Security Council Open Debate on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security, March 2016

Monday, March 21, 2016

Open Debate: Maintenance of international peace and security: prevention and resolution of conflicts in the Great Lakes region.

March 21, 2016

 

Overview

On Monday March 21, 2016, under the Angolan presidency, the Security Council held a ministerial-level open debate under the theme, "Maintenance of international peace and security: prevention and resolution of conflicts in the Great Lakes region." Prior to the debate, Angola circulated a concept note that stressed that often attempts to end the conflicts and establish peace in the region have failed to comprehend the complexity of the conflicts and to address their driving forces. Member States focused their statements on how to resolve outstanding contentious issues, especially the need to definitively neutralize armed groups and the issue of elections and to address the issue of illegal exploitation of natural resources. Highlighting the need to transform natural resources into drivers of the development of the Great Lakes region and the role States must play to ensure the correct and sustainable management of natural resources, the Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon noted in his statement that, “peace and security go hand-in-hand with human and economic development.”. This debate provided an opportunity for Member States to reflect on efforts needed to ensure that objectives set for the peoples of the region in the 2016-2017 Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region will be delivered. Members States also discussed the role of women and the importance of strengthening their capacities as mediators in intercommunal conflicts, namely in areas such as access to land and peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction. In this vein, the representative of Spain highlighted that women are the greatest force for change in the world.

General Analysis

The majority of speakers noted the need to properly manage natural resources in the region. A number of members addressed the issue of illegal exploitation of natural resources, and how this is linked to conflict. In this vein, the representative of Brazil stressed the need to wisely exploit the natural resources in order to prevent the support and development of illegal armed groups. Addressing the link between the issue of illegal exploitation of natural resources and conflict, the Venezuelan representative suggested to strengthening the institutions in the affected countries to ensure the sound management of natural resources. New Zealand, among others, stressed the need for greater participation of international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank in regional programmes. The threat to the peace and stability of the region from armed groups and the importance of stable, credible elections were among the points raised. To do so, the representative of Egypt suggested to create a regional environment that nurtures the peace and security in the region through coordinate efforts. Among these efforts, as the Netherlands and Holy See pointed out, should be directed towards the disarmament and demobilization of militias and armed groups which continued to attack civilians. Finally, 85% of participants spoke about the importance of a regional perspective for conflict prevention. These members may cover possible conflict prevention tools that could be used more effectively, including the ad-hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa, the UN Regional Office for Central Africa, and Council visiting missions.

Gender Analysis

Out of nearly 50 statements delivered, only fifteen speakers (30%) used a specific gendered language. Many these speakers highlighted the role of women in peace processes as it has been promoted in the UN Great Lakes Regional Strategic Framework for 2016 - 2017 and the Women’s Platform for the Peace, Security and Cooperation. Noting that the Great Lakes region cannot witness peace until a culture of impunity ends and political stability is established, 26% of speakers believed that empowerment of women is possible only when they are given an opportunity to fully participate as citizens in economic, political, and social life. The representative of Sweden, in this vein, highlighted the benefits of women’s involvement in the Rwandan parliament. “Women’s participation is an indispensable foundation for sustainable development,” he added. In the same vein, the reform of Security Sector in the countries of the region mentioned by 26 % of the speakers; however, not all of the countries have seen women as a part of this process. However, the participation of women in peace processes, among previously-mentioned benefits, will assist in shifting regional and national attitudes toward the impunity of crimes of sexual violence. The critical prevalence of the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence was noted by 18% of speakers. During the period of protracted conflict, widespread, systemic violence against women has gained particular prominence as groups vie for political and economic control. Many women fear denouncing sexual crimes because of the norm of stigmatization and rejection by communities, and due to lack of justice. Building on the other statements, representative of Canada suggested that the violence against women is not only a cruel criminal act, “it can have destabilizing effects on the society.” Less frequently, Member States referred to issues related to justice (20%), peacekeeping (16%), protection (16%), and the implementation of the WPS Agenda (14%). Talking about the demobilization and disarmament processes, 10% of representatives suggested that women’s leadership will ensure that these processes are sensitive to gender. Moreover, while discussing the problem of underfunding of conflict prevention methods in the region, Member States failed to acknowledge the need to allocate funding for local and national action plans and, more broadly, for developing sustainable funding solutions for women’s activism in the region.

 

Resources: 

Concept note for the Security Council open debate on the theme “Maintenance of international peace and security: prevention and resolution of conflicts in the Great Lakes region."

Meeting Record: Prevention and resolution of conflicts in the Great Lakes region (March, 21).

Please choose

General Women, Peace and Security
  • Country

    Spain
  • Extracts

    Today it is essential to ensure that this includes women, who have been traditionally excluded in many societies and who are possibly the greatest force for change in the world. Inclusion and respect for legal procedures are conditions to ensure that electoral processes contribute to peace, stability and prosperity.

  • Country

    Spain
  • Extracts

    This challenge is also a non-negotiable obligation, for we cannot go on justifying the tens of millions of people living in poverty, the millions of suffering young people whose outlook on the future is marked by hopelessness and the lack of opportunity, and the millions of women suffering from attacks on their lives and integrity and living excluded from economic and social participation in a region that is extraordinarily rich. 

  • Country

    Senegal
  • Extracts

    In conclusion, I should like to stress the importance of the development aspect of the search for solutions to the challenges facing the Great Lakes region, and call for the full inclusion not only of women, but also of young people, who need to be included in the private sector of the Great Lakes region.

  • Country

    Japan
  • Extracts

    This is an ongoing project carried out in collaboration with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN-Women, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund. 

  • Country

    Portugal
  • Extracts

    We will promote and support training initiatives on good governance, anti-corruption efforts, the equitable distribution of resources, the empowerment of women and the right to education. 

  • Country

    Sweden
  • Extracts

    Thirdly, on the role of women, we emphasize the importance of the full and active participation of women in the prevention, the management and the resolution of conflicts, as well as in post-conflict efforts and cooperation. In the experience of the Nordic countries, the genuine participation of women in all aspects of life, in all aspects of peacemaking, is an indispensable foundation for sustainable development. The Great Lakes region has shown leadership in ensuring women’s participation in decision-making. In that particular regard the example of Rwanda stands out, with now around 50 per cent women members of Parliament. 

  • Country

    Brazil
  • Extracts

    As the current Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, allow me to reiterate the importance of the participation of women in political processes related to peace, the protection of civilians, reconciliation efforts and the establishment of a protective environment. Allow me to acknowledge the political leadership exercised by women in the region, and in particular the high percentage of women in the Cabinet and Parliament of Rwanda.

  • Country

    Australia
  • Extracts

    Critically, mediation talks, together with broader peacebuilding efforts, must be inclusive of all, particularly women, young people and civil society, if they are to address the grievances that fuel conflict.

  • Country

    Australia
  • Extracts

    Australia is particularly pleased that the Regional Strategic Framework outlines practical steps for addressing violence against women and girls in the region. We also commend its focus on ending the culture of impunity by strengthening institutions, empowering civil society organizations and enhancing judicial cooperation.

  • Country

    Australia
  • Extracts

    We note with concern that implementation of the commitments under the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region has recently been limited. In that context, we welcome the agreement on the resumption of military cooperation between the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as today’s launch of the United Nations Regional Strategic Framework for the Great Lakes, which aims to support the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework. Australia is particularly pleased that the Regional Strategic Framework outlines practical steps for addressing violence against women and girls in the region

Conflict Prevention
  • Speaker

    Secretary-General of the United Nations
  • Extracts

    I am particularly pleased with the conference’s recommendation that private investors should support business ventures that provide livelihoods for women and youth, with special emphasis on capacity-building and skills development. 

  • Speaker

    African Union
  • Extracts

    I cannot conclude without recalling the need for greater promotion of the rights of children and women in the region. Any type of violence against women must stop immediately. And the inclusion of women in conflict prevention, in conflict resolution and in reconstruction is not an act of charity, but rather an investment in a society that would be fair, inclusive and respectful of the rights of everyone and in harmony with the eternal values of Africa. 

Participation
  • Speaker

    African Union
  • Extracts

    I cannot conclude without recalling the need for greater promotion of the rights of children and women in the region. Any type of violence against women must stop immediately. And the inclusion of women in conflict prevention, in conflict resolution and in reconstruction is not an act of charity, but rather an investment in a society that would be fair, inclusive and respectful of the rights of everyone and in harmony with the eternal values of Africa. 

  • Country

    Spain
  • Extracts

    Today it is essential to ensure that this includes women, who have been traditionally excluded in many societies and who are possibly the greatest force for change in the world. Inclusion and respect for legal procedures are conditions to ensure that electoral processes contribute to peace, stability and prosperity.

  • Country

    Spain
  • Extracts

    This challenge is also a non-negotiable obligation, for we cannot go on justifying the tens of millions of people living in poverty, the millions of suffering young people whose outlook on the future is marked by hopelessness and the lack of opportunity, and the millions of women suffering from attacks on their lives and integrity and living excluded from economic and social participation in a region that is extraordinarily rich. 

  • Country

    Senegal
  • Extracts

    We also take this opportunity to commend the outstanding contribution of women in the region to peace and reconciliation, in particular through the Great Lakes Women’s Platform, which allows women to make their voices heard and to participate more actively in the decisions and social and economic development of the region. The programme is a concrete embodiment of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, and has already chalked up significant achievements that draw in further support at regional and international levels. 

  • Country

    Senegal
  • Extracts

    In conclusion, I should like to stress the importance of the development aspect of the search for solutions to the challenges facing the Great Lakes region, and call for the full inclusion not only of women, but also of young people, who need to be included in the private sector of the Great Lakes region.

  • Country

    Sweden
  • Extracts

    Thirdly, on the role of women, we emphasize the importance of the full and active participation of women in the prevention, the management and the resolution of conflicts, as well as in post-conflict efforts and cooperation. In the experience of the Nordic countries, the genuine participation of women in all aspects of life, in all aspects of peacemaking, is an indispensable foundation for sustainable development. The Great Lakes region has shown leadership in ensuring women’s participation in decision-making. In that particular regard the example of Rwanda stands out, with now around 50 per cent women members of Parliament. 

  • Country

    Brazil
  • Extracts

    As the current Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, allow me to reiterate the importance of the participation of women in political processes related to peace, the protection of civilians, reconciliation efforts and the establishment of a protective environment. Allow me to acknowledge the political leadership exercised by women in the region, and in particular the high percentage of women in the Cabinet and Parliament of Rwanda.

  • Country

    Australia
  • Extracts

    Critically, mediation talks, together with broader peacebuilding efforts, must be inclusive of all, particularly women, young people and civil society, if they are to address the grievances that fuel conflict.

  • Country

    Australia
  • Extracts

    Australia is particularly pleased that the Regional Strategic Framework outlines practical steps for addressing violence against women and girls in the region. We also commend its focus on ending the culture of impunity by strengthening institutions, empowering civil society organizations and enhancing judicial cooperation.

  • Country

    Australia
  • Extracts

    We note with concern that implementation of the commitments under the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region has recently been limited. In that context, we welcome the agreement on the resumption of military cooperation between the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as today’s launch of the United Nations Regional Strategic Framework for the Great Lakes, which aims to support the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework. Australia is particularly pleased that the Regional Strategic Framework outlines practical steps for addressing violence against women and girls in the region

Peace Processes
  • Speaker

    African Union
  • Extracts

    I cannot conclude without recalling the need for greater promotion of the rights of children and women in the region. Any type of violence against women must stop immediately. And the inclusion of women in conflict prevention, in conflict resolution and in reconstruction is not an act of charity, but rather an investment in a society that would be fair, inclusive and respectful of the rights of everyone and in harmony with the eternal values of Africa. 

Protection
  • Speaker

    Secretary-General of the United Nations
  • Extracts

    I am particularly pleased with the conference’s recommendation that private investors should support business ventures that provide livelihoods for women and youth, with special emphasis on capacity-building and skills development. 

  • Country

    Spain
  • Extracts

    This challenge is also a non-negotiable obligation, for we cannot go on justifying the tens of millions of people living in poverty, the millions of suffering young people whose outlook on the future is marked by hopelessness and the lack of opportunity, and the millions of women suffering from attacks on their lives and integrity and living excluded from economic and social participation in a region that is extraordinarily rich. 

  • Country

    New Zealand
  • Extracts

    Today we are still working through the consequences of those failures. And the costs in terms of lives lost, women and children traumatized, infrastructure shattered and development foregone continue to rise. 

  • Country

    Senegal
  • Extracts

    In addition to the evolving aftermath of those tragedies, other regional conflicts have exacted a heavy toll on the trust and relations among States, creating challenges and substantial limits to necessary regional cooperation. Indeed, various reports on the subject, including those of the Secretary-General, reveal an emerging pattern in the the causes and manifestations of the crises wracking the region. Without being exhaustive, we can identify the following, inter alia: the growing number of armed non-State entities; inter-community or ethnic tensions; problems pertaining to governance and democracy; the illegal exploitation of natural resources that fuel conflicts; the cyclical flows of refugees and internally displaced persons, and their resulting humanitarian consequences; the high number of civilian victims in that context of insecurity; sexual and gender-based abuse, particularly against women and girls; and lest we forget, the poignant case of children who are often recruited by warring parties. 

Human Rights
  • Country

    United States of America
  • Extracts

    Unfortunately, despite Rwanda’s progress on economic rights, women’s right, and on so many development axes, its record in the protection and promotion of civil and political rights is less impressive.
  • Country

    Senegal
  • Extracts

    In addition to the evolving aftermath of those tragedies, other regional conflicts have exacted a heavy toll on the trust and relations among States, creating challenges and substantial limits to necessary regional cooperation. Indeed, various reports on the subject, including those of the Secretary-General, reveal an emerging pattern in the the causes and manifestations of the crises wracking the region. Without being exhaustive, we can identify the following, inter alia: the growing number of armed non-State entities; inter-community or ethnic tensions; problems pertaining to governance and democracy; the illegal exploitation of natural resources that fuel conflicts; the cyclical flows of refugees and internally displaced persons, and their resulting humanitarian consequences; the high number of civilian victims in that context of insecurity; sexual and gender-based abuse, particularly against women and girls; and lest we forget, the poignant case of children who are often recruited by warring parties. 

  • Country

    Senegal
  • Extracts

    We also take this opportunity to commend the outstanding contribution of women in the region to peace and reconciliation, in particular through the Great Lakes Women’s Platform, which allows women to make their voices heard and to participate more actively in the decisions and social and economic development of the region. The programme is a concrete embodiment of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, and has already chalked up significant achievements that draw in further support at regional and international levels. 

  • Country

    Portugal
  • Extracts

    We will promote and support training initiatives on good governance, anti-corruption efforts, the equitable distribution of resources, the empowerment of women and the right to education. 

  • Country

    Sweden
  • Extracts

    Thirdly, on the role of women, we emphasize the importance of the full and active participation of women in the prevention, the management and the resolution of conflicts, as well as in post-conflict efforts and cooperation. In the experience of the Nordic countries, the genuine participation of women in all aspects of life, in all aspects of peacemaking, is an indispensable foundation for sustainable development. The Great Lakes region has shown leadership in ensuring women’s participation in decision-making. In that particular regard the example of Rwanda stands out, with now around 50 per cent women members of Parliament. 

  • Country

    Brazil
  • Extracts

    As the current Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, allow me to reiterate the importance of the participation of women in political processes related to peace, the protection of civilians, reconciliation efforts and the establishment of a protective environment. Allow me to acknowledge the political leadership exercised by women in the region, and in particular the high percentage of women in the Cabinet and Parliament of Rwanda.

  • Country

    Australia
  • Extracts

    Critically, mediation talks, together with broader peacebuilding efforts, must be inclusive of all, particularly women, young people and civil society, if they are to address the grievances that fuel conflict.

Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform
  • Country

    United States of America
  • Extracts

    Unfortunately, despite Rwanda’s progress on economic rights, women’s right, and on so many development axes, its record in the protection and promotion of civil and political rights is less impressive.
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
  • Country

    Senegal
  • Extracts

    We also take this opportunity to commend the outstanding contribution of women in the region to peace and reconciliation, in particular through the Great Lakes Women’s Platform, which allows women to make their voices heard and to participate more actively in the decisions and social and economic development of the region. The programme is a concrete embodiment of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, and has already chalked up significant achievements that draw in further support at regional and international levels. 

Implementation
  • Country

    Australia
  • Extracts

    We note with concern that implementation of the commitments under the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region has recently been limited. In that context, we welcome the agreement on the resumption of military cooperation between the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as today’s launch of the United Nations Regional Strategic Framework for the Great Lakes, which aims to support the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework. Australia is particularly pleased that the Regional Strategic Framework outlines practical steps for addressing violence against women and girls in the region