Last summer, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres introduced the New Agenda for Peace, a policy brief outlining his vision for the future of multilateralism and the UN’s work on peace and security in a changing world. That policy brief “focuses on how women’s participation is linked to efforts to prevent conflict,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. “Simply put, without half the population participating and deciding, there cannot be sustainable peace.”
In Mid-March, leaders from around the world met during the UN’s 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. They discussed how “best to advance gender equity and protect and promote the fundamental freedoms and rights of all,” said U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. And she noted that “all of this critical work hinges on one thing: Peace.”
“Everything we do to empower women, everything women do to empower themselves, is eroded by conflict. Because we know that women and girls are disproportionately impacted by conflict, by displacement, food insecurity, sexual violence, by all of the horrors of war,” she said.
“For all we know about the impact conflict has on women and girls, there is so much that never cracks the surface,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.
“Because of underreporting, because of stigma, because of legitimate privacy and safety concerns, it is difficult to prevent and monitor the unique risks faced by women and girls in violent settings, to adequately support survivors with victim-centered, trauma-sensitive approaches, and to effectively pursue post-conflict peacebuilding and justice.”
“We must prioritize gender issues in this Council, and we must center Women, Peace, and Security in our work,” she said.
“We know that when women are at the table, and able to participate, fully, equally, and meaningfully, peacebuilding efforts are more successful, and peace is more durable. The same is true with young leaders. Today’s youth population is the largest recorded. And engaging them in peace processes mitigates the risk that nations will be pulled back into conflict.”
“This work requires every single one of us. It requires collective action,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.
“The United States is committed to UN conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts, including through our implementation of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability and the U.S. Strategy and National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.”
