Commentary on Security Council resolution 2467: continued state obligation and civil society action on sexual violence in conflict

Resolution 2467, the latest UN Security Council (SC) Resolution on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), adopted on 23 April 2019, has been greeted with scepticism and dismay with respect to advancement of the WPS agenda. Two concerns predominate: that this Resolution – along with the previous eight WPS Resolutions – lacks binding legal force; and that this Resolution in particular weakens the WPS agenda and thus the ability of civil society to use it for advancing women’s rights during and in the aftermath of conflict. In this Commentary we argue that there are reasons for optimism with respect to these issues and that this Resolution, in conjunction with the earlier WPS Resolutions, ensures continuation of State legal obligations and the basis for civil society action for implementation of those obligations.