7 September 2016: The UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) adopted a Gender Strategy, becoming the first UN intergovernmental body to do so, according to UN Women. The PBC’s strategy seeks to strengthen its engagement on gender-related aspects of peacebuilding by ensuring an inclusive approach that accounts for women’s perspectives and specific needs, and promotes gender equality in order to make peacebuilding more effective.

Adopted during a meeting of the PBC’s Organizational Committee on 7 September 2016, the PBC Gender Strategy defines a series of priority areas of strategic action for PBC’s gender-responsive engagement at the country, regional and global levels, as well as key messages that the PBC should systematically promote. The 13-page Strategy was finalized after a two-month intergovernmental negotiation process, under Kenya’s chairship, following a phase of background research including country case studies under Sweden’s chairship, working alongside representatives of UN Women. Consultations on the draft Strategy took place at the global level as well as in-country, with PBC member governments, civil society partners, UN missions and country teams.

Upon the Strategy’s adoption, UN Member States expressed strong commitment to implement the Strategy, while underscoring the critical contribution of women to peacebuilding and to sustaining the peace agenda. The Permanent Mission of Kenya reports that the Committee will nominate a member to serve as the focal point for the Gender Strategy and gender integration issues in general. [PBC Announcement] [Permanent Mission of Kenya Press Release]