October 18th, 2013 heralded significant normative advancements for what is now referred to as the international “women, peace and security (WPS) agenda.” In Geneva, in its 56th Session, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (the Committee), adopted a new General Recommendation providing specific guidance on the application of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to conflict and post-conflict contexts, while the Security Council, in its annual debate on WPS in New York, adopted Resolution 2122, focused on women’s participation and leadership. Both instruments significantly strengthen international norms aimed at promoting and protecting women’s rights related to situations of conflict, with the potential to significantly influence the actions of states and international organizations in their practice of the maintenance of international peace and security.

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Dr. Aisling Swaine is Associate Professor of Practice of International Affairs, Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University. This paper was researched and drafted while she was a Hauser Global Fellow at the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice.