Statement of the Secretary General at the 2016 WPS Debate
Participation
Women have a vital role to play in preventing conflict and building and maintaining peace. But, although that is now widely recognized, far too often women are prevented from fully participating in peacemaking and peacebuilding. We are all suffering from the effects of that deficit. In our interconnected world, insecurity and conflict in one country or region affects us all.
I personally have appointed many women as Special Envoys and Special Representatives. I also appointed the first female Force commander of a peacekeeping mission and the first female Police Adviser. More women than ever before are making decisions for peace and security in the halls of Governments and international organizations.
In failing to include women and girls in peacemaking and peacebuilding processes, we are not only failing women and girls, we are failing the world. This agenda is not an optional extra, or a favour to women and girls. It is fundamental to building sustainable peace and ending the conflicts that are causing so much pain and damage around the world. There is more research emerging every year to demonstrate that. Let me remind the Council of one finding among many, namely, that peace accords are 35 per cent more likely to last at least 15 years if women are at the table.
Peace Processes
Perhaps most important of all, we see more inclusive peace processes and peace agreements. The Colombian peace talks included a group dedicated to gender perspectives and women’s rights.
Peace processes, humanitarian programmes and peacebuilding plans ignore them and fail to meet their needs and protect their rights. Look at the pictures of peace negotiations on Syria or Yemen. There may be one woman at the table or in one delegation. That is fully representative of the general picture.
SGBV
Many countries have committed to action to prevent and address conflict- related sexual violence.
The Office of my Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict is focusing international attention on one of the greatest moral challenges of our time.
And all that is against a backdrop of women and girls suffering inequalities that are aggravated by conflict, who are targeted for particularly brutal crimes by violent extremist groups, including Da’esh and Boko Haram. As we carry this agenda forward and build on past efforts, I urge members to take several specific steps.
IMplementation
Fourthly, I urge the Council to make sure that there are funds available for those activities. The failure to fund this agenda is possibly the greatest obstacle we face to implementation. I call on members to earmark a minimum of 15 per cent of funding on peace and security to programmes that address the needs of women and girls, and to make full use of the new pooled fund that was created to channel more resources to women’s organizations working for peace.