On Tuesday, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Rosemary DiCarlo addressed a Security Council meeting on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, which discussed investing in women’s leadership to drive transformative change.
He urged the representatives of the member countries to open the door now for the next generation.
“Investment in women, the peace and security agenda is not an option. “This is an imperative for preventing violent conflict and achieving a sustainable and inclusive peace.”
The UN Under-Secretary-General gave the example of Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai, who continues to fight for girls’ education and is also a Nobel Prize winner. Also mentioned are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Somalia’s Illwad Eilman, who is involved in efforts to rehabilitate child soldiers.
According to Rosemary DiCarlo, these young women are demanding a just and peaceful world. “These extraordinary leaders remind us that transformative change requires pushing back on the status quo.”
In this context, he referred to the UN Secretary-General’s policy paper, New Agenda for Peace, which calls for the uprooting of patriarchal systems that lead to inequality and exclusion.
It is noteworthy that the historic Resolution 1325 was adopted by the Security Council in 2000. The resolution recognizes the important contribution of women to the prevention and resolution of violent conflicts.
The resolution calls on warring parties to ensure the safety of women and girls and the full participation of women in peace processes.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan organized a workshop for women on peace and security.
Power system rebuild
The Under-Secretary-General said the global energy system needs to be rethought and women and girls, especially young women, must play an important role in this. According to him, addressing the root causes of violent conflict and insecurity is at the heart of our efforts.
“Unless we break free from the shackles of patriarchal norms, true peace and inclusive security will elude us.”
Rosemary DiCarlo said that a pledge for the future was recently passed, emphasizing the prevention of violent conflict and ensuring women’s leadership and participation in peacekeeping.
According to her, to pursue inter-generational leadership, three things need to be kept in mind: encouraging dialogue, advancing an inclusive peace process and investing in young women’s leadership.
Critical work area
Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo said that intergenerational dialogue can provide an important opportunity to strengthen trust and effectively express shared aspirations.
In parallel, to advance an inclusive peace process, women must prioritize different groups, taking into account their leadership and rights at every level.
She recalled that during the annual debate on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the Security Council, the UN Secretary-General launched an initiative inviting mediators from different levels of society to work with the UN to promote women in the peace process.
The head of peace building said, we have to invest according to priorities. Supporting young women peacemakers with concrete, sustainable resources is essential so that their work can flourish.