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Mr. President,
We thank the French Presidency of the Council for organizing this very important meeting on realizing the promises of the women and peace and security agenda.
We thank the Chef de Cabinet, Executive Director of the UN Women and NGO representation for their remarks.
Mr. President,
The last couple of decades have witnessed a sharp increase in both interest and idea-driven conflicts. And situations of chronic instability, violence, armed conflict and wars continue to affect women and girls disproportionately. From sexual violence to sexual exploitation and abuse inflicted by terrorist organizations and parties to the conflict, women carry a disproportionate burden of physical and psychological trauma during conflicts.
What is worse is that exploitation of women and girls is not an incidental by product of conflict. It is an instrument widely employed to humiliate and terrorize civilians. According to the Secretary General’s report, sexual violence continues to be employed as a tactic of war, with widespread and strategic rapes, including mass rapes, allegedly committed by several parties to armed conflicts.
But to their credit, this has not held women back. Across the globe, they have been willing and able to share the burden of peacebuilding, peacemaking and conflict prevention.
The UN Security Council and its global efforts to end this dehumanizing practice has played a part in it. The landmark Security Council Resolution 1325 both ushered in and institutionalized a new focus on women in conflict, moving their participation and rights to the front and center of the political debate.
Although challenges remain daunting, and new protection crises continue to emerge, our collective resolve to stamp out this scourge does provide reason for hope.
Mr. President,
Here, I would like to emphasize four specific points:
One, The Security Council, as the primary body tasked with maintaining peace and security, should focus on root causes of conflict to remove the grounds where such crimes breed.
Two, the United Nations should play its unique role in enhancing cooperation and coordination with the relevant bodies to help secure women their rightful place on the table.
Three, National Governments bear the primary responsibility for women’s safety and rights. The international community should support countries concerned in their efforts to safeguard women’s rights and provide assistance in this regard. Strengthening the capacity of national institutions is critical to this endeavour.
Four, gender perspectives should be fully integrated into the peace-building paradigm to reinforce the ‘protection environment’. This would entail not only greater participation of women in peacekeeping mandates, but also an enhanced role for women in peace accords, and in stabilization and reconstruction phases of post-conflict rehabilitation.
Mr. President,
We fully support the Secretary General’s policy of zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse and Pakistan was among the first batch of countries to sign the Secretary General’s compact on the subject. We have also contributed to the Trust Fund for the victims of sexual violence.
In conclusion, let me recall that multidimensional peacekeeping missions with protection mandates play a key role in combating violence against women in conflict and post-conflict situations. As a leading troop contributing country, Pakistan remains fully committed to this cause.
I thank you.