New York (VNA) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) commits to ensuring gender equality and protecting women’s right, AmbassadorDang Hoang Giang, head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the UnitedNations, has said on behalf of the regional bloc.
Speaking on behalf of ASEAN at the UN Security Council (UNSC)’s open debate on women, peace and security,titled “women’s participation in international peace and security: from theoryto practice”, on October 25, Ambassador Giang said that theassociation considers the implementation of the UNSC’s agenda on women, peace and security (Resolution 1325) an important part in guaranteeing sustainable peace and prosperity in the region.
He emphassised that the UNSC’s Resolution 1325 together with relevant resolutions provides animportant basis for the agenda, helping ensure women’s fulland active engagement in global efforts to maintain sustainable peaceand security, pointing out that women, however, continue to face gender discriminationand be prevented from taking part in peace and decision-making processes, while continuingto be the victims of violence and conflict.
In a bid to handle the challenges, Giang said that stakeholders should makestrong commitments to carrying out the agenda and invest appropriate resources in those efforts so that women are able to promotetheir role. Women are not merely statistics in conflict data, women are the catalyst of changes and architects of peace and reconciliation, he said.
The diplomat went on to say that since ASEAN adopted a joint statement on promoting theUNSC’s agenda on women, peace and security in 2017, the bloc has attained anarray of achievements in the field.
The ASEAN member stateshave taken concrete steps across the spectrum of peace and security at thenational level, including mobilising female officers to join the UN’speacekeeping activities, issuing policies and regulations on prevention of violenceagainst women and girls in conflict-related situations, he said, affirming ASEANwill continue joining hands with the UN and its partners in implementing the agenda on women, peace and security to create meaningfulchanges both in policies and practice.
On the sidelines of the open debate, Giang had ameeting with Canadian Ambassador for women, peace and security JacquelinesO’Neil, during which both sides discussed measures to bolster coordination,cooperation and support for each other to carry out the UNSC’s agenda atnational, regional and global levels.
Adopted on October 31,2000, the UNSC’s Resolution 1325reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution ofconflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarianresponse and in post-conflict reconstruction and stresses the importance oftheir equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for themaintenance and promotion of peace and security.
The resolution urges allactors to increase the participation of women and incorporate genderperspectives in all UN peace and security efforts. It also calls on all partiesto conflict to take special measures to protect women and girls fromgender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse, insituations of armed conflict. The resolution provides a number of importantoperational mandates, with implications for Member States and the entities ofthe UN system.
Vietnam has made practical contributions to promoting women’s role in globaland regional peace and security while it served as a non-permanent member ofthe UNSC in the 2008-2009 and 2020-2021 terms./.
VNA