Discurso do Ministro de Estado das Relações Exteriores, Embaixador Mauro Luiz Iecker Vieira, em debate aberto do Conselho de Segurança sobre "Mulheres, Paz e Segurança" - 25 de outubro de 2023 (texto em inglês)

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mauro Luiz Iecker Vieira, at the UNSC Open Debate on Women and peace and security
October 25th, 2023

I am honoured 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 Sami Bahous for her insightful presentation. I also thank Ms. Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, 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 Maria de 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 to 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 (2000). Advocates for resolution 1325 (2000), both from Governments and civil society, knew that only women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace and security processes, as well as in the design of public defence and security 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 10 existing women and peace and security 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 women and peace and security (WPS). That is particularly troubling, given the fundamental contribution of women in the global South to peace and security in their respective regions. And it is also the case here at the United Nations, where generations of women, although in insufficient numbers, have left their mark. Today I would like to pay tribute to one of them — 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 prerequisite for the operations of this Organization. She firmly defended language on the equal rights of men and women in the Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations, as well as in its Article 8. Fifty-five years prior to resolution 1325 (2000), Bertha Lutz and other women delegates understood that the Council needed the contribution of women in order to avoid the horrors of a new world war. Therefore, it's only a matter of justice that Brazil dedicates presidency of this annual open debate to the memory of this great Brazilian, a true pioneer of the women and peace and security agenda.

The vision of Bertha 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 predominantly by economic, political and social structures and multiple forms of violence and intimidation, both online and offline. 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 and 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 that regard, we commend the shared commitments for their relentless advocacy in favour of a mainstreamed applications of women and peace and security 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 start inviting more women briefers not only within the Security Council agenda, but to every meeting convened. Such a step may seem simple and to have no immediate consequence, but it will help to establish gender equality as a pervasive and very visible objective throughout the United Nations.

A lack of adequate and permanent funding hinders the impact of women’s leadership in peacebuilding and in contexts of humanitarian crises. 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 1,000 civil society organizations in 43 countries.

Distinguished Representatives,

Despite all limitations imposed on them, women have made historic contribution to mediation efforts around the world. Drawing inspiration from Dr. Bertha Lutz, Brazil is a proud member of the Southern Cone Women Mediators Network, to which we 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 to 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 just launched the second national action plan on women and peace and security, stage one, 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 Security Council resolutions on women and peace and security. 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 monitor mechanisms for the implementation of our very ambitious second plan of action.

In conclusion, I underscore that enhancing women’s participation in decision-making processes is not simply a quantitative endeavour. It is not just about securing seats at negotiation tables. And it is not just symbolic representation. It is a substantive and essential task that drives the effectiveness and legitimacy of peace and security endeavours globally. It is about fundamentally reshaping dialogue and 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 their 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.

Thank you.