Guidebook on CEDAW general recommendation no. 30 and the UN Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security

UN Women

Authors/editor(s): Aisling Swaine and Catherine O’Rourke

The CEDAW Committee’s General recommendation no. 30 on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations is a landmark document giving authoritative guidance to countries that have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on concrete measures to ensure women’s human rights are protected before, during and after conflict. The general recommendation makes clear that the Convention applies in all forms of conflict and post-conflict settings and addresses crucial issues facing women in these settings, including violence and challenges in access to justice and education, employment and health. It gives guidance on States parties’ obligation of due diligence in respect of crimes against women by non-State actors. The general recommendation affirms CEDAW’s linkages with the Security Council’s women, peace and security agenda.

The purpose of this Guidebook is to increase knowledge about general recommendation no. 30 and the Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security, and how these frameworks can be used to strengthen and reinforce each other. The Guidebook provides information on the content of the general recommendation and the Security Council resolutions and on the reporting and monitoring mechanisms. It includes a checklist for States parties reporting to the CEDAW Committee and also provides some examples of where the general recommendation and Security Council resolutions have been referred to in the CEDAW Committee’s concluding observations and lists of issues to States parties. The Guidebook also contributed to the global study on implementation of Security Council resolution 1325.