IBR Consulting has extensive experience in business and organisational strategy, advising a number of UK-based and multi-national companies at the senior level. Inge Relph is currently working on a strategy for the Human Security Commission, UNIFEM and Harvard to train more women in peace negotiation skills, as well as providing advice on current trends in gender peacebuilding and mentoring Somali women peacebuilders. IBR Consulting in also well-connected with gender and peace/development networks in the UK and internationally.

International Alert is a UK based international peacebuilding NGO. IA’s Gender and Peaceubuilding Programme’s work developed from its involvement with the civil society movement to lobby for a UN Security Council resolution recognising and supporting women’s roles as peacebuilders. IA plays an important role in raising awareness of women’s experiences and perspectives of peace and security, in promoting and increasing support and resources for women in peacebuilding, and in creating new spaces for women’s voices in peace negotiations. IA’s work includes peace audits in West Africa, the Southern Caucasus, South Asia and Latin America; monitoring the implementation of Resolution 1325 and identifying possibilities for local, national and regional organisations to use the resolution as an advocacy tool to support their peacebuilding work and security needs; and global policy research and advocacy work on women, peace and security related issues.

The International Rescue Committee UK is an independent British charity that brings a European voice to the International Rescue Committee global network. The IRC network of emergency relief workers, healthcare providers, educators, community leaders, activists and volunteers provides humanitarian aid, sanctuary and sustainable change for millions of people whose lives have been shattered by violence and oppression.

NIWEP is an umbrella body of local and national groups which cut across social, political, economic, and geographic areas with a primary interest in matters of importance to women. NIWEP aims to facilitate and increase women’s contribution to various policy agendas both domestically and internationally. It takes action at a strategic level, ensuring that women in Northern Ireland (NI) participate in and contribute to debates around women’s concerns at the domestic, European and international levels.

SI is a voluntary organisation for women in management and the professions working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. SI currently has over 99,000 members in 124 countries, including 280 clubs with 11,000 members in the UK. SI’s core purpose is to advance human rights and the status of women and it’s vision is to be a global voice for women through awareness, advocacy and action. All members worldwide, many in countries in conflict and post-conflict situations, are advocating for women’s participation in the peace process to include reconciliation, reconstruction and the humane resettlement of refugees, thus UN Security Council resolution 1325 is at the very heart of SI’s work.

Shevolution and Eyecatcher Associates are professional consultancies based in the UK and Project Parity is a not-for-profit NGO working to increase women’s participation in the development of democracy, civil society, free media and human rights. They can offer practical experience in mainstreaming gender perspectives into all aspects of post-conflict reconstruction operations, planning and policies, as well as training officials in applying a gender perspective. Lesley Abdela has worked in over 40 countries in Southeast Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, and can provide expert advice on mainstreaming gender in elections, transitional governments, democratisation processes, and the media.

Serene Communications is a social development training and consultancy agency with a focus on gender issues, inter-personal communication, PR and the media, and strategic development. It has developed an expertise in several areas related to women, peace and security and brings an understanding of UN processes and international instruments; networks of women and women’s organisations around the world as well as in the UK; and training, communications and strategic development expertise. Serene Communications has been actively engaged in working on the promotion and implementation of 1325 both nationally and internationally since 2001, and have organised numerous lobbying, training and awareness raising events around this issue.

UNIFEM UK is the UK National Committee for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). UNIFEM seeks to support women’s initiatives worldwide and is working for women’s empowerment and gender equality. Without peace sustainable development is impossible and women must play and active role in peace processes and reconstruction after conflict. UNIFEM was at the forefront of efforts to introduce UN Security Council resolution 1325 in October 2000. The UK Committee works voluntarily to raise awareness of UNIFEM’s work and to raise funds here in the UK to support women around the world.

UNA-UK is the leading independent authority on the UN in the UK, and seeks to promote multilateralism and adherence to international law through four policy programmes: the implementation of the UN Millennium Development Goals; peace, security and disarmament; human rights and humanitarian affairs; and UN reform. UNA-UK’s independence allows it to take a critical stance in advocating for the Organisation to be equipped to fulfil its fundamental function of maintaining international peace and security, promoting development, and upholding human rights around the world.

Widows for Peace through Democracy focuses on widowhood issues in conflict and post-conflict environments, and in the context of poverty, violence to women, AIDS, trafficking, and access to justice. Margaret Owen is a consultant to the Kurdish Human Rights Project and the International Commission of Jurists and has undertaken fact-finding and human rights training missions in various conflict-affected countries in Africa, South Asia and the Balkans.

Womankind Worldwide is an international women’s human rights and development organisation working in partnership with 70 organisations around the world, and aims to advance women’s status and well-being through political and civil participation, reduce violence against women, and inform and influence policy and practice at the local, regional and international level. Partner organisations actively seek to promote the implementation of Resolution 1325 in crisis and post-conflict countries, both in the area of women’s equal participation in post-conflict civil and political structures and through protecting women from gender-based violence. Womankind can contribute valid experiences, strategies and lessons learned from the field at sgrassroots and policy level.

WILPF was founded 90 years ago by women in an effort to stop World War One, and peace and security issues remain fundamental to its mission. WILPF runs the PeaceWomen project out of its UN office in New York and maintains a website dedicated to 1325. In the UK, WILPF works on a number of issues such as trade justice, empowering widows in conflict and post-conflict situations, and other issues linked to 1325. WILPF-UK does lobbying, advocacy, seminars and training for members and other interested women.