peace building, their engagement is primarily at the community levels, otherwise they remain under-represented at decision and policy-making levels. If women are to play an equal part in the maintenance of peace and security, they must be empowered politically and economically, and represented adequately at all levels: in the consultation and processes that unpack the peace and security agenda; in political foras and technical foras that create mechanisms and relevant institutions for implementation and must participate at the pre-conflict stage, during hostilities, as well as at the point of peacekeeping, peace-building, reconciliation and reconstruction stages. This involvement must also happen at the international, continental, regional and national level.

4. Framework for Capacity Building

At the international level, the framework for capacity building relating to women in peace and security agenda is embodied in the UNSC Resolution 1325 (S/RES/1325/200). This resolution stresses the importance of women's equal participation with men and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security including serving as special representatives and envoys. It also calls upon member states to increase women's role throughout peace support operations. A number of opportunities have been lost, including the fact that there no single special representative of the UNSG that is a woman. However, this resolution provides a great opportunity for women to explore entry points for contributing to the UN peace efforts generally and specifically to security in Africa .

At the continental and regional level, the framework for dealing with peace and security is the AU Commission, specifically the Central Organ which comprises the Office of the Commissioner; the Peace and Security Directorate and a Conflict Management Centre (CMC). The CMS comprises of three key units namely, the Early Warning unit (situation room); the Field Support Unit to coordinate peace support operations and Project Management Team that is responsible for capacity building for the directorate. Apart from these organs, there is also the Conference for Security Stability Development Cooperation in Africa (CSSDCA), which is the unit that coordinates civil society actors interaction with the AU and which acts as the Secretariat for ECOSOC; and the humanitarian and disaster relief operations, located in the Political Affairs Commission. While these units have a bearing on conflict prevention, management and resolution, their relationship with one another is still evolving.

Both the AU charter and the NEPAD principles give a high priority to gender equality. However, this principle has not been fully operationalized as it relates to all aspects of Africa ' development. The need to actualize this principle, as it relates to Peace and security, defined as the prerequisite for sustainable development, is critical. Clearly, there has not emerged a framework that deliberately guides the building of critical capacity among women in furtherance of peace and security. Nonetheless, the principle provides a number of opportunities that women can maximize in the pursuit of this central agenda.

5. Building Capacity: Opportunities for the Future

The venture of building capacity requires targeted action aimed at different levels focus on varying needs. However these activities must be complementary and enhance the overall objective, which creating sustainable peace and security. Following is an expose of the core aspects of capacity building that should be pursued at the international continental and national levels.

6. Capacity at the international Level

At the international level, action should focus on creating capacity building that supports the continental, regional and national efforts and processes. Focus on the following would be particularly valuable:

Engaging in the process of unpacking and adapting Resolution 1325 to the AU provisions and the NEPAD principles in terms of:
  • Creating a database of women expertise to support all areas of CPMR
  • Agreement on, and implementation of, affirmative action to increase the quota of women involved at all levels of conflict prevention, management and resolution.
  • Definition of formulae for the nomination of women to the positions of UNSG Special representatives or special envoys to peace missions.
  • Creation of opportunities to increase the numbers of women engaged in peace activities.
  • Supporting the reservoirs of organisations and institutions that have/ nurture such capacities.
For Early Warning and Early Response
  • Enforcing the Women Peace petition for the UNSG to make a plan for diversion of resources used for arms to address human security needs. This particular petition calls the world nations to redirect at least 5 % of national military expenditures to health, education and employment programmes.
  • Encouraging inter-governmental and regional organizations to strengthen and expand women's role in conflict prevention and peace building. This calls for increased coordination, information sharing and development of expertise.
  • Encouraging the UN and Donors to invest in women's organisations as a strategy for conflict prevention, resolution and peace building
Mainstreaming gender, especially in Peace Support Operations

There have been a few political statements of goodwill but limited training opportunities and appointment of women to senior positions in peace support operations. What is needed is
  • Specialized expertise and training in all aspects of mission operation. This requires programmatic integration of gender into all elements of activity throughout the various "pillars" of governance and humanitarian efforts.
  • Regular monitoring, reporting and evaluation of progress made and obstacles encountered, as well as systems for holding the operation accountable to achieving its goals.
  • Focus in gender mainstreaming should take the form of increasing the number of women in peace mission (not yet achieved); dedicating gender experts, advisers and units in multidimensional peacekeeping operations, to peace operations to focus exclusively on gender (has so far occurred in some five operations).
  • Resources to put all these measures into place.
  • Gender training before peacekeeping operations before and during deployment to adequately address issues of violence against women, including domestic violence and trafficking, within a human rights framework.
In peace negotiations / processes
  • Support the involvement of women in negotiations - which means making provision for training of women and women's organizations on formal peace processes.

Reconstruction and rehabilitation

Disarmament, Demobilisation, Reintergration and Rehabilitation (DDRR) processes involves and have implication for women whether they participated in combat, have family member who did, or are members of a community trying to integrate former combatants. While some women joined armed groups of their own free will, large numbers were abducted into combat, and or forced to become sexual and domestic slaves. But no matter how they came to military groups, almost all of them are neglected during the DDRR process. What is needed is:
  • Clear strategies and action plans that incorporate gender perspectives on rehabilitation and reconstruction.
7.Capacity Building at the Continental Level

The Peace and Security protocol provides the broad framework within which peace and security is pursued in Africa . The Protocol provides for mechanisms, structures, institutions and processes that should deal with conflict prevention, management and resolution.
    a. The Peace and Security Council

    Once the Peace and Security Protocol enters into force, the responsibility for Africa ' peace and security will rest with the Peace and Security Council. In executing this mandate the PSC will liaise with regional mechanisms for conflict prevention management and resolution. In addition to these core actors and institutions, the protocol provides for support structures.

    The mandate of the Peace and Security stretches from preventive action, to conflict management and resolution to post conflict reconstruction. The creation of capacity at the Peace and Security Council level, therefore, requires engaging in these broad areas. As a start up there is need to engage in the operationalization of the eight priority areas, whose implementation is expected to trigger positive multiplier effects on other security issues. For instance, because information is central to all action, the need to strengthen early warning units at the continental, sub-regional and national levels is critical. This requires creation of skills and training in techniques for the collection and analysis of information/data; establishment of mechanisms for sharing information and getting it to the right points, at the right time to ensure effective action. Similarly, the need for relevant skills training and acquisition of techniques applies to all the other priority areas.

    To support the Peace and Security Council, there is need to build capacity around the governance and accountability structure of the AU, namely the African Peer Review Mechanism. This would involve engaging in activities to actualize the APR as an institution as well as to maximize political buying in and participation of critical stakeholders, in this case women, in the APR mechanism. More significantly, there is need to cultivate political consensus on the need to actualize the involvement of women in all areas of peace and security. This would ensure support and commitment from African leadership, which should translate in resource availability to enhance the quality of women's participation.

    Among the most advanced institutions in terms of development, and which women need to focus some attention to is the African Standby Force (ASF).

    b. African Standby Force

    The African Standby Force is provided for in Article 13 (1) of the Peace and Security Protocol. It is envisioned to perform responsibilities that relate to the deployment of peace support missions and intervention pursuant to Article 4 (h) and (j) of the AU Constitutive Act. Article 13 of the Protocol also calls on Member states to take steps to establish standby contingents for participation in peace support missions or intervention. If the number of women in these operations is to be expanded, and their value enhanced, the need for gender mainstreaming in the security sector, together with the development of gender sensitive training can not be emphasised enough. Another opportunity that Article 13 provides relates specifically to influencing the process that will determine procedures of engaging the African Standby Force, and shaping policies that are sensitive to the need to increase the quota of qualified women within the ASF. Such could include increasing the recruitment quota for women. Further, Article 13 (13) provides for training of the personnel of national standby contingents at operational and tactical levels in "international humanitarian law and international human rights law, with particular emphasis on the rights of women and children." Herein is real opportunity to unpack the nature of such training in terms of its substance and content. For instance, given accumulating evidence that suggests insecurity to be inextricably linked to increased domestic violence and women trafficking, there is urgent need to have a mechanism that monitors gender specific abuse during and after operations.

    Article 13(14) also provides for the development and circulation of appropriate Standing Operating Procedures to support the standardization of training doctrines, manuals and programmes for national and regional schools of excellence and to coordinate the African Standby Force training courses, Command and Staff exercises as well as field exercises. Here women need to engage in processes that lead not only to an increase in the number of women but sensitivity to their needs including the relevance of having lighter equipment.

    c. Panel of the Wise

    Another institution where women need to engage in is the Panel of the Wise. Article 11 (1) of the Peace and Security Protocol provides for a Panel of the Wise "to advise and support the Peace and Security Council and the Chairperson of the Commission, particularly in the area of conflict prevention. The standing proposal is for this panel to be composed of five highly respected African personalities who have made outstanding contribution to the cause of peace, security and development. In terms of selection, each person will be chosen after consultation with the Member States concerned, on the basis of regional representation and appointed by the Assembly to serve for a period of three years. This provision provides an opportunity to engage in consultations and processes that ensure the nomination of women candidates and or candidates sensitive to gender dimensions of peace and security.

8. Capacity Building at the Regional Mechanisms

Capacity building at the regional level should focus on adapting the continental structures and vision to the regional context and needs. This should take the form of regional operational guidelines to harmonise action and ensure synergy among Member states. In view of this, regional mechanisms need to enhance their capacities to ensure effective coordination of action, development and provision of benchmarks and regional guidelines for action, and monitor implementation of activities and programmes relating to conflict prevention, management and resolution at the national level.

9. Capacity Building at the National level

The nation state is the key implementing actor for activities relating to peace and security. The nature of capacity building at this level should aim at boosting effective operational capability as it relates to all aspects of peace and security from the national to the community level. The dividend for effective capacity building and utilization at this level is increased human security. As far as women involvement is concerned priority should be given to the following forms of capacity building:

Creation of gender-sensitive justice system that ensures:
  • Legal systems that provide accessible and gender sensitive avenues to redress for victims of armed conflict
  • Interpretation international law and domestic legislation in ways that protect women in armed conflicts
  • Promotion of gender balance and gender expertise in all relevant international bodies, at all times including the International Law Commission, the ad-hoc War Crimes Tribunals and the human rights treaty bodies, having due regard for the principle of equitable geographical distribution.
  • Countries examine and consider modifying existing legal definitions and standards to ensure that they encompass concerns of all women and girls affected by conflict, and in particular, that reaffirm rape, systematic rape and sexual slavery in armed conflicts to constitute war crimes.
Capacity that addresses Specific needs:
  • Take account of the impact of war on the health of women and introduce measures to address these. For instance, psychological needs arising from trauma stemming from sexual abuses and the effects of violations of other rights.
  • Ensure relevant training for bodies and actors engaged with the needs and concerns of refugee and internally displaced women. For instance in design and location of camps.
  • Women involvement in post-conflict reconstruction and dealing with needs that arise out of specific circumstances such as women headed households.
Increase participation of women in peacekeeping, peace-building, pre and post-conflict decision making, conflict prevention, post conflict resolution and reconstruction.
  • Increase through measures of affirmative action, women's participation and leadership in decision-making and in preventing conflicts
  • Mainstream a gender perspective in to peace-promoting activities at all levels as well as humanitarian and peace-building policies, including through gender analysis and the encouragement of the participation of more female personnel at all levels, in particular at senior or high levels in field missions, and monitor and review such policies as appropriate, on the basis of equitable geographical distribution where applicable.
  • Recognise and support women's NGOs particularly at the grassroots level, in respect to their preventing conflicts, including early warning and peace building.
  • Strengthen on-going efforts to train international peacekeeping forces in human rights and gender-sensitivity, provide training on codes of conduct and prevention of violence against women, ensuring that trainers include civilians, women and experts in gender issues, and monitor the impact of this training.
10. Conclusion

The justification for women to engage in building the various capacities for the prevention, management and resolution of conflict is clear. Women bear the brunt of negative consequences associated with insecurity. They are, therefore, posed to be key beneficiaries of peace. Women have also been engaged intensely in the search for peace at local levels, the AU-NEPAD framework offers opportunities to contribute in the pursuit of peace at higher levels. Besides, accumulating evidence from research across the continent suggests that women, even in situations of conflict, play crucial roles in preserving social order and as peace educators in their families and their societies women are significant agents for fostering a culture of peace. Above all these, women comprise more than half of the population of Africa and need to claim their right to participate in dealing with one of the most vexing issues, namely conflict and security. The moment for that engagement is here. History today provides an opportunity for women to contribute these attributes for the enhancement of Africa 's capacity to create a peaceful and security environment.

Thank you.




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