United Nations Security Council: Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security: Strengthening Women’s resilience and leadership in conflict settings

Madam President,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of New Zealand. New Zealand aligns itself with the Group of Friends of Women in Peace and Security statement delivered by Canada.

New Zealand thanks Gabon for choosing to focus on women’s resilience and leadership in conflict settings. Without a doubt, the role of women’s leadership and resilience is a pivotal issue in finding a path out of conflict in many regions around the world.

In Yemen, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Haiti and many other fragile settings, women and girls are leading crucial efforts towards building peace and conflict resolution. They have demonstrated harrowing determination, leadership and resilience amongst dangerous contexts where their basic right to life is threatened on a daily basis.

UN Resolution 1325 represents a significant step forward. Nonetheless, we have a long way to go in ensuring the participation of women and incorporating gender perspectives in all UN peace and security efforts. This year’s UN Secretary-General’s Report shows the persistent gaps in implementation that we must pay attention to. The report also highlights how the combined impacts of Covid, Climate and Conflict presented greater challenges for Women in Peace and Security. It is now more crucial than ever that we not only recover lost ground, but also redouble efforts to tackle these pressing challenges.

New Zealand recommends the following three initiatives for strengthening women’s leadership and resilience in conflict settings based on own experience:

First, it is crucial that we as Member States insist on women’s meaningful participation in all peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts, and make this a centre-piece for the New Agenda for Peace. We strongly support the call for all UN-supported peace processes to require and ensure women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership at all stages and all levels of UN-led peace processes. This means taking concrete measures to address longstanding barriers to women’s leadership, and redoubling our efforts to build resilience. For New Zealand’s part, our Wahine Toa leadership programme is designed to increase women’s leadership and participation in Defence, including in peacekeeping operations and peace processes.

Secondly, New Zealand has seen first hand the immense value of women peacebuilders, human rights defenders and civil society representatives. This has rung true in our experience supporting peace efforts in the South Pacific, including in Solomon Islands. Within New Zealand’s membership of the Peacebuilding Commission and support for the Peacebuilding Fund, we are committed to advancing the UN’s peacebuilding gender strategy to ensure gender-responsive engagement in all aspects of the UN’s peacebuilding work. Inclusion is fundamental to sustainable peace, and we will seek to ground our engagement in gender-responsive peacebuilding and bringing women’s diverse perspectives to the fore.

Third, it is clear listening to the female civil society briefers today that their voices and the diverse voices of female civil society are indispensable to advancing women’s involvement in peace processes. We urge all member states to prioritise the creation of safe and enabling environments for all women peacebuilders, women human rights defenders and women civil society leaders.

It is high-time we ensured our actions match our words when it comes to women’s leadership and participation in conflict resolution efforts. Let us do our utmost in pursuing this end.

Thank you, Madam President.