UN Security Council Resolution 1889 on Women's Participation
UNSCR 1889 called for global indicators to track WPS implementation — the resolution most directly about measurement and accountability infrastructure.
Nearly a decade after UNSCR 1325, the Security Council had no systematic way to measure whether its WPS commitments were being implemented. National Action Plans existed in increasing numbers, but there was no standardised framework for assessing their quality or tracking progress across countries.
UNSCR 1889 was designed to fill this measurement gap. It recognised that without indicators, accountability was impossible — and without accountability, the WPS agenda would remain aspirational.
UNSCR 1889 introduced the concept of measurable accountability to the WPS agenda. Before 1889, implementation was assessed through narrative reporting; after 1889, the Secretary-General was required to report using a structured set of indicators designed to track progress across the four pillars.
The global indicators framework, developed through extensive consultation, included measures of women's representation in peace negotiations, security sector institutions, and post-conflict governance — giving civil society an empirical basis for holding governments accountable.