Foreign Affairs Minister commemorating the ‘Women, Peace and Security’ agenda: “The role women play contributes to building the social fabric and preventing conflict through dialogue”
Interior Minister Víctor Pérez, Women’s Minister Mónica Zalaquett and Defense Undersecretary Cristián de la Maza participated in marking 20 years since the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1325.
“The ‘Women, Peace and Security’ agenda has been a priority for Chile’s multilateral foreign policy. The issue of gender has been of particular concern in all our country’s initiatives and interventions across the board.” With these words, Foreign Affairs Minister Andrés Allamand welcomed participants to the virtual event commemorating 20 years of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. Interior Minister Víctor Pérez, Women’s Minister Mónica Zalaquett and Defense Undersecretary Cristián de la Maza participated in the event.
The historic resolution, adopted in 2000, was the first of nine that comprise the ‘Women, Peace and Security’ agenda. It acknowledges, among other things, the disproportionate impact of armed conflict on women and girls as well as the importance of their active participation in decision-making on peace and security matters.
Chile became the first country in Latin America to apply the international mandates in the national context, implementing the First National Action Plan in 2009. In 2015, a Second National Action Plan reaffirmed the commitment, incorporating quantitative indicators and designating institutions responsible for improving transparency and accountability.
“Today, we want to reaffirm this commitment again. We must continue addressing the causes of gender inequality, prioritizing prevention of conflict and new threats to peace, and working toward lasting peace, respect for human rights and sustainable development,” said Minister Allamand.
He added, “mediation with a gender perspective is an important tool for addressing the emergence of conflicts with new characteristics. The role that women play, in their communities, contributes to building or rebuilding the social fabric and preventing conflict through dialogue, seeking peace through mediation tools with a gender perspective.”
International cooperation
The minister emphasized that efforts to reaffirm the role of women as active agents in building and mediating peace in conflict scenarios require international cooperation. “We must close the gaps and make progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Goals 5 and 16 aim to achieve gender equality, fight all forms of discrimination against women, promote justice and sound institutions, and promote and apply non-discriminatory laws and policies.
He noted that Chile joined the Women Mediators Network of the Southern Cone initiative to promote sustainable peace in the region. The network is supported by Argentina and UN Women for Latin America and the Caribbean, which also includes Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
“Today, our concern for gender has taken on renewed importance and sensitivity,” stated the minister. The difficult situation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the vulnerability of many women and girls suffering from the differentiated effects of the public health crisis.