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Peace Disarmament Economic Justice Environment Racial Justice UN Human Rights Contact Donate |
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WILPF International Update Dear WILPF Members and Friends, Included in this WILPF International update you will find:
As always, we welcome feedback and input to these mailings. If you have something to contribute to the next mailing, please send it to susi.snyder@wilpf.ch no later than the 17th of the month. Past updates are archived on the website at: http://www.wilpf.int.ch/updates. Warm greetings, Susi Snyder Message from the Presidents This past year has been an exciting one for us as WILPF International Presidents, and for WILPF itself. We have released numerous statements and increased WILPF’s political presence this past year, addressing issues from the situation in the Middle East through the weaponisation of outer space to gender and sexual based violence against women during war and conflict. The international board meeting was successful, with more than eighty participants from over thirty countries working together, as one WILPF. We were pleased with the outcomes of the meeting; a well discussed and worked through, agreed and applicative program, statements on Climate Change and against NATO, interesting political discussions and a very inspiring seminar. While we were not successful in getting a statement on the situation in Afghanistan, the intensity of the discussions demonstrated how complex the issue is, and why we must continue to discuss it before issuing a blanket statement that does not adequately reflect the nuances of the situation overall. This past year we have worked to build WILPF. We were happy to welcome members of the WILPF groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to the international board meeting. We were also pleased to meet international members who chose to participate from Belgium and Nigeria. WILPF must sustain and build membership if we are to survive in the coming years. This past year has seen incredible errors in the global financial system. While not exactly the collapse of economic neo liberalism, the world is feeling the impact of a system built on exploitation and impoverishment. And in this situation the women are the most exposed and vulnerable. The lack of oversight, and public scrutiny, in financial dealings has led to the current situation. WILPF has consistently called for trade and trade negotiations to be done in a transparent way so as to prevent deals that make the poor poorer and the rich richer. It’s time for a change to step away from hidden world bank and international monetary fund dealings and build a multilateral system where everyone has an equal voice- not only those who have money.
Armed conflict continues, sadly we cannot celebrate an end to war as we celebrate the start of this coming year, but WILPF continues to work to eliminate the root causes of armed conflict, to analyze these root causes and their results from a woman’s perspective and to create a more peaceful and just world for all. We look forward to continuing this work with you all. With best wishes for the New Year. Annelise Ebbe & Kerstin Grebäck Dear friends, It is hard to believe that 2008 is coming to a close already. It has been an exciting year in the WILPF offices- both in New York and in Geneva. In Geneva we are fortunate to have so many people pass through the office and give us helping hand. I wish the best of luck to our 2008 annual interns- Sandy Fong and Kirsty Mckay, without whom we would not have been able to get through the year. We’ve also had the gracious help of Linnéa Lagergren, Emma Rosengren, Nora Hofstetter, Jennifer Infanti, Eva-Sophie Buettner, Malin Nilsson, Josefine Karlsson and Sofia Ek. I’m very happy that Sofia has agreed to stay with us and help welcome Ilse Wermink, Maria Avin Jomaa, and Esra Ekip some of the new team in 2009. We’ll also be welcoming other Swedish interns through the year, as the intern cooperation project continues to work very well. Petra and Pia and the entire team in Stockholm have my thanks for helping this project to function so effectively these last few years. Katie Harrison who was our annual disarmament intern in 2007 was also with us through the year- working for Landmine Action on the Cluster Munitions Convention. Katie started her time with WILPF as a volunteer in October 2006, and continues to keep WILPF informed, and at the table, in cluster munitions discussions. It has been great to have Katie in the office. Marie Boroli began working for WILPF as a half-time office administrator in late August 2005. Her first major task was helping me to prepare the reception at the International Executive Committee meeting that year. Her final task as WILPF was sorting out the financial report for the International Board meeting just held in Geneva in 2008. Marie has been an amazing contribution to the work of WILPF- streamlining the office management tasks, helping everyone to understand their roles and be clear in their responsibilities, bringing a sense of organisation to this organisation. Marie will be starting a new position at the World Health Organisation in January 2009, and will be sorely missed. Of course WILPF in Geneva would not be the same without the constant guidance, companionship and dedication shown by Edith Ballantyne, Krishna AhoojaPatel and Lee Weingarten. These women have kept the office going through many changes over the years of WILPF. They are our wise-women of Geneva, and continue to support us in countless ways. WILPF in New York has also seen some changes this last year. I am thrilled that we can welcome an outstanding, dedicated, hard-working, critically thinking woman into the position of WILPF UN Office director. Anjie joined us in Geneva for the International Board meeting, and in her second week at WILPF was immediately plunged into the political and organisational matters at the heart of WILPF. I’m excited that she is part of our team. Ray Acheson has invigorated the Reaching Critical Will project this past year. She has managed to bring the project to a new level by making connections in Reaching Critical Will reports to countless resources and providing insightful analyses. I’ve been told by Geneva based disarmament diplomats that her reports on the Conference on Disarmament are the best thing to come out of the CD in 2008 that they have provided these governmental representatives with food for thought and with new ideas that they talk about with other governments, and with their own capitals. Ray truly is a ray of light in the often dark and dusty nuclear disarmament world, and WILPF is fortunate to have on staff. Sam Cook has also managed to overcome incredible challenges in this last year. When Milkah left the PeaceWomen project, Sam became responsible for every piece of it. Without a director in the WILPF UN Office for so long, Sam truly became PeaceWomen. She has managed enormous teams of intern and volunteer help. In addition to keeping the website updated daily, editing the 1325 PeaceWomen E-News each month, Sam was also instrumental in getting the UN Security Council to adopt resolution 1820, and she published the first analysis of that resolution. WILPF would not have the PeaceWomen project were it not for Sam. Friends, I realise as I finish this end of the year message to you that I have delved into the personal. I have talked about the women behind WILPF’s offices to try and paint you a picture of the outstanding efforts that these women have made. These are only a few - WILPF women around the world continue to go unrecognised, unpaid, unacknowledged for their efforts. We women of WILPF are the backbone for so many other organisations and movements. As we look ahead towards 2009, let’s look toward a time that we can acknowledge the women of WILPF. Let us celebrate these women, as we celebrate the anniversary of WILPF on 28 April. As we work throughout the year putting our politics first, let us set aside one moment to put our people first and honour them, as we honour ourselves, for doing everything we can for a more peaceful world. With best wishes, Susi Snyder Welcoming AnnJanette Rosga to WILPF We would like to introduce AnnJanette Rosga to everyone. She joined WILPF staff in November 2008, as the director of the United Nations office in New York City. She holds a Ph.D. in the History of Consciousness (interdisciplinary social sciences) from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Prior to joining WILPF, Anjie was an assistant professor at Knox College in Illinois, and then at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she taught courses in social and feminist theory, research methodologies, and the cultural study of law, crime and violence. Anjie’s recent research was on US training for police in emerging democracies, especially vis-à-vis human rights and child trafficking in Bosnia-Herzegovina. She has published on human trafficking, bias-related crime, and human rights indicators. Anjie has received several awards, including fellowships from the Fulbright Institute and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. As a researcher for the film, Licensed to Kill, Anjie was co-recipient of the Sundance Filmmakers’ Trophy Award for Best Documentary in 1997. She has also been a consultant for Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UNICEF, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNDP, and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces. For DCAF, she authored an online peacekeepers’ course on violence against women and women’s human rights. A long-time admirer of WILPF and an avid consumer of its web archives, she is thrilled and honoured to join the WILPF team in New York, and we are thrilled to have her as part of the team. If you would like to be in touch with Anjie directly, she can be reached in the WILPF UN Office at: +1.212.682.1265, or by email at Rosga(at)WILPF.ch WILPF Letter to the UN Secretary-General, President of the Security Council and the General Assembly on Israel and Palestine WILPF demands an end to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories it conquered in the 1967 war. The situation in Gaza is desperate. The Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Occupied Territories has recently referred to certain acts by Israel against the Gaza population as a crime against humanity[1], and this month has been refused entry by Israel into both the occupied territories and Jerusalem to observe the current conditions of those living under occupation. Media and NGOs report that ships bearing food and medicines to the desperate Gaza population have been prevented by Israel from reaching their destination. Throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem the building of illegal Jewish settlements is on the rise. Israeli settlers are increasing their violent acts against Palestinian civilians and farmers. The confiscation of land continues, as does the destruction of precious ancient olive trees. There is no end of the demolition of houses and the incursions by the Israeli Occupation Forces into villages happen daily. Arrests and kidnappings are on the rise. The illegal separation Wall, condemned by the International Court of Justice, is nearing completion. Nearly a year ago, Karen Koning AbuZayd, commissioner-general of the UN's refugee agency, warned: "Gaza is on the threshold of becoming the first territory to be intentionally reduced to a state of abject destitution.” She blamed Gaza's strangulation directly on Israel, but also cited the international community as an accomplice. Where is the responsibility to protect the Palestinian people? We call on the United Nations to take immediate steps that will bring Israel into conformity with international law as befits a member state of the United Nations. We call for an end to the Occupation. Signed, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom WILPF also sent a letter to the UN Security Council in advance of their meeting on 16 December on the Middle East. You can find that letter here. WILPF International Board Meeting- Summary of Decisions The WILPF international board meeting concluded its work on 24 November 2008. The meeting, held in Geneva, reviewed the implementation of WILPF’s programme, and set priorities for action for the coming period. A brief summary of programme decisions is below. A more expanded summary, involving additional organisational decisions is available on the website. WILPF Programme: Challenge Militarism The International Board also agreed to circulate materials developed by the Reaching Critical Will project on Article 26 of the UN Charter to increase national lobbying efforts to implement this important article. Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty 2010 Review Conference Preparations
UN Security Council Resolution 1325 Strengthening the United Nations CEDAW WILPF UN Committee
Investing in Peace It was also recognized that WILPF needs additional materials, along the lines of the “You Get What You Pay For” materials on the environment that will be developed from the Geneva office in coordination with the Environmental Working Group Food and Water – WILPF needs a more visible policy. CSD 17 – Commission on Sustainable Development, 4- 15 May 2009 Gender budgeting Promoting Global Economic Justice Actions:
To demand accountability of those causing economic damages to people including the European Union, Bretton Wood institutions, U.S., our governments and campaign to prevent the continuation of their policies. Actions:
To promote and make visible alternative development models, such as cooperation between the South, fair trade options. Offer solidarity to initiatives in that direction that might help people fight poverty and improve livelihoods.
Corporate Connections The Environment working group requested help from interested members in developing the following materials:
Building WILPF WILPF Manifesto UN Security Council open debate on Article 26 of the Charter
In order to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the world's human and economic resources, the Security Council shall be responsible for formulating, with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee referred to in Article 47, plans to be submitted to the Members of the United Nations for the establishment of a system for the regulation of armaments. In a concept paper circulated before the debate, the Costa Rican delegation emphasized that the regulation or limitation of armaments should be seen as part of the UN’s toolkit for international stability, development, and conflict resolution, that it is “one element of the broader and more comprehensive design for the maintenance of international peace and security.” Highlighting the concurrent responsibilities of the General Assembly and the Security Council and the importance of multilateralism, the paper urged “more consistent monitoring, more effective implementation and, where necessary, firmer enforcement of treaty obligations,” particularly those of the UN Charter. The paper called for a “constructive and proactive interaction” between regional security arrangements and the Security Council in the context of Article 26. In particular, it suggested the establishment of regional commitments to maintaining collectively agreed levels of military spending, “with the Security Council and regional organizations serving as effective guarantors of compliance.” In his statement to the debate, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias argued that the wording of Article 26 is not an accident—spending in arms is a diversion of human and economic resources; asking for the least diversion of resources for armaments means finding alternatives to excessive military spending that do not under security. One such alternative, he argued, is strengthening multilateralism. As long as states do not feel protected by regional and international organizations or arrangements, they will continue to arm themselves at the expense of their people’s development—especially economic and social development of their poor—and at the expense of international security. Representatives of 38 other governments delivered statements at the open debate, including all of the permanent and current rotating members of the Security Council. The P5 response Russia did address issues of collective security, emphasizing the importance of peacekeeping for enhancing existing security architecture and calling for legally-binding regional security arrangements. The UK delegation welcomed the idea of mainstreaming disarmament into development policies. For the most part, however, the P5 focused on their own disarmament policies without concretely addressing the issue of Article 26, reduction of military spending, or the regulation of armaments. The US delegation broached the subject briefly, agreeing only that the “reduction of armaments is important for many states,” and stating that “under the right circumstances, reduction of armaments can enhance security and development.” (Emphasis added) Comments worthy of comment High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Sergio Duarte delivered a statement on behalf of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who stressed that security is a common good and only has value when it is shared by others. Recognizing this, many delegations, such as that of Ecuador, noted the importance of introducing “a radical change in the structures of the current international order.” Some delegations laid out specific points to this end, including those of Pakistan and Switzerland (see above lists of proposals). Many other delegations, including Armenia and Qatar, pointed to specific instances of international armed aggression to argue the need for radical changes in the international order and the development of real collective security. Armenia’s representative pointed to the challenges facing the South Caucasus “stemming from the lack of regional security arrangements and a deficiency of existing arms control and regulation mechanisms.” Relating armed aggression to lack of development, Qatar’s representative argued, “Foreign occupation of the lands of other peoples is a serious threat to international peace and security, for it leads not only to chaos, economic destruction, flows of weapons and the depletion of the international community’s resources, but also, consequently to the loss of development opportunities.” He pointed to the current financial crisis as “convincing evidence of that clear fact.” Indeed, several delegations eloquently linked disarmament to development, arguing that spending on armaments and disproportionately sized military forces constitutes a poor allocation of resources. The Holy See said, “The lack of regulation and commitment to reducing global arms supplies has created a world in which weapons are more easily obtainable than food, shelter and education.” A few delegates recognized that military spending needs to be curbed and limited to bring military capabilities in line with legitimate needs of security. They also argued that while reduction of armaments does not necessarily translate to increased security or to development, it can help release funds to meet development needs and create an environment more conducive to development. A number of delegations argued that the implementation of the UN Programme of Action on curbing the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and the negotiation of an arms trade treaty would be proactive steps toward the regulation of illegal armaments. However, Bolivia’s representative questioned “whether the licit arms trade would be less deadly than the illicit.” He argued, “many of the armed conflicts are the result of the stinginess of those countries that promote war and the industry of war.” He asked, “Why does the United Nations not take the initiative to generate a project that would make it possible to systematically ban arms production? Arms are the true cause of conflicts.” Noting that Bolivia has “experienced two wars that were caused, not by hatred or conflict between brothers [sic] or with neighbouring countries, but rather by the interests of transnational firms, which organized and planned the armed conflicts,” Bolivia’s representative explained that his country is about to adopt a new political constitution that sets out Bolivia’s position as a pacifist state that rejects wars of aggression, the stationing of foreign military bases on its soil, and promotes a culture of peace and right to peace. He argued that peace is based on dialogue and disarmament—not only physical but also spiritual disarmament. In recommending action to the Security Council on Article 26, several delegations gave words of caution and advice. Argentina’s representative argued that given the failure of existing disarmament machinery, such as the Conference on Disarmament, to achieve meaningful results in recent years, “To think that it is possible to revitalize a Military Staff Committee whose functions it has never been possible to activate and to enable it to address disarmament and regulation of armaments does not seem to be a realistic way to achieve the desired objective.” Canada’s delegation likewise warned that significant debate would be needed before revitalizing this defunct body. A few delegates pointed to Costa Rica’s concept paper as a good starting point for the Security Council to take action on Article 26. Benin’s representative encouraged the Security Council to implement the ideas put forth in paragraphs 10–20 of the concept paper. He also highlighted a study by Oxford University professor Paul Collier on regional coordination for the reduction of military expenditures. For other specific recommendations, please see the lists above. Presidential Statement
Without mentioning Article 26 by name, the statement notes the importance of collective security, expresses concern with rising military expenditures, and calls on states to reinforce and/or implement existing agreements and to cooperate with regional and subregional organizations. It does not call upon the Security Council for further action on implementing Article 26 or for coming up with a plan to regulate armaments or reducing military expenditures. Nor does it take up any of Costa Rica’s suggestions regarding establishing a relationship between regional security arrangements and the Security Council. Conclusion Without being specifically mandated to formulate a plan to regulate armaments, the task set out in Article 26 fell to a group of multilateral disarmament bodies, including the UN Disarmament Commission (mandated to make recommendations on disarmament issues to the General Assembly), the General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security (mandated to “build consensus” on disarmament issues), and the Conference on Disarmament (mandated to negotiate multilateral disarmament treaties). While cooperation in these fora has led to certain disarmament measures being successfully deliberated, negotiated, and implemented, the Disarmament Commission and First Committee have in recent years largely become showcases to highlight divisions of governmental opinion on matters of disarmament, non-proliferation, and international security. Meanwhile, the Conference on Disarmament has not adopted a programme of work since 1999. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom welcomes Costa Rica’s efforts to stimulate debate on this subject and its thoughtful concept paper. We also appreciate the thoughtful insights and suggestions put forward by many of the 38 other delegations that contributed to the debate. However, we lament the lack of concrete proposals and commitments to move forward and the underwhelming presidential statement. We call on all concerned governments and members of civil society to continue pressuring their governments and the Security Council members to promote the discussion and implementation of Article 26. Action
To learn more about Article 26, see Other files: Report by Ray Acheson, Reaching Critical Will of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
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