Statement by Ambassador Jerry Matjila, Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations, at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict
31 October 2017
Mr President,
My delegation wishes to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General for his statement as well as his annual report on the implementation of resolution 1325. We also welcome the o the insightful contributions that were made by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women as well as Charo Mina-Rojas, Representative of Civil Society (National Coordination of Proceso de Comunidades Negras) and Michaëll Jean, Secrétaire Générale de l’Organisational international de la francophonie.
My delegation also wishes to align itself with the statement by the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Mr President,
2017 will mark the 17th anniversary of Resolution 1325 (2000), which formally acknowledged the changing nature of warfare in which civilians are increasingly targeted and women continue to be excluded from participation in peace processes. The resolution remains a significant milestone in the progression for women’s rights and equality throughout the world where for the first-time women were given a significant and necessary voice in the field of peace and security.
Furthermore, Resolution 1325 stresses the importance of women’s equal and full participation as active agents in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace-building and peacekeeping. It calls on Member States to ensure women’s equal participation and full involvement in all efforts in the maintenance and promotion of peace and security and urges all actors to increase the participation of women and to incorporate gender perspectives in all areas of conflict resolution.
Despite this honourable objective, much more needs and must be done. Women remain excluded in peace processes, including in the drafting of peace agreements and their involvement in UN peacekeeping roles within the military, police and civilian components is limited. In addition, the contribution of women and girls to the peace building process remains undervalued and under-resourced, leaving a vital tool regarding transformative change and sustainable peace underutilized.
Mr President,
South Africa is committed to contributing to the implementation of Resolution 1325. My country’s history illustrates the relevance that women play in achieving and maintaining peace and security in a post-conflict environment. South African woman have been at the forefront of driving reform as well as developing and advancing responsible policies and legislation to advance the role of women in society. Today, at the level of political decision-makers, 42% of South Africa’s representation in Parliament and 41% of the national Cabinet are women.
Mr President,
To consolidate the implementation of resolution 1325 and the resolutions that build upon it, including resolution 2242, my country continues to engage with representatives of civil society and academia to find ways to further empower women and remove obstacles that impede their participation in in peacekeeping missions and mediation efforts on the African continent.
Additionally, we recently held the third Gertrude Shope Annual Dialogue Forum on Conflict Resolution and Peace-making in Africa. This initiative includes participants from across the African continent and inspire women to play important leadership and peacebuilding roles that they have traditionally played without necessarily being part of an official delegation. This forum also provides a platform that women can use to share their experiences, reflect on existing policies and challenges and thereafter make recommendations to national, regional and international institutions.
Mr President,
Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) continues to be an area of grave concern and as such, South Africa remains fully committed to a zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping operations. We have taken strong, immediate and decisive action against those found guilty of such heinous abuses. We therefore welcome and fully support the Secretary-General’s initiative of establishing the Circle of Leadership on the Prevention of and Response to sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations Operations, which President Jacob Zuma joined during UNGA72.
Mr President,
South Africa looks forward to further cooperation and the sharing of experiences with Member States, UN Women, the UNDPKO and other partners, which further incorporates gender perspectives and the concerns of women towards enhancing the sustainability of peace and security in all conflict situations.
I thank you.
Rev. Thursday, 26-Jul-2018 11:23 AM