Statement of Poland at the 2016 WPS Debate
IMplementation
In the year after the comprehensive reviews of United Nations peace operations, the peacebuilding architecture and the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), concrete commitments were made to advance women’s rights, in particular in terms of their political participation and leadership in conflict and post- conflict situations. Yet there is still a lot to be done to strengthen women’s roles in conflict prevention, peace negotiations and peacemaking processes.
As far as political engagement is concerned, Poland has been participating in Security Council open debates on women and peace and security and we have co- sponsored many of the resolutions related to the issue, including the most recent resolution 2242 (2015), which provides a clear road map for the implementation of the women and peace and security framework. We commend the work of the Informal Expert Group on Women and Peace and Security and we are convinced that its establishment will contribute to further enhance coordination for gender mainstreaming in peacebuilding and peacekeeping missions.
In terms of our institutional involvement, we have appointed a focal point on women and peace and security. Poland participated in the founding meeting of the women and peace and security focal points network, which took place here in New York. We commend Spain, Canada, Chile, Japan, Namibia and the United Arab Emirates for their timely initiative. We look forward to upcoming meetings of the network, which we are sure will provide a platform for the exchange of good practices in the area of women and peace and security. We are also working on our national action plan on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), which will enable us to better comply with our obligations under the women and peace and security agenda.
Last but not least, we have also decided to earmark a minimum of 15 per cent of all our future funding for the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund for gender responsive policies, including those addressing the special needs of women in post-conflict situations. We believe that a predictable funding mechanism is vital for the effective implementation of the women and peace and security agenda.
Participation
Apart from Member States responsibilities to advance the women and peace and security agenda, we must also acknowledge the role of the civil society organizations, including women human rights defenders and women-led non-governmental organizations, as they play a crucial role at all levels of conflict prevention, decision- making, mediation and post-conflict resolution. We are convinced that close collaboration between Governments and civil society can significantly scale up the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda.
Since it is a primary responsibility of Member States to implement the commitments and obligations under the women and peace and security agenda into national policies and legislative framework, let me reassure the Council that Poland remains committed to the promotion of women’s meaningful participation in all stages of peace processes in its three dimensions — the political, institutional and financial.
Let me conclude by highlighting the fact that women are among the most vulnerable victims in war and conflict situations, yet they are also often the ones that trigger peace mechanisms. As the examples from Liberia or Colombia show, women’s movements are major agents of change in contributing to international peace and security. It is our moral obligation to enable their full participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.