Statement of Holy See

The Holy See has long advocated for increased involvement by women in making, maintaining and building peace. Therefore it appreciates the initiatives promoted by the Security Council and Governments to raise awareness and arrive at a fuller recognition of the vital role of women in preventing the outbreak of war through mediation and preventive diplomacy, in reconciling, rehabilitating and rebuilding societies in post-war situations and in avoiding relapses into armed conflict. Women can, and should, play much greater roles in all of those processes. Their special capacities to bring order out of chaos, community out of division and peace out of conflict, and their special gifts in educating people to be more receptive and sensitive to the needs of others, are essential to our goal to spare our world from the scourges of war and to help to heal the wounds of earlier and current violent conflicts.

The fact that women suffer disproportionately from conflicts and wars, which they have not caused, creates a false impression that women are solely victims and not also peacemakers. It is high time — indeed, high time is long past — that that flawed image be laid to rest. The one sure way of achieving that is to harness to the fullest extent the active role of women in all phases of conflict prevention, mediation, conflict resolution and post-conflict peacebuilding. Without the input and specific skills of women, a deep understanding of the causes of conflicts and of the most effective solutions to end them and to build peace may never be fully attained.