UN Security Council Resolution 2493 on Women, Peace and Security
UNSCR 2493 marked the WPS agenda's 19th anniversary by calling for full implementation of everything that came before it — the tenth WPS resolution, notably the first tabled by an African state, restoring unanimous Council consensus after 2467's contested vote.
After the fractured vote on UNSCR 2467 earlier in 2019, the WPS agenda needed a resolution that could restore consensus and refocus attention on implementation. The resolutions agreed — but implementation had not kept pace. The gap between normative commitment and operational reality was, if anything, widening.
UNSCR 2493 was designed as a consolidation resolution — reaffirming all previous WPS commitments and calling for their full implementation in a mutually reinforcing manner. It was tabled by South Africa, making it the first WPS resolution led by an African state — a significant milestone for African leadership on the agenda.
UNSCR 2493 broke new ground in one crucial respect: it was the first WPS resolution tabled by an African state. South Africa's leadership on the resolution reflected the growing role of African states in shaping — not just implementing — the WPS agenda. The resolution also marked a return to consensus after the fractured vote on 2467.
While 2493 did not introduce new normative commitments, its emphasis on implementation was significant. It recognised that the WPS agenda's problems were no longer about what needed to be done — they were about why it was not being done. The resolution called for accountability, not just aspiration.