STATEMENT OF GERMANY ON THE SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY, OCTOBER, 2015
STATEMENT OF GERMANY, October, 2015
The adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) one and a half decades ago was a milestone, and we have made great strides since then. Today, it would be inconceivable for a major Security Council-mandated mission not to include a gender component. More than 50 countries, including Germany, have adopted national action plans for the implementation of the resolution.
Yet we still witness gross human rights violations, including, and particularly, against women, in crisis- ridden regions across the Middle East and elsewhere. And we are faced with millions of refugees fleeing their homes; an estimated 800,000 will have sought refuge in Germany by the end of 2015.
STATEMENT OF GERMANY, October, 2015
Against that backdrop, one finding of the recent report of the Secretary-General (S/ 2015/716) is especially significant: the prevention of conflicts and the women and peace and security agenda are directly linked. That is why Germany will continue to push for the political empowerment of women and provide adequate capacity-building and incentives. A case in point is our long-standing effort to facilitate the inclusion of women in the peace dialogues in Colombia and in the Philippines.
STATEMENT OF GERMANY, October, 2015
Germany is fully committed to ensuring that the women and peace and security agenda has the necessary financial underpinning. To that end, we will this year once again contribute €1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross for use in preventing sexual violence in armed conflict and in assisting its victims.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General Bangura has been tireless in drawing our attention to the horrific sexual crimes being carried out in conflicts around the world. We encourage the members of the Council to resort to her expertise more frequently.
STATEMENT OF GERMANY, October, 2015
In the spirit of our national action plan, we are weaving the women and peace and security agenda into our response to the higher number of refugees arriving in Germany. We are investing in services that take into account the specific needs of refugee women and girls, in particular those who have lived through the horrors of sexual violence.
In the 15 years since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we have together achieved significant progress in expanding and promoting the women and peace and security agenda. Now that the normative framework is largely in place, we need to make further rapid strides towards its implementation. Germany will remain a strong partner in this endeavor.