Statement by Ms. Sofya Simonyan, DPR of Armenia to the UN, at the Security Council Open Debate on Promoting the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and Sustaining Peace through Women’s Political and Economic Empowerment

25 հոկտեմբերի, 2018

Madam President,

Armenia would like to express appreciation to the Council Presidency, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, for the choice of the theme for the present debate. The agenda of women, peace and security provides an important normative framework for strengthening our collective efforts towards conflict prevention, recovery, rehabilitation and sustaining peace.

We share the concerns of the Secretary-General about the persisting challenges for the protection of international human rights and humanitarian law across conflicts, particularly, with regard to the rights of women and girls, who are still at increased risk of violence, injustice and inequality, including in terms of access to essential services, resilience and livelihood opportunities. The Secretary General’s report points out to disturbing prevalence of gender-based violence in situations of conflict. Armenia is a strong advocate for the protection of the rights of women living in the conflict areas. Failure to promote these efforts can threaten peace and security processes and undermine our collaborative efforts to protect at-risk populations. The UN system should do more to engage affected populations and to support those who amplify their voices.

Armenia welcomes the special focus of the Secretary-General’s report on the central role of women’s meaningful participation and representation to prevent conflict and sustain peace. We also acknowledge the important efforts for advancing women’s representation and leadership across the entire United Nations system.

Madam President,

In spring this year, there was a momentous time in the Armenian history, during which the citizens of Armenia, with the youth and women at the forefront, fully exercised their fundamental freedoms of expression, belief and opinion. The Government of Armenia has since promoted the sense of confidence in women’s meaningful participation in public affairs and political processes.

The government of Armenia is placing high priority on fundamental reforms aiming to accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment outcomes. These include enhancing women’s participation in decision-making positions and increasing women’s representation in politics. We are currently in the final stage of elaboration of the Action Plan for SC Resolution 1325, following an inclusive process of extensive public consultations involving the civil society. The adoption of the Action Plan, upon the completion of the finalization procedure, will be an important milestone in translating the objectives of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 into specific commitments and action.

Armenia is fully committed to promotion of gender-sensitive policies, having embraced women, peace and security agenda as a priority in our national and foreign policies. This year, Armenia was elected to the U.N Commission on the Status of Women for the 2019-2023 period. We take this opportunity to renew our commitment to global efforts for women’s empowerment and enhancement of opportunities, as well as gender equality in all facets of economic, political and social life.

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