Representatives of civil society in Tunisia called on Friday for the country to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 related to the protection of women, peace and security in times of armed conflict, Anadolu has reported. During its transitional period, they said that Tunisia is not immune from conflict, extremism and terrorism.

The call was made in a meeting held by the Ministry of Women, Family, Childhood and the Elderly in Tunis. The ministry cooperated with the Centre for Arab Women’s Training and Research (CAWTAR) and the Tunis office of the UN in looking at a national plan for the implementation of Resolution 1325.

The UN Security Council issued the resolution in 2000 and for the first time linked women’s experiences in conflict to the international peace and security agenda. It focused on the impact of conflict on women and girls, and called for women’s participation in conflict resolution and peace-building.

Ministry officials and their colleagues from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior said that they have highlighted five important aspects in the agenda: Prevention and Protection; Participation and Relief; Peace building; Reconstruction; and Media.

According to the representative of the local UN Women’s Office, Hela Shkhiri, Tunisia is the fourth Arab country after Iraq, Jordan and Palestine to ask for the implementation of the resolution. “Tunisia is directly concerned with Resolution 1325 because it is working to build the peace process through the democratic transition it has undergone since the 14 January 2011 revolution,” she explained. “Although Tunisia is not suffering from an armed conflict, as a country seeking peace and security and working to establish a democratic transition, its duty is to guard against the dangers of war.”

It is worth noting that nearly 60 countries, including Canada, Switzerland and Japan, have already adopted national action plans to implement Resolution 1325.