The Regional Women’s Lobby (RWL) for Peace, Security and Justice in SEE applauds the unanimous adoption of a new resolution in the United Nations Security Council on Women, Peace and Security.

The new resolution, 1888, calls for the immediate appointment of a Special Representative to strengthen existing UN coordination mechanisms; the creation of a team of experts, to assist governments, UN missions on the ground and peacekeeping forces to cope with sexual violence in armed conflict; the appointment of women’s protection advisors in peacekeeping missions; the provision of data and information about the prevalence of sexual violence in reports made by peacekeeping missions to the Security

Council; and annual reporting on the progress made on implementing SCR 1820 and this new resolution.

RWL calls for commitments from the governments of Southeast Europe to renew their implementation efforts of Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, Resolution 1820 on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Resolution 1888 on Strengthening Action on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The RWL supports fully the statement by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “The more we know about conflicts, the more we realize that women — who do not start conflicts — are often the victims. But women have tremendous potential for being peacemakers and peacekeepers.”

The RWL is composed of women politicians, experts and advocates from seven countries of Southeast Europe.