Senior UN officials have warned of the serious risks posed by decisions to close or downsize peacekeeping and special political missions, particularly for the protection of women’s rights and security in conflict zones.
With armed conflicts persisting in many parts of the world, the international community is faced with a major dilemma: the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping and special political missions. Unfortunately, this process risks having disastrous consequences for the protection of women’s rights and security in these crisis zones, UN experts warn.
Senior UN officials have warned of the serious risks posed by decisions to close or downsize peacekeeping and special political missions, calling for urgent awareness and concrete measures to preserve the long-standing gains made in gender equality and women’s participation in peace processes.
Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, stressed that “despite an increase in conflict and insecurity, the number of peacekeeping personnel deployed has decreased by almost half, from 121,000 in 2016 to approximately 71,000 in 2024.”
This drastic decline in UN personnel on the ground has disastrous consequences, particularly for women and girls, notes the statement seen by APA on Thursday.
Martha Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, warned of the risks of an accelerated transition of UN missions, and “if transitions are not well structured, adequately resourced and gender-responsive, women and girls risk suffering setbacks, including losing access to essential services, being excluded from decision-making processes and becoming vulnerable to further violence”.
Haiti and Mali demonstrable examples
The examples of Haiti and Mali illustrate these fears. In Haiti, the departure of the UN peacekeeping mission in 2019 was followed by a surge in sexual violence, with nearly 5,000 cases of violations reported in 2023, the statement said.
In Mali, the accelerated withdrawal of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) had a negative impact on peacebuilding programs focused on women and girls, the document indicated.
Based on these observations, Sima Bahous called on the Security Council to take urgent measures to protect gains in gender equality during transitions, including by ensuring the participation of women in adequate financing of peace and security initiatives.
“We fear a future marked by increasing atrocities against women, their ever greater marginalisation in decision-making and, ultimately, a failure of the international community,” she warned, urging the international community to act to avoid this catastrophic scenario.
ARD/Sf/ac/fss/as/APA