Ban Ki-moon timeline: Women, Peace and Security milestones
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Individuals and organizations who are championing the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Asia and the Pacific are being profiled by UN Women – online and in our 2025 calendar – to mark this agenda’s 25th anniversary.
Ban Ki-moon – the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations – is our featured champion for October, which coincides with Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Month. Mr Ban served as Secretary-General from 2007 to 2016. Notably, during his term, seven UN Security Council resolutions were adopted which have shaped the WPS agenda.
The timeline shows key milestones for the WPS agenda during Mr Ban’s term.
Reference: As at October 2025, 10 UN Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security have been adopted, commencing with resolution 1325 (31 Oct 2000). Details of the resolutions listed in this timeline are taken from: Women, Peace and Security Council resolutions poster, UN Women (2022).
Security Council resolution 1820
Recognizes sexual violence as a tactic of war and a matter of international peace and security that necessitates a security response. Access resolution 1820
Secretary-General addresses a UN Security Council debate on Women, Peace and Security
Security Council resolution 1888
Strengthens efforts to end sexual violence in conflict by establishing a Special Representative of the Secretary-General and team of experts on role of law and sexual violence in conflicts, deploying expertise and improving coordination among stakeholders involved in addressing conflict-related sexual violence. Access resolution 1888
Security Council resolution 1889
Stresses the need to strengthen implementation and establishes indicators for the monitoring of resolution 1325; calls for the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Security Council on women’s participation and inclusion in peacebuilding. (Presented by Viet Nam, 2009). Access resolution 1889
Security Council resolution 1960
Establishes a monitoring and reporting mechanism on sexual violence in conflict. Calls upon parties to armed conflict to make and implement specific and time-bound commitments to combat sexual violence. Access resolution 1960
Read Secretary-General's Statement to Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict
Security Council resolution 2106
Focuses on accountability for perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict; stresses women’s political and economic empowerment.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre left) addresses the Security Council meeting, 24 June 2013.UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
Security Council resolution 2122
Addresses persistent gaps in implementing the WPS agenda; positions gender equality and women’s empowerment as critical to international peace and security; recognizes the differential impact of all violations in conflict on women and girls, and calls for consistent application of WPS cross the Security Council’s work. Access resolution 2122
“Women’s participation in peace efforts is a matter of gender equality and universal human rights – and crucial to achieving sustainable peace, economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy. Today’s resolution makes that point loud and clear.” Read more UN News
Annual UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security
The Secretary-General urged Member States to “stand against abuses”, and voiced outrage at targeted attacks and human rights violations committed against women and girls, urging immediate action to end impunity in such cases and calling for “greater investments in measures to address this problem.” Read UN News
Security Council resolution 2242
Establishes the Informal Experts Group; addresses persistent obstacles to implementation including financing and institutional reforms; noted the changing global context of peace and security such as the impacts of climate change and the global nature of health pandemics, focuses on greater integration of the agendas on WPS and counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism; calls for improved Security Council working methods on WPS. Access Resolution 2242
Addressing this UNSC meeting, Mr Ban noted that the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) had underscored the pivotal link between gender equality and international peace and security and that “Any reforms must include gender equality and women’s leadership as central ingredients, and must be strongly grounded in human rights,” and that he would ensure that the target of 15 per cent of peacebuilding funds were devoted to gender equality and women’s empowerment projects. Read more in meeting coverage
Annual UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security
UN Photo/Kim Haughton
“When I became Secretary-General, there were four countries with National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security. Today, there are 63,” Mr. Ban said. Read UN News
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