Nguyen Phuong Tra, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN (Photo: VNA) The session, themed “Closing the Protection Gap for Widows in Conflict andPost-Conflict Settings”, took place under the chair of the African Unionambassador to the UN and the chargé d’affaires of Niger.
NguyenPhuong Tra, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, said althoughwidows haven’t received due attention in conflicts, they have capacity and animportant role to play in families, peacebuilding, and community mediation.
She heldthat to ensure the interests of and better attention to widows, it is necessaryto improve the awareness of their role, demand, and legitimate interests.
Countries and relevantparties in conflicts must guarantee security and safety for widows and theirchildren and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access. The inheritance, asset,land, education, and healthcare rights, as well as other equality rights, ofwidows in conflict and post-conflict settings need due attention. Widows shouldalso be given conditions to equally take part in decision-making and peace processes,according to the diplomat.
Tra recommended countries andinternational and regional organisations collect statistics and prepare reportson challenges facing widows in conflicts so as to create a basis for building relevantprogrammes and policies.
She also suggested a sectionon widowhood reserved in the UN Secretary-General’s annual reports on women,peace, and security.
At the meeting, Vietnamreaffirmed consistent efforts and coordination with the international communityto ensure all women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in relevantprocesses.
Representatives of other UNSCmembers, UN Women, and the Global Fund for Widows pointed out the fact andchallenges facing more than 350 million widows around the world.
They underlined the need toeradicate barriers and discrimination against the group and improve the commonawareness of widows’ role and contributions in conflict and post-conflictsettings./.
VNA
