Statement of the African Union at the Open Debate on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts in the Great Lakes Region, March, 2016

I cannot conclude without recalling the need for greater promotion of the rights of children and women in the region. Any type of violence against women must stop immediately. And the inclusion of women in conflict prevention, in conflict resolution and in reconstruction is not an act of charity, but rather an investment in a society that would be fair, inclusive and respectful of the rights of everyone and in harmony with the eternal values of Africa.