June 23, 2023
Palais des Nations in Geneva, Room XXV
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, is a grave violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and UN Charter 1. International humanitarian and human rights law violations are committed with little to no accountability. It also caused the largest displacement of people in Europe since 1945 and the greatest modern challenge to global peace and security.
Women face increased safety and protection risks, including multiple forms of gender-based violence (GBV), particularly conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), domestic violence and human trafficking. However, Ukrainian women are demonstrating new social models as active defenders of Ukraine, volunteers and public diplomats.
In 2016, Ukraine adopted its first National Action Plan on Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (NAP 1325). An actionable second-generation NAP was adopted in 2020, focusing on advancing the role of women in decision-making.
At the end of 2022, the Government of Ukraine, in cooperation with various partners, revised the NAP1325, highlighting the role of women as actors and agents in the conflict settlement and post-war recovery of the country. The updated NAP 1325 reinforces the critical role of women’s civil society organizations (CSOs) in realizing the change and commitments to WPS, including in the area of post-conflict recovery and assistance to survivors.
The presentation of the revised NAP 1325 provides an opportunity to reflect on the WPS agenda in practice, learning from the experience of the Ukrainian government, civil society and development partners in updating and implementing the plan.
This side event focussed on the discussions around the protection of diverse groups affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the recovery processes, as well as the models of interaction of the Government of Ukraine, women’s CSOs and the development partners aimed at identifying and responding to human rights challenges, in particular, in relation to women and girls.
Featuring:
Olha Stefanishyna
Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration
Sabine Freizer Gunes
Representative of UN Women to Ukraine
Ulyana Tokareva
Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine (online)
Olena Suslova
Founder of the NGO Women’s Information Consultative Center, Ukraine
Melanne Verveer
Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (online)
Kateryna Bondar
Main Representative of the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations to UN in Geneva.
Olesia Bondar
Director of the Ukrainian Women’s Fund (online).
Moderated by
Kateryna Levchenko
Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy (Ukraine)
This event is co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN, the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the UN, the Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN, the Permanent Mission of Great Britain to the UN, the Apparatus of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy of Ukraine, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, UN Women, World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations, Ukrainian Women Fund, Information-Consultative Women Centre and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.