Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN. (Photo: VNA)

Ireland and 11 member states of the UN Security Council, including Vietnam, co-held on March 8 an Arria-formula meeting entitled “Call to Lead by Example: Ensuring the Full, Equal and Meaningful Participation of Women in UN-led Peace Processes”.

Addressing representatives of nearly 60 countries and UN agencies, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo highlighted the UN’s efforts in pursuit of this common objective via the mainstreaming of gender equality in the UN system, noting that women are currently accounting for 54 percent of the senior leadership of special political missions.

She said the UN mission in Afghanistan has assisted a radio series about women’s participation in peace processes. The UN has also organised an online consultation in Yemen with the presence of over 500 women and representatives of social organisations. Special envoys of the UN Secretary-General in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have also used mechanisms to ensure that women-related priorities are included in discussions.

However, DiCarlo added, to promote women’s engagement in peace processes, the UN should have adequate and sustainable financing sources and boost long-term strategic partnerships to enable sustainable outcomes.

Countries present at the meeting shared the view that the enhancement of women’s participation in peace processes holds great significance, stressing the importance of the elimination of barriers facing women in the areas of peace and security.

They also shared measures and experience in this regard such as raising awareness, building national action plans, and empowering and increasing development support for women in all stages of peace processes.

In his speech, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, pointed out both achievements in and challenges to the augmentation of women’s participation in peace processes.

He emphasised the need for continued improvement of the common awareness of women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace processes at all levels. Accordingly, women and girls’ rights, interests, and demand should be further promoted to ensure that women are an equal partner in the earliest stages of peace and political processes.

Countries need to guarantee women’s involvement in the building of policies, strategies, and initiatives on peace and security at the national, regional, and international levels, Quy said, noting that women should be equipped with knowledge and skills, politically empowered, and given access to fully and equally take part in decision and policy making processes.

To obtain tangible and long-term outcomes, the ambassador held that it is necessary to foster international cooperation, share resources and experience, and call on sponsors to realise the commitment of providing 15 percent of ODA capital for gender equality promotion in conflict-hit nations.

On this occasion, he affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to women’s role, underlining its accomplishments in stepping up their role in peace and security issues, including peace processes.

Arria-formula meetings are informal meetings of the UN Security Council with the attendance of the council’s members, other UN member states, and international organisations to look into important and emerging issues. 

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