Since approximately 1990, peace processes involving the negotiation of formal peace agreements between the protagonists to conflict have become a predominant way of ending violent conflicts both within and between States. Between 1990 and 2015 1,168 peace agreements have been negotiated in around 102 conflicts, on a wide definition of peace agreements to include agreements at all stages of the negotiations.

These agreements, when they reach a framework stage, seek to end conflict by setting out a governmental road map for the future. They often perform a constitution-like function for the transitional period and sometime beyond, critically shaping domestic political and legal institutions, and creating the agenda for the subsequent efforts and funds of international interveners.

Peace agreements are therefore important documents with significant capacity to affect women’s lives. However, a range of obstacles for women seeking to influence their design and implementation persists. These include difficulties with accessing talks, achieving equal influence at talks, raising issues of concern for women, and achieving material gains for women as an outcome of the peace process.

The aim is to inform the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 and its successors, with relation to peace processes and agreements. The study has been prepared to inform the HighLevel Review of of the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 and the Global Study on the Implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 to support that review, called for in paragraphs 15 and 16 of UN Security Council Resolution 2122 (2013), and we hope it will continue to inform attempts to implement the findings of that review.