Address by Minister Mauro Vieira at the United Nations Security Council debate on Women, Peace and Security - New York, October 25, 2023

­I am honored to preside over this year`s annual open debate on Women, Peace and Security.

I thank the Secretary-General for his opening remarks as well as Ms. Sima Bahous for her insightful presentation. I also thank Mrs. Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross; Ms Hala Al-Karib, Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa; and Ambassador Glivânia Oliveira, Representative of Brazil as Guarantor at the Peace Dialogue Table between the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army, for their important contributions for today`s debate.

Given the current concerns regarding the Security Council`s ability to act decisively on many pressing issues, it seems fitting to recall the original and unrealized transformative ambition of resolution 1325, of 2000.

Advocates for resolution 1325, both from governments and from civil society, knew that only women´s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace and security processes, as well as in the design of defense and security public policies could ensure their effectiveness and truly transform traditional power structures. The absence of women in decision-making spaces where wars and armed conflicts are discussed is incompatible with the need to promote a culture of peace.

The ten existing WPS resolutions provide a crucial framework for national policies conducive to the equitable participation of women in peace and security, and must be followed-up with concrete action.

Women from Latin America, Africa, and developing countries in general are insufficiently accounted for in texts and events pertaining to WPS. This is particularly troubling given the fundamental contribution of women in the Global South to peace and security in their respective regions. 

And this is the case also here at the United Nations, where generations of women, although in insufficient numbers, have left their marks. Today I pay tribute to one of them: Dr. Bertha Lutz, a Brazilian politician and laureate scientist. Already in 1945, in San Francisco, she had a critical role in including gender equality as a pre-requisite for the work of this organization. She firmly defended language on the equal rights of men and women in the preamble of our charter, as well as in its article 8.

Fifty-five years prior to resolution 1325, Dr. Lutz and other women delegates understood that this Council needed the contribution of women in order to avoid the horrors of a new World War. Therefore, it is only a matter of justice that Brazil dedicates the presidency of this annual open debate to the memory of this great Brazilian, a true pioneer of the women, peace and security agenda.

The vision of Dr. Lutz and other brave women of her time has yet to be realized. Women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in international peace and security is still restricted by predominantly economic, political, and social structures, and multiple forms of violence and intimidation, both on and off-line. The gender perspective is still insufficiently taken into account – be it in conflict prevention, relief or post-conflict recovery.

Discussions on the link between gender norms and challenges to peace and security have also been very limited in the 23 years of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Achieving gender equality and enhancing women's participation in peace and security requires challenging and overcoming deeply entrenched gender norms and stereotypes that perpetuate women’s exclusion and marginalization. 

We member states, alongside international organizations and civil society should continue to work together – and work harder - to promote transformative cultural and social changes that support women's rights and participation. This is a task for us all, men and women, inside and outside the United Nations, to create a bold and united force for gender equality. 

In this regard, we commend the Shared-Commitments members for their relentless advocacy in favor of a mainstreamed application of WPS resolutions. Currently, besides Brazil, Albania, Ecuador, France, Gabon, Japan, Malta, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States have adhered to those commitments.

We call upon all Council members and indeed all member states to adhere and to start inviting more women briefers not only within the Security Council agenda, but also in every meeting they convene. Such step, may seem simple and with no immediate consequence, but it will help establish gender equality as a pervasive and very visible objective throughout the United Nations.

Lack of adequate and permanent funding hinders the impact of women’s leadership in peacebuilding and in contexts of humanitarian crisis. The implementation of gender-responsive budgeting and financing mechanisms can ensure that resources be allocated to help women build development and stability in their communities. Brazil underlines the importance of financing mechanisms such as the Women`s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, which has funded more than a thousand civil society organizations in 43 countries.

Distinguished Representatives,

Despite all limitations imposed on them, women have made a historic contribution to mediation efforts around the world. Drawing inspiration from Dr. Bertha Lutz, Brazil is a proud member of the South Cone Women Mediators Network, to which we have recently appointed the first two experts. We have also joined the Ibero-American network of women mediators, another platform to boost the meaningful participation of women in mediation and peace efforts. We look forward to joining the global alliance of regional women mediator networks and start offering the contribution and very rich perspective from Latin America to international mediation initiatives. 

In another important step, I am pleased to announce that Brazil has just launched “The Second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security: Stage I”, which is the result of coordinated efforts among several government agencies, the parliament and civil society. The plan covers not only foreign policy actions, but also a broad range of issues of major importance for Brazilian society, such as public security, social protection, political participation, and minority rights. In that sense, it goes even beyond the scope of the WPS Security Council resolutions. 

Given the priority of the federal government to the empowerment of all women, the Second National Action Plan adopts an intersectional approach, and will encompass the specific needs of black and indigenous women, as well as women refugees and migrants, among other vulnerable groups. We will continue to work with civil society, parliament, think tanks and academia to design specific actions and monitoring mechanisms for the implementation of this very ambitious second plan of action. 

In concluding, I underscore that enhancing women`s participation in decision-making processes is not simply a quantitative endeavor. It is not just about securing seats at negotiation tables. It is not just a symbolic representation. It is a substantive, essential task that drives the effectiveness and legitimacy of peace and security endeavors globally.

It is about fundamentally reshaping the dialogue, priorities and the resulting policy designs and outcomes. 

Women bring a wealth of innovative solutions and approaches, serving as catalysts for durable, inclusive and just peace agreements and conflict resolution strategies. Ignoring, disregarding or downplaying their contribution is neither wise nor effective. Ensuring that women - irrespective of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or social class - shape policies has a direct impact not only on their security and well-being, but also on that of society at large. It is to our collective gain. 

I thank you