PNP Women’s Movement commemorates International Day of Peace
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The People’s National Party Women’s Movement on Monday called for the Government to urgently advance policies, mechanisms, and other infrastructure towards the full implementation of the United Nations (UN) Women Peace and Security Agenda as the organisation commemorates the International Day of Peace.
The day is being celebrated under the theme: “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.
The PNP highlighted that UNSCR 1325 was the UN Security Council’s first major consolidated affirmation of the importance of preventing violence against women and girls in emergency and humanitarian situations while encouraging the participation of women and the inclusion of gender perspectives in peace negotiations, humanitarian planning and post-conflict peacebuilding and governance.
The group acknowledged a high-level symposium held in March to evaluate and strengthen the implementation of the WPS principles within defence and security sectors.
It said, however, while this is a start, the increased violence against women, along with the effects of major climate catastrophes such as Hurricane Melissa, call for more urgent and targeted efforts towards the implementation of the WPS pillars of: Participation; Protection; Prevention; Relief and Recovery.
The group called on the Government to also:
— Engage with women and girls, civil society, the Opposition and other relevant stakeholders to encourage transparency and cohesion;
— Seek out best practices in the implementation of the prescribed National Action Plan such as those already established in Trinidad & Tobago and Colombia;
— Create a clear Inter-Ministerial governance structure (in relation to the role of its Ministry of Peace & Security, Gender, Justice…and the relevant agencies) for the monitoring and evaluation component of the Agenda.
“This Women’s Movement, in seeking to further the efforts of those Movements before us, calls on the Government to move beyond closed-door conversations around the implementation of this important agenda and create wider avenues for meaningful, inclusive and progressive deliberations around its full implementation,” it said.
