PRIO’s researcher, Júlia Palik, and her work on the DISARM project have been prominently cited in the United Nations Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS).
The report underlined the critical importance of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs and community violence reduction in achieving broader stabilization, recovery, and the prevention of conflict-related sexual violence. It highlighted Júlia Palik’s research, which sheds light on the persistent exclusion of women and minors from DDR provisions in peace agreements.
In her work, Palik revealed that out of 128 DDR provisions in peace agreements from 1975 to 2021, only 11 included references to women associated with armed groups. This alarming gap underscores the need for greater inclusivity in peacebuilding processes. Her findings were also presented earlier this year at the Folke Bernadotte Academy, where she stressed the urgency of addressing gender imbalances in DDR mechanisms.
The citation in the Secretary-General’s report marks an essential step in amplifying these issues at the highest levels of international policy.
The GPS Centre celebrates Júlia Palik’s impactful contributions, which highlight the importance of women's involvement in Disarmenet processes and, more broadly, the WPS Agenda.
