STATEMENT OF AUSTRIA AT THE OPEN DEBATE ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY, OCTOBER, 2015
STATEMENT OF AUSTRIA, OCTOBER, 2015
In its national capacity, Austria commends the extensive review exercises that have been carried out in parallel, on the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), involving the United Nations peacebuilding architecture, United Nations peace operations and the women, peace and security agenda. We welcome the launch of the global study that was made public earlier today and which Austria has supported from its inception. This exercise was not only necessary in terms of taking stock, but it also provides us with important lessons learned.
STATEMENT OF AUSTRIA, OCTOBER, 2015
Austria is alarmed by the current spread of brutal and systemic violence, which is not only causing unspeakable suffering to civilian populations, but has also triggered the biggest wave of refugees and displacement in recent history. We must develop answers on how to deal with the growing spread of violent terrorism and extremism, which are marked by unprecedented levels of sexual violence, abuse, and violations of women’s and girls’ rights. The perpetrators must be held accountable for their acts before the International Criminal Court. We must also empower and support the work of women activists and women human rights defenders. Therefore, a conference in Austria in June 2016 will bring together local women leaders with political representatives and discuss ways forward in tackling sexual violence in armed conflict.
STATEMENT OF AUSTRIA, OCTOBER, 2015
We are committed to completing a review of the Austrian national action plan, originally dating from 2007, by the end of 2016 — with the broad participation of civil society and women’s organizations — which will reflect findings of the United Nations high- level review. Our inter-ministerial working group on resolution 1325 (2000), which was established under the national action plan and works with civil society and women’s organizations, will organize at least one big public event per year.
STATEMENT OF AUSTRIA, OCTOBER, 2015
Together with other interested Member States, Austria will continue to work on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and the subsequent relevant resolutions in all regional organizations. In that respect, Austria, together with Finland, Turkey and Kazakhstan, will continue to push for the adoption of an action plan on women and peace and security by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as many other international organizations have done before. We call on the Russian Federation to join in that endeavour. It would be a timely deliverable for the OSCE ministerial meeting in December in Belgrade.
STATEMENT OF AUSTRIA, OCTOBER, 2015
Austria supports the work of UN-Women and will continue, on a voluntary basis, to support its activities in the field of women and peace and security. Austria commits to realizing concrete results at the policy level by earmarking at least 15 per cent of all our peacebuilding spending by our development assistance agency, Austrian Development Cooperation, for programmes and projects aimed at furthering women’s empowerment and gender equality.
STATEMENT OF AUSTRIA, OCTOBER, 2015
Civil society efforts are also a critical element for the effective implementation of resolutions on women and peace and security. Austria, through its Development Cooperation, will spend more than €1 million in the next 3 years on its cooperation with civil society activists in that field.
STATEMENT OF AUSTRIA, OCTOBER, 2015
Finally, Austria will continue to further strengthen its training activities on resolution 1325 (2000), in particular in pre-deployment training for peace and humanitarian operations, which is now provided for civilian and military experts from around the world in Austria, as well as in its national training courses.