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We believe the peace talks and the ensuing peace ageement will be much more substantive and will have a greater chance of implementation if women have ownership by being fully and equally represented. Consequently, the upcoming peace talks in Mali will also be more likely to succeed if the world sees a positive example in the Colombian peace process.

We also call on you to use your good offices to persuade the four sponsoring countries, Norway, Cuba, Venezuela and your own Chile, to publish the names of the people on their teams so that the world can see the number of women included. This will present a wonderful role model for future peace processes.

The 2012 UN Secretary-General’s Report on Women, Peace and Security demonstrates that despite words and resolutions, there remains a distinct lack of action on women and peace and security issues globally. Of the nine peace agreements that were signed last year, only two (22 percent) contained women and peace and security provisions. Furthermore, out of the 14 peace processes that were underway in 2011, only four of the negotiating party delegations included a woman delegate.

The Colombian government and the FARC have begun a process of negotiations that aims to put an end to the armed conflict that has been going on for 50 years. We stand in support of all Colombian women’s groups and civil society organizations who call for:

1)      the observance of a ceasefire during the peace process;
2)      representation of women among the  principal 1st tier of negotiators of the Government and the FARC;
3)      full implementation of the Victims Law;
4)      punishment for perpetrators of sexual violence;
5)      and full completion of the peace talks.

We also call for the allocation of  seats for women to sit independently at the table in the Colombian peace talks –that is, not as part of the Government nor the FARC. Moreover, we urge the negotiators to include the following in the peace agreement: an agenda on peace education for reconciliation; and implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820.

It is imperative that women be included in the Colombian peace negotiations from an early stage to provide space for women and to ensure a gendered dimension to the negotiations, as per UNSCR 1325. The success of these peace talks highly depend on the full and equal participation of women. The agreements cannot be legitimate when women, half the population, are left out. In addition, women need to be part of the implementation of the agreement. We therefore request you to use your leverage and good office to highlight this issue and strongly advocate for women’s  inclusion in all phases of the peace negotiations in Colombia and Mali as well as other on-going peace procceses in Somalia, Darfur, Cyprus and others.

We would also like to assure you that the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders-International Civil society Action Network will continue to provide support by organizing initial consultations with women’s organizations in the countries undergoing peace processes and identifying gender experts and women legal experts who could support the peace processes.

Organizations

1. Mavic Cabrera-Balleza, Global Network of Women Peacebuilders-International Civil Society Action Network
2. Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)
3. Center for Peace Education, Philippines
4. Center for Women in Governance, Uganda
5. Corporación de Investigación y Acción Social y Económica, Colombia
6. Dewi Suralaga, Cordaid – the Netherlands
7. Fontaine ISOKO for Good Governance, Burundi
8. Institute of Human Rights Communication, Nepal
9. Lia van Broekhoven, Cordaid – the Netherlands
10. Lira Women Survivor’s Shelter, Lira, Northern Uganda
11. Mano River Women’s Peace Network, Sierra Leone
12. Media Advocacy Group, Nepal
13. National Organization of Women, Sierra Leone
14. Operation 1325, Sweden
15. PeaceWomen Across the Globe, PWAG, Switzerland
16. Rose Motumbo, DRC
17. Rwanda Women’s Network
18. Saathi, Nepal
19. Samanatha, Nepal
20. Sancharika Samuha, Nepal
21. West African Network of Peacebuilding, Liberia
22. Women Allies Peacebuilders, Burundi
23. Women in Black, Serbia
24. Women in Peacebuilding Network, Liberia
25. Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia

-END-

November 12, 2012

Please find attached the complete letter

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"Dear Mr. Eliasson,

We, the participants at the various side events that the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP)-International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) organized in New York during the 12^th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, and women from around the world express our deep concern over the absence of women  in the ongoing peace talks between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).  We believe the peace talks and the ensuing peace ageement will be much more substantive, will be more sustainable and grounded in broader social buy-in if women are fully and equally represented.  This includes the participation of women on the four teams supporting the process: Norway, Cuba, Chile and Venezuela. Your office could help persuade those governments to publish the names of their teams showing the inclusion of women.

The same holds for the  upcoming peace talks in Mali.  The demonstration effect of a gender-sensitive and inclusive approach to the Colombia process will help inspire inclusivity in the Malian process where all will benefit from the  positive example of the Colombian peace process.

We are happy to note that you were able to meet with so many women in Bamako.  We expect the next report will have their representatives at the peace table. We are confident that you and your office will continue to ensure that women are welcomed as an independent party to the peace talks that are underway as well as those in the future.  We recall the instrumental role that Sen. George J. Mitchell played in the Northern Ireland peace process by telling women that they could participate if they formed a political party, which they did. Their inclusion led to remarkable human rights provisions in the Peace Agreement signed on Good Friday 1998..."

To access the complete letter, please download the following file