As a member of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, we are pleased to share the latest Monthly Action Points (MAP) for the UN Security Council. For September 2011, in which Lebanon has the Security Council presidency, the MAP provides recommendations on country situations including: Afghanistan, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria.

Por medio del presente nos es grato poner en su conocimiento la realización del primer seminario internacional destinado a Senior Managers en Desarme, Desmovilización y Reinserción – DDR, “Gender Dimensions in Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration”, organizado por el Norwegian Defense University College (NODEFIC) con la colaboración de la Inter-Agency Working Group on DDR.

In May 2011, the Nobel Women’s Initiative organised the conference 'Women Forging a New Security: Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict' with over 120 civil society activists, corporate and security sector leaders, military and peacekeeping personnel, and academics from around the world. Although the primary focus of that conference was on sexual violence against women, there was acknowledgement of how men are also affected. Sexual violence is one of the most horrific weapons of war, an instrument of terror used against women. Yet huge numbers of men are also victims.

The 49th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women being held from 11-29 July 2011 will include a general discussion on the protection of women in conflict and post-conflict situations in the context of the following provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

As a member of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, we are pleased to share the latest Monthly Action Points (MAP) for the UN Security Council.

In response to the recent election, we, the mothers of victims of gun violence, are calling on politicians to stand up for public safety. During the election it became clear that many candidates were ill-informed about how important the gun registry is as a tool for police.

The Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) works to share knowledge and information on women and peace and security, and is creating a new page on the GNWP website listing global events relating to UN Security Council Resolutions 1325, 1820 and Women and Peace and Security overall.

Thanks to WILPF for sharing this report from the annual International Women's Day seminar on disarmament which focused on the new General Assembly resolution A/RES/64/69 on "Women, Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Arms Control".

PeaceWomen/WILPF has developed a report on the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for those who were not able to participate. It includes information on topics of interest to IANSA women, including summaries on side events that we participated in.