Statement of Rita Lopidia at the Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, October 2016.
Statement of Rita Lopidia, October 2016
I want to focus today on the critical involvement of women during all phases of peace agreements; the actions peacekeepers must take to include women in protection strategies and, overall, be more responsive to the needs of women and girls; our right to justice and accountability; and strengthening inclusive institutions and national frameworks.
Statement of Rita Lopidia, October 2016
Across all conflict and crisis situations, the Security Council must also prioritize women and girls’ protection. Peacekeeping missions mandated to protect civilians, including UNMISS, as well as humanitarian agencies, must do a better job of seeking out and listening to the needs of women and prioritizing their protection. A crucial aspect of ensuring that women are protected is increasing the number of women peacekeepers to enable more responsive channels for women to communicate their immediate protection concerns and overall perspectives on the security situation.
Statement of Rita Lopidia, October 2016
The situation in my country has today reached a dangerous tipping point. There is an urgent need for good governance, respect for civil society, institutional reforms and respect for women’s quotas in power sharing. South Sudan recently launched its first National Action Plan on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), however there seems to be little or no political will to translate it to realities on the ground and so women continue to be systematically excluded from decision-making.
Statement of Rita Lopidia, October 2016
Many other commitments were made last year during the High Level Review on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on promoting women’s participation and gender equality, emphasizing conflict prevention, and financing the women, peace and security agenda. Unmet commitments are just words and do nothing to bring about peace. I look forward to hearing the concrete actions that have been taken in the last twelve months to improve the lives of South Sudanese women and of other women around the world affected by conflict and to promote their inclusion in all decision making.