Promoting The Women, Peace and Security Agenda and The Culture of Peace

On October 17, 2019, the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York (NGO CSW/NY) held its monthly meeting on “UNSCR 1325—Towards the Culture of Peace.” Speakers included Ambassador of Hungary to the UN Katalin Bogyay, and Mallika Iyer, program officer of the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP). Ivy Koek of the SGI (Soka Gakkai International), vice chair of the NGO CSW/NY, and Azadeh Khalili of the International Alliance of Women and communications secretary of the NGO CSW/NY co-moderated the discussion. The discussion linked the importance of the Women, Peace and Security agenda (Security Council Resolution 1325) with the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (General Assembly Resolution A/53/243), which marked its 20th year in September. Speakers stressed that the Culture of Peace is essential to Resolution 1325 and is something everyone at all levels can be a part of. Women have a role as agents of change and peacebuilders, and this can happen from the bottom up, as GNWP has seen at the grassroots localizing 1325. With this approach, the agenda becomes relevant to people and allows them to be informed and advocate for their own human rights.