The UN’s New Agenda for Peace expresses particular alarm about the backlash against women’s rights

24-07-2023

Roza Cseby

Women’s Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence.

On 20 July, UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched "A New Agenda for Peace", a policy brief that outlines the future of multilateral security cooperation. This report sets the stage for a high-profile Summit of the Future, scheduled for September 2024. The Secretary-General envisions this summit as a crucial platform for global leaders to engage in substantive discussions on reforming international institutions and effectively tackling imminent global challenges. The original "Agenda for Peace," presented by Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in 1992, laid the groundwork for the UN's involvement in fostering stability in the post-Cold War era, with its primary emphasis on conflict prevention and peacebuilding. In contrast, the New Agenda expands its scope to encompass a wide array of subjects, ranging from peacebuilding and global financial governance to women's rights, climate change, and cyber-security (Gowan, 2023).

At the launch of the new policy brief, António Guterres delivered a speech stating that “We are on the verge of a new era. The post-cold war period is over, and we are moving towards a new global order and a multipolar world.” He emphasised that the New Agenda outlines his vision for multilateral endeavours towards peace and security, rooted in international law, to address the challenges of a transitioning world. The New Agenda presents 12 concrete sets of proposals for action, in five priority areas, including the gendered power dynamics and women’s participation in public and political spheres (United Nations, 2023/a). 

Within the framework of the New Agenda for Peace, women's rights face numerous threats amidst the myriad challenges that confront the world today. For example, the shrinking place for civic participation particularly affects women, including human rights defenders, journalists or those in politics as demands for more civic engagement have been met with physical attacks and the use of force. Furthermore, as the world grapples with the normative challenge of the global retrenchment of human rights and an erosion of the rule of law, it is evident that women’s rights are among the most jeopardized of all human rights. Growing backlash against women’s rights, including their sexual and reproductive health rights is concerning according to the Secretary-General. Thus he calls for dismantling patriarchal power structures, taking concrete action to challenge and transform gender norms, value systems and institutional structures that perpetuate exclusion and eradicate all forms of violence against women, both online and offline. The New Agenda also mentions the challenges of intersecting discrimination and recommends listening to and securing the perspectives of indigenous women, the elderly, women with disabilities, women from racial, religious or ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons and youth (United Nations, 2023/b). 

The New Agenda also makes concrete proposals to protect women's rights. It says that more political will is required to ensure women’s meaningful participation in all decision-making which would result in giant steps forward in maintaining peace. It recommends promoting gender parity within national government cabinets, parliaments, and local governance institutions through quotas, targets and incentives backed by strong accountability frameworks with well-defined milestones that aim to achieve women’s equal participation. Moreover, it recommends governments eliminate all manifestations of gender-based violence, specifically addressing gender-based hate speech. Additionally, it calls for fighting against impunity for perpetrators and ensuring the provision of essential services and protection for survivors of such violence. Lastly, it calls on Member States to ensure consistent, and foreseeable funding for gender equality initiatives and dedicate 15 percent of official development assistance (ODA) to support gender equality efforts and allocate a minimum of 1 percent of ODA directly to women's organizations, with a particular focus on grassroots groups actively mobilizing for peace (United Nations, 2023/b). 

Despite the concerning global rollback in women's rights observed in instances such as the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan, Iran's brutal repression of female-led revolution, the backlash against women’s sexual and reproductive rights, and the impact of wars and insecurity in African countries disproportionately affecting women António Guterres' special attention to women's rights and gender equality is unprecedented and with the New Agenda for Peace it stands as hope for progress and reinforcing the UN's dedication to a more inclusive and secure world for all (AFP, 2023).

Sources and further readings:

United Nations (202/b). A New Agenda for Peace: Our Common Agenda, Policy Brief 9. Retrieved July 25, 2023, from https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/our-common-agenda-policy-brief-new-agenda-for-peace-en.pdf 

United Nations (2023/a). Launching New Agenda for Peace Policy Brief, Secretary-General Urges States to “Preserve Our Universal Institution” amid Highest Level of Geopolitical Tension in Decades. Secretary-General - Statements and Messages. Retrieved July 25, 2023, from https://press.un.org/en/2023/sgsm21885.doc.htm 

Gowan, R. (2023). What’s New about the UN’s New Agenda for Peace? International Crisis Group. Retrieved July 25, 2023, from https://www.crisisgroup.org/global/whats-new-about-uns-new-agenda-peace 

AFP (2023). Gender equality is still ‘300 years away’, says UN secretary general. The Guardian. Retrieved July 25, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/mar/06/antonio-guterres-un-general-assembly-gender-equality 

United Nations (2023/c). The Summit of the Future in 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2023, from https://www.un.org/en/common-agenda/summit-of-the-future 

Boutros-Ghali, B. (1992). An agenda for peace: preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-keeping : report of the Secretary-General pursuant to the statement adopted by the Summit Meeting of the Security Council on 31 January 1992. United Nations Digital Library. Retrieved July 25, 2023, from https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/145749?ln=en