Statement of the Department of Political Affairs, March 28, 2016

The Secretary-General has made the advancement of women a top priority since he assumed office and has instructed the senior management of the Secretariat to place the issue at the centre of what they do. This system-wide focus signalled the beginning of an important reorientation, informed by the basic fact that women living with conflict have strategic knowledge and networks that can contribute to its resolution. Recent research has also established that women’s participation in peace talks facilitates not only the conclusion of agreements and their implementation but — crucially — also the sustainability of peace.