Human Rights Based Approach Gender Mainstreaming Conflict Prevention (etc.)

1. Human Rights Based Approach Gender Mainstreaming Conflict Prevention (etc.) How can we be more strategic in addressing cross-cutting issues and mainstreaming in the UN? HRBA Community of Practice Meeting for Europe and the CIS Prague 25-26 Nov 2005

2. The objective of this presentation: • To emphasize similarities in the approaches; • To point out potential challenges and solutions; • NOT to present a “recipe” but rather to put the issue on the table to keep in mind for the remainder of the meeting and in the future.

3. Mainstreaming requirements in the UN/UNDP • Human Rights • In 1997, Secretary-General Kofi Annan adopted his Agenda for Reform of the UN…using human rights as a cross-cutting theme in all the activities of the UN. • In 1998, UNDP adopted its policy of Integrating Human Rights in Sustainable Human Development. • In 2003, Secretary-General Kofi Annan adopted his Agenda for Further Reform of the UN in which (in Action 2 ) special priority was given to developing the capacity of the UN Country Team to apply a human rights based approach. • In 2003, at the Second UN Inter-Agency Workshop, all participating UN agencies adopted the UNStatement of a Common Understanding on a Human Rights Approach to Development Co-operation, which has since been endorsed by UN DGO. • 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, Para 126, We resolve to integrate the promotion and protection of human rights into national policies and to support the further mainstreaming of human rights throughout the United Nations system… • 2005 General Assembly Resolution on HRBA. • Gender • Gender mainstreaming recognized as MYFF driver for development effectiveness. • UNDP (2003) Gender policy guidance note • Conflict prevention • Secretary-General’s report on Prevention of Conflict, UN General Assembly (2001) UN and subsequent progress reports, Security Council Agenda Item 10, 7 June 2001 (A/55/985-S/2001/574) • UNDG (forthcoming) Prevention of Armed Conflict: Draft Guidance Note

4. Why is this important? • To address the challenge of “mainstreaming fatigue” and reduce the workload of staff members; • To avoid giving conflicting policy and programming advice to staff members; • To draw on UNDP’s strength of having expertise in many different thematic areas which can produce a holistic analysis; and • Little has been done within the UN system so far to address these issues in an integrated way.

5. UN Definitions: • UN HRBA Common Understanding: • All programmes of development co-operation, policies and technical assistance should further the realisation of human rights… • Human rights standards…guide all development cooperation and programming in all sectors and in all phases of the programming process. • Development cooperation contributes to the development of the capacities of ‘duty-bearers’ to meet their obligations and/or of ‘rights-holders’ to claim their rights. • Gender mainstreaming: • …the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, polices and programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of polices and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. • Institutional capacity for conflict sensitivity: This means the ability of an organisation to develop and use the sum of its human and organisational capital to minimise negative and maximise positive impacts on the conflict dynamics of the environment(s) where it works. Human capital includes staff and partner skills, knowledge and experience. Organisational capital includes departments, structures, financial resources, organisational culture and learning.

6. Common elements • Should be included in the assessment process, which determines whether and where a development challenge exists, its intensity and who is affected; • Should also be included in all stages of the programming cycle; • Need for disaggregated statistical information to identify needs and gaps; • Focus on vulnerable groups (women, minorities, poor people etc.).

7. Complimentary frameworks International Human Rights Framework HRBA – The UN Common Understanding CEDAW – Art. 4 Temporary measures ICCPR – Art. 27 Minority rights Gender Analysis Gender mainstreaming Conflict Analysis “do no harm principle”

8. The value added of combining the frameworks: Gender analysis – tool for promoting and protecting the human rights of ALL more effectively • Insights into the causal factors underlying violations. • Identification of power relations which define how men and women are able to exercise their human rights. Conflict analysis Development interventions, without a conflict prevention lens, may inadvertently exacerbate and reinforce the potential for violent conflict, for instance through supporting corruption, increasing competition for resources, creating parallel structures that undermine existing ones or helping to perpetuate structures of dominance.

9. Examples: • Gender and Human Rights • Kyrgyzstan: UNIFEM - CEDAW used as a tool in the MDG reporting. • UNDP-UNIFEM Regional project: Implementation of Gender Equality Legislation (work both with duty bearers and claim holders). • Conflict and Human Rights • Georgia: New approach to IDPs: The rights of IDPs to vote in national elections. • BiH: RMAP project • Human rights, Gender and Conflict prevention • Georgia: Integrated Development Programme in Samtske Javakheti (Area Based Development Programme) • Human rights – realization of ESCRs (access to micro-credit, health, education) • Conflict prevention – minority issues • Gender – awareness raising, training, • Work both with duty bearers and claim holders on the local level.

10. Notion that addressing the issues in an integrated way would be additional work. Competition between the different thematic areas for recognition. Capacity building on these issues are being done on separate issues in parallel, e.g. GTTF. Only gender is recognized as a UNDP driver in the MYFF framework, only MDG on gender not human rights and/or conflict. Tendency in UNDP to focus on short term development results. If models are developed it should ease the workload of staff over time and avoid overlap. Draw on UNDP’s strength in having expertise in many different fields and make it a “UNDP niche” Document potential development gains in the process of “integration” to promote evidence based programming Place more emphasis on the Millennium Declaration where human rights and conflict play a key role. Encourage long term programming where the results of HRBA, gender and conflict mainstreaming could be more visible. Challenges Solutions

11. Next steps • Focus on implementation, pilot projects, to document lessons learnt • Support and encourage joint missions, steering committees, project teams