SC: WPS - GoF Statement

Statement was delivered by Canada.

I am pleased to speak on behalf of 64 Member States of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace, and Security, an informal network representing all five regional groups of the UN, and the European Union.

In Afghanistan, Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen, and many other fragile and conflict-affected countries, women and girls are courageously working to build peace and shape their countries’ futures. Amidst a sharp rebound of militarization and misogyny, they demonstrate, at great risk to their own safety, their determination, resilience and capacity. Yet, women and girls, in many conflict-affected contexts in particular, continue to be excluded from decision-making and targeted for discrimination and violence, including sexual and gender-based violence.

Women leaders have made clear what we, the international community, must do to support their efforts. We, as 64 Member States, reiterate seven commitments:

1. Protect, respect and promote the autonomy and human rights of all women and girls;
2. Advocate for and support women’s full, equal, effective and meaningful participation and leadership, at all stages and at all levels, in all political and peace processes, and reiterate our call on the UN to lead by example by making women’s participation in UN-led peace processes a requirement.
3. Create a safe and enabling environment for all women peacebuilders, human rights defenders, civil society leaders, journalists and media workers, and advocates for gender equality to carry out their invaluable work, including by championing their roles, amplifying their voices, swiftly and unequivocally condemning attacks, intimidation and reprisals against them, and ensuring adequate, predictable and sustained and flexible funding so they may carry out their work safely and independently;
4. Call on the UN to champion the important work of women peacebuilders and women human rights defenders and advocates for gender equality and provide all necessary protection and support to those at risk and establish clear protocols for how all UN entities should respond;
5. Call on the Security Council to ensure that all peacekeeping operations and special political missions provide, monitor and report on support to women peacebuilders and women human rights defenders at risk, and fully support and facilitate independent civil society contribution to the work of the Council;
6. Prevent and respond to all forms of sexual and gender-based violence and discrimination, including by ensuring survivors’ access to essential services, including sexual and reproductive healthcare services, and to gender-responsive justice, by holding perpetrators of such acts to account, and continue to encourage the Security Council to pursue the fight against impunity with all the means at its disposal, and to incorporate and apply conflict-related sexual violence as a designation criterion in UN sanction regimes;
7. Provide greater support for women and girls subjected to forced displacement and who are put at increased risk for violence and discrimination.

It is critical that the international community act now to close the gaps between global commitments set out in this Council's now 10 resolutions on Women, Peace and Security, and their realization.

Thank you.