Statement by HE Ms Frances Lisson, Deputy Permanent Representative
Australian Mission to the United Nations Security Council on Women, Peace and Security, as delivered on 23 October 2007.
(As delivered)
Thank you Mr President. At the outset, I would like to make clear that an election has been called in Australia and the Government is currently operating under caretaker provisions.
Mr President, Security Council resolution 1325 is an affirmation of the important role of women in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Women’s participation is crucial to the viability and success of peace talks, peace agreements, recovery from conflict and long term peacebuilding. Women’s involvement means that not only are the serious issues of disarmament and demobilisation addressed, but the equally serious social and economic issues that are essential to long term, sustainable peace, are also dealt with.
Mr President, Australia recognises this. In March this year, the Australian Government launched the new Gender Equality Policy for the Australian Aid Program. The Policy’s overall goal is to reduce poverty by advancing gender equality and empowering women. The Policy sets out what Australia will do and provides sample results on gender equality that can be incorporated into Government programs and initiatives. Two of the key outcomes the policy targets are: the equal participation of women in decision making and leadership, including in fragile states and conflict situations; and the advancement of gender equality in regional co operation efforts. Working towards these outcomes will help implement resolution 1325.
Mr President, over the past five years, Australia has continued to fund a number of activities in the Asia-Pacific region aimed at implementing resolution 1325. The people to people links forged as a result of these activities have provided a platform for women’s participation in decision-making for peace and security at all levels – community, national and regional.
For example, Australia supported the Pacific Islands Forum Regional Workshop on Gender, Conflict, Peace and Security last year. This workshop, the first of its kind in the Pacific, was attended by policy makers, representatives from military and law enforcement agencies, and women’s NGOs from all 16 Pacific Island Forum countries. The workshop was successful in putting the issue of 1325 on the regional agenda, and the outcomes are now guiding follow-up work on gender, peace and security in the region.
In another example, FemLINKPACIFIC, together with counterparts in a number of Pacific Island countries, is part of a regional women’s network on resolution 1325. Through assistance provided by Australia, FemLINKPACIFIC’s regional media network has launched a resolution 1325 website to assist with the dissemination of information on 1325 as widely as possible. FemLINKPACIFIC has also established a regular 1325 ENews Bulletin. Work has started on translating the resolution into local languages and, for the first time, stories in Pidgin and Tongan language about the resolution are being featured.
Australia is also funding a regional Peace Talks training project, through the International Women’s Development Agency. The project serves to develop a national framework in three Pacific countries for the implementation of outcomes, recommendations and commitments to ensuring gender equality in matters relating to peace and security in those countries.
Further, Australia is contributing towards a project aimed at mainstreaming gender in policies and programmes to prevent violence and conflict and to strengthen post conflict recovery in the Pacific region. The project, jointly managed by the UNDP Pacific Centre and UNIFEM, will review existing research on violence reduction and conflict prevention from a gender perspective; undertake research in a number of Pacific countries to address gaps in existing knowledge on issues of violence and masculinities; and publish, disseminate and advocate for incorporation of the findings into work-plans and policies of relevant agencies and organisations throughout the Pacific region.
Mr President, projects and ongoing regional dialogue such as those that I have just outlined increase the availability of information by and about women’s contributions to improve the peace and security environment, whether at the local, national or regional level. They are examples of ways of achieving the full implementation of 1325 and ensuring that any peace support operations and security sector reforms are gender inclusive.
Australia continues to actively engage women in our peacebuilding efforts – women military, police and civilian personnel play a key role in our assistance to UN peacekeeping missions and bilateral and regional endeavours such as the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands.
In closing Mr President, Australia is looking forward to participating in the discussion on the equal participation of women in conflict prevention, management and resolution, and in post-conflict peacebuilding, which will take place at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2008. In preparation for this discussion, the Australian Government is consulting with the Australian women’s sector on measures they have undertaken to implement resolution 1325.
I thank you Mr President.