General Women, Peace and Security

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the twentieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action remind us of the fact that there is a strong and direct relationship between sustainable peace and security and sustainable development, as well as of the fact that women and girls must be at the forefront of programmes designed to help us attain sustainable development, peace and security.

Indonesia remains committed to working with Member States, the United Nations and other relevant actors to empower women and girls as agents for change for peace and security around the world. Conflict is painful. It is disfiguring and debilitating to anybody’s sense of humanity. Women who live in the midst of conflict are given no choice but to take charge when they lose their father, brother or husband.

The promotion of women at the United Nations is not a marketing ploy or a publicrelations operation. It is a fundamental issue in itself, and it is — let us make no mistake about this — a condition of the success and effectiveness of the United Nations. This is particularly true for the women and peace and security agenda, where we must fulfil our commitments and indeed make them operational.

A special thank you goes to the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for this year’s report on women and peace and security (S/2016/822). We align ourselves with the statement of the European Union and of the Group of Friends of Women and Peace and Security, and we reiterate our commitment to and support for protecting women’s and girls’ rights globally.

Ethiopia welcomes the progress made in mainstreaming a gender perspective in the work of the Security Council since the adoption of the groundbreaking resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women and peace and security.

There is a strong correlation between gender equality, peace and development. Gender equality is the only effective way to achieve sustainable peace and development. Not only women, but societies in general benefit from women’s increased participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.