Statement of European Union on the Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, October, 2015
Statement of European Union, October, 2015
The EU's approach to WPS is to ensure that the agenda aims to:
- promote and protect the human rights of women and their participation as positive agents of change, agents of peace and development, and
- make conflict resolution and peacebuilding more effective,
- while we must also protect women in situations of conflict, and prevent them from becoming victims or perpetrators.
Statement of European Union, October, 2015
On top of our long-standing, active and continuous commitment, we intend to do even more and to assume substantial financial commitments:
To thoroughly mainstream gender and to include gender-specific actions in all the EU financial instruments, in order to cover inter alia mediation, natural resources and conflicts, security sector reform, early warning, post-conflict/disaster needs' assessment and police/civilian stabilisation missions. For this purpose, we will allocate more than €100 million over the next 7 years to gender egualitv. Women and girls' empowerment projects, while in the context of the EU's humanitarian assistance, we will tailor responses to the different and specific needs of women and men of all ages, using targeted tools to assess how effectively all EU's humanitarian actions integrate gender and age.
Statement of European Union, October, 2015
In the framework of our strategic partnership with UN Women under our Memorandum of Understanding, the EU will continue to support the UN Women in the area of WPS, including women's leadership and political participation, combating sexual and gender-based violence, and women's empowerment in global issues.
Statement of European Union, October, 2015
We will also continue to support the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Bangura, and all work aimed at an integrated approach to prevent and punish acts of sexual violence, as well as to bring justice, services and reparation to its victims. We commit to put EU's full weight behind the Istanbul Convention to fight violence against women, through prevention, protection and prosecution.
Statement of European Union, October, 2015
We will continue to engage in close dialogue and actively support civil society on issues concerning women in conflict and post-conflict situations, and to empower women's participation and leadership in peacebuilding initiatives, through our regular contacts with women's organisations and we will pay particular attention to the protection of women human rights' defenders. especially in situations of conflict.
Statement of European Union, October, 2015
We will improve the way we measure the impact of our actions, in order to enhance accountability. In this context:
- The EU will update the indicators for its Comprehensive Approach to Implementation of UNSC Resolutions 1325 and 1820, to measure more effectively the impact of our action.
- We are in the process to complete a baseline study to measure how we have integrated gender into our crisis management missions and operations.
Statement of European Union, October, 2015
We must address the issues related to WPS in emerging challenges. The EU will actively coordinate its policies on WPS, and on preventing and countering violent extremism in all its forms. We condemn all forms of violence and abuses that women and girls have been suffering in the hands of terrorist groups and regimes in conflict zones, where terrorist groups fight their battles on the bodies of women and girls. We need to promote the positive role that women can play in countering terrorism and violent extremism in their families, their communities and their societies.
Statement of European Union, October, 2015
Promoting gender equality is also a priority for the EU internally, and we are committed to lead by example to improve the gender balance in decision making positions in our own institutions, including through a better representation of female candidates in middle and senior management positions and as Heads ofDelegation in ourmissions abroad
At the same time, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy has already created last month the post of the Principal Adviser on Gender and the implementation of R1325 on WPS, to mark EU's engagement with international, regional and national actors on gender- and WPS-related policies and actions; and to contribute to the EU's internal coordination, where I have the honour and iov to have been appointed to this post and I will work to enhance the visibility and effective prioritisation of gender and WPS in the EU's external action and to assist the work of the UN. in close consultation with all UN services and agencies.