Statement by The Women’s Refugee Commission Regarding UN Security Council’s Vote on Proposed Resolution on Women, Peace, and Security

New York, NY – Today, a United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution on women, peace, and security, proposed by the Russian Federation, failed to reach the required number of votes. Russia, China, Indonesia, South Africa, and Vietnam voted in favor. The United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Germany, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, and the United States abstained.

Negotiations on the resolution had taken place in the lead-up to the Security Council’s annual open debate on women, peace, and security. The debate marked the 20th anniversary of Resolution 1325, the first-ever resolution to recognize the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls, and call for women’s meaningful participation in peace negotiations. Since then, the Council has adopted nine subsequent resolutions. Russia had stated its intention to commemorate the anniversary with the resolution.

In reaction to the vote, Stephanie Johanssen, UN Representative at the Women’s Refugee Commission, issued the following statement:

“We welcome the decision by the majority of Security Council members to withhold their support for this resolution. The text presented by Russia not only failed to advance the women, peace, and security agenda, but fell short of standards set in previous resolutions, including on the critical role of women’s civil society and accountability for gender-based violence.

“It is deeply regrettable that in the 20th anniversary year of historic Resolution 1325, the Security Council has once again become the stage for national politics, instead of uniting to implement existing commitments to ensure women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation and leadership in peace negotiations. Women peace builders have fought tirelessly, even risked their lives, to build this agenda; their achievements must not be dismantled.

“Sadly, this is not the first attempt by Russia to undermine the women, peace, and security agenda. Russia has repeatedly questioned this thematic as being relevant to the Security Council’s work and has a track record of undermining the human rights of women and girls and LGBTQI persons in UN forums, including at the Commission on the Status of Women.”

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