Burundi has made progress implementing UN Resolution 1325, which focuses on increasing women's participation and eliminating violence against women. A National Action Plan has been drafted through an inclusive process, and aspects are being implemented despite not being officially adopted. The plan focuses on women's participation, protection, prevention of violence and economic empowerment. Coordination mechanisms and funding from international partners and the government are supporting ongoing implementation efforts and monitoring of the plan. A regional action plan was also recently adopted to address cross-border issues and further implementation.

1. INVESTING IN PEACE: FINANCING UNSCR 1325 AND THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS /Special focus on BURUNDI Catherine MABOBORI Vice chair of Steering committee on R1325 CCUN, NEW YORK , February 22nd 2011

2. CONTEXT BURUNDI is a post conflict country which has benefited from a special attention from international community during the peace process and during the electoral process Post conflit situation goes with special programms : reconciliation , demobilisation and reintegration of ex combattants , transitionnal justice , recontruction etc ..... Pilot country for the UN peace building commission together with Sierra Leonne In the policy document , it is clearly mentionned that « ……aucune stratégie ne sera décidée et mise en œuvre sans tenir compte de manière claire, de la dimension genre, afin de garantir la pleine participation de la femme à la prise de décisions, au choix des actions prioritaires et plus spécialement à leur mise en œuvre. » ( Cadre stratégique pour la consolidation de la paix, paragraphe 14, p7)

3. CONTEXT 2 meaning that any strategy will not be decided and implemented without clearly taking into account the gender dimension in order to guaranty full participation of women in decision making , in identifying priority issues and their implementation

4. CONTEXT 3 Switzerland is the chair of the BURUNDI Configuration of the peace building commission : a mission conducted by the Swiss Ambassador to UN has recently been concluded and the main conclusion is that the programm of the PBC will be managed together with the new strategic framework for poverty reduction , 2 nd generation According to Ambassador Paul SEGGER « there is no development without peace and there is no peace without development » that is the spirit of the new peacebuilding strategy and our NAP must be adapted that spirit

5. PROCESS FOR R1325 NAP The process of drafting the 1325 NAP has been as inclusive as possible ( civil society , key ministers and institutions ,international NGOS and UN ) It began in 2007 with a wide sensitisation campaign targeting women’s organisations The campaign was conducted within a framework called « cadre de concertation des femmes pour la consolidation de la paix » . It is was created as a mechanism to engender the peace building programmes which have been funded by the UN peacebuilding fund for about 35.000.000 millions dollars One of the programmes was specific to women combining women involvement in peace recovery and economic empowerment for vulnerable and poor women (4.000.000dollars )

6. PROCESS 2 Through the base line study , one of the important findings was that the R1325 was not well known especially in the governement spheres which are supposed to implement it The NAP is based on the findings of that stdy , of course with a special focus on the pillars of the R1325 specific to a post conflict country (participation , protection ; prevention and economic recovery)

7. STATUS OF THE NAP TODAY The process of owenership by the governement started in DECEMBER 2007 with the establisment of the Steering committee (External relations and cooperation , gender , security and defense, development planning ; Parliament etc…in total 17 MEMBERS .) The bureau is composed of Ministry of gender as the Chair , SOFEPA as Vice Chair and CAFOB as secretary Many activities have been organised with different parteners : FAS , UNIFEM and UNDP, IA , GNWPB To mention the recent ones : a workshop to revise indicators in July 2010 with FEMMES AFRICA SOLIDARITY and workshops to integrate 1325 in communal developmments plans with GNWPB The NAP is scheduled on the programmes of the government for which ministers will be evaluated this year . A commitment has been signed by all ministers and we hope the plan will capture the attention of the whole governement

8. FINANCING THE NAP A specific budget line has been provided this year with an allowance of 44 000 dollars We had already since 2008 two budget lines to fight gender based violence in the ministry of gender and the ministry of justice A national strategy to fight violence against women has been adopted and is being implemented through the grant of UNTRUST FUND (around 1.000.000 dollars )

9. POTENTIAL FUNDINGS UN WOMEN : UN TRUST FUND on GBV Economic recovery has been identified as one of the area of concern during the OPEN DAY on R1235 in BURUNDI Terms of reference for a preliminary study to establish a basket fund for income generating activities have been developped A roundtable with potential donors should follow EUROPEAN UNION is also interested in the gender component of the new strategic policy on poverty reduction . UNDP and UN Women supported the mobilisation of women for political participation especially during recent elections and a follow up is being made through capacity building

10. Potential fundings and parternership INTERNATIONAL NGOS : GNWPB, FAS , IA CORDAID – we take the opportunity to express our gratitude for this panel and the special focus on BURUNDI for piloting the implementation of R1325 BWPD :a burundian women organisation from the diaspora based in the Netherlands – possible partenership in the north of the country where a multipurpose center is being launched next mounth We do not have much experience in working with private sector / We hope to share experiences with those who have already experienced this kind of parternership.

11. IMPLEMENTATION IN PROGRESS Although the NAP is not yet officially adopted by the gouvernement , its provisions are being implemented In the area of PARTICIPATION , we can mention The Constitution :30% of women in governing institutions from the communal level The nomination of ministers went beyond : 9/21 are women : 42% ( finances , justice , EAC , labor , agriculture ,gender and national solidarity , telecommuncations , trade and tourism, health and aids ) The chief cabinet of the President of the Republic is also a woman

12. IMPLEMENTATION IN PROGRESS 2 32 ,1% in National Assembly with a member of the bureau :Burundi is in the fifth position after Rwanda (56,3%), South Africa (44,5%), Mozambique (39,2%) and Angola (38,6%) 50% elected in the senate with a member of the bureau but the figure lowered to 46% due to automatic membership of former Presidents : Burundi is in the 1st position in AFRICA and second inthe world after Bolivia (47,2%.)

13. IMPLEMENTATION IN PROGRESS 3 550 women in national defence forces and in police among which 74 high ranked officials ( some are in UN troops sent in Somalia and Sudan) Demobilisation took into account the specific needs of women combattants ex 1000 women demobilised within the last rebel movement FNL A national strategy for integrating gender in national defenses and security forces has been developped Some other good exemples were seen in the composition of electoral commission : 2/5, in steering committee on the process of transitional justice and national security council:2/7

14. IMPLEMENTATION 4 Concerning PROTECTION AND PREVENTION The revised penal code is severe against GBV : sexual crimes are for instance non amnistiable 16 days of activism is an opportunity for the population and local administration awerness sensitisation on GBV FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY Favorable laws but much still to be done in termsof programmes

15. COORDINATION MECHANISM The best way to coordinate a NAP joint funding mechanism is by establishing a technical coordinating mechanism – staff recruited based on competence and a joint steering committee ( donors , governement , civil society )

16. REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE Process Developped with the technical support of FAS and funded by the governement of FINLAND to assist in developping NAP and a Regional Action Plan Harmonisation of the process , ( baselines studies , steering committee, sharing best paractices , identifing gaps and solutions ) Contribute to the engendering the programms of the common regional groupings like ICGLR , CEPGL etc,

17. REGIONAL ACTION PLAN A recent consultation was held in KINSHASSA on the 14TH AND 15TH FEBRUARY and a regional plan was adopted The regional action plan will help to deal with common issues like crossboarders issues , impunity of crimes ,Reparation for victims of armed violence ,Engendering regional groupings , harmonisation of laws for a better coordination and evaluation , Facilitating experience sharing and capacity buiding etc

18. CONCLUSION A lot of challenges are still to be faced especially in ending GBV , in implementing laws and elaborating those still missing and in capitalising progress in political participation and in ensuring that peace also means poverty reduction , food security , in brief general well being Thank you very much