Statement of Switzerland at the 2016 WPS Debate
Participation
In these challenging times, it is essential to promote partnerships with civil society, and in particular with women’s networks. Colombia is a perfect example of the role that civil society women’s networks can play in peace and peacebuilding efforts. In that regard, I thank the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security and all affiliated organizations for their tireless efforts to promote the women and peace and security agenda here in New York.
SGBV
Secondly, non-State armed groups must be considered in the implementation of the agenda on women and peace and security. Switzerland continues its efforts to facilitate direct dialogue with those groups, which must recognize the principles of international humanitarian law and commit to respecting existing rules, including those regarding sexual and gender-based violence. In that connection, Switzerland supports the Women’s Initiative for Gender Justice, a non-governmental organization that aims to rehabilitate and reintegrate former child soldiers of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda and victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by providing psychosocial support and access to medical assistance. The project also contributes to holding perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence accountable under national and international law. For example, the documentation of sexual and gender-based violence that was made possible through this project was used against two Congolese rebel leaders at the International Criminal Court.
Thirdly, sexual and gender-based violence is a major, pressing issue. Accordingly, Switzerland will make sexual and gender-based violence a priority in its humanitarian commitments. That will include fostering access for victims to various services, mainstreaming the topic in the various areas of humanitarian aid and supporting partner humanitarian organizations in their work in the area of sexual and gender- based violence.
Implementation
Switzerland continues to be one of the major donors to UN-Women and has increased its contribution to CHF48 million Swiss for the period from 2015 to 2017. Earlier this month, we also inaugurated the new UN- Women Liaison Office at Geneva. As the Secretary- General stated, Member States continue to shoulder the primary responsibility for implementing the agenda for women and peace and security. Switzerland is ready to embrace that role and renews its commitment to the women and peace and security agenda.
Switzerland’s national action plan is a Government instrument that contemplates a participative mechanism designed specifically for civil society. This year will see the third review of that plan. In that regard, civil society organizations have drafted an alternative implementation report. Switzerland will consider its conclusions when it updates the national action plan in 2017. Reports on the implementation of the national action plan are regularly submitted for parliamentary oversight. As for the fulfilment of the commitments undertaken last year, we would like to highlight three points.