Category: MIL-OSI-Video

Source: United Nations (Video News)

Briefing by by Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, on Women building peace in a changing environment, during the Security Council, 9760th meeting.

“Madam President, Excellencies,
First, let me begin by wishing everyone a happy UN Day.

Every year, in this Chamber, the global community reaffirms its commitment to ensuring women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in conflict prevention, resolution, and recovery, and to upholding their rights during times of war.

Yet, progress remains dishearteningly slow.

Peace and security decision-making is overwhelmingly dominated by men.

And ending impunity for atrocities against women and girls is still but a distant goal.

And the past year has been especially difficult.

In Gaza, tens of thousands of Palestinian women and girls have been killed and injured amidst continued war and a terrible humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, the plight of Israeli women still held hostage demands urgent action to ensure their safety and immediate release.

In Lebanon, an escalation of destruction and displacement threatens women and girls’ safety and livelihood.

In Sudan, women are enduring extreme suffering, facing not only the loss of loved ones but also the dire lack of access to essential services and medical care.

I reiterate the Secretary-General’s calls:

Civilians must be protected, civilian infrastructure must not be targeted, and international law must be upheld.

The United Nations remains steadfast.

We will not look away or lose hope.

The women, peace and security agenda will always guide our work and show a path forward.

Despite attacks on our offices, and the detention and killings of our staff in unprecedented numbers, allow me to honor the work of my colleagues and share examples of what they do.

In peacekeeping missions, the women, peace and security agenda is a key political and strategic imperative.

Our teams work tirelessly to help protect and assist women – from relocating human rights defenders to aiding women after their release from abduction by armed groups, from ensuring women’s representation in local dialogues to helping bring justice to women in places where sexual violence has long been met with impunity.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, 57 percent of cases supported by the mission’s Prosecution Support Cells in 2023 involved conflict-related sexual violence, contributing to the conviction of dozens of members of armed groups and state security forces.

In Abyei, earlier this year, one-third of participants in a post-migration conference were women – this was a first.

In the Central African Republic, the mission is helping mobilize women for local elections that have not been held in 38 years.

Deploying more diverse teams to peacekeeping operations has helped us deliver better on our mandates.

The representation of women in most categories of uniformed personnel has doubled in the last five years, and initiatives have been put in place to foster gender-responsive work environments for all peacekeepers.

Yet, much more remains to be done to improve the gender balance of our deployments and reap the benefits of inclusion and diversity.

Success in peacekeeping hinges on the political support from Member States, especially those with the great honor of sitting in this Chamber to protect international peace and security.

I commend the efforts of the United Arab Emirates to empower Women in Peace and Security. This initiative has provided training and capacity building opportunities for over 600 women from the Middle East, Africa and Asia in military and peacekeeping. The UN is a proud partner in these efforts that advance the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

Throughout the world, the UN reaches millions of displaced women and girls and survivors of violence with food, medical support, legal aid, shelter, access to safe spaces, psychosocial support, education, and jobs and livelihood opportunities.

Yesterday, survivors of conflict-related sexual violence from many war-torn corners of the globe gathered for a Survivor’s Hearing to mark the 15th anniversary of resolution 1888.

Effective protection from sexual violence is fundamental to women’s effective participation in peacebuilding, conflict recovery, and sustainable development that leaves no one behind.
(…)” [ Excerpt]

Full remarks [as delivered]: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/deputy-secretary-general/statement/2024-10-24/deputy-secretary-generals-remarks-the-security-council-women-peace-and-security-delivered

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo5fFT4s4XQ