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A publication of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations in New York
Mr President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro*, Albania*, the Republic of Moldova, and Georgia, as well as Armenia, Monaco, San Marino and the United Kingdom align themselves with this statement.
We reaffirm our full support for the Culture of Peace agenda and welcome the focus of the discussion this year on women’s leadership in promoting the culture of peace.
Frame from the UN video
The EU was born from the ashes of war, with the determination to turn competition into partnership, conflict into cooperation. We have learned to nurture the culture of peace and adopted it as part of our DNA. The principles and values guiding us today are informed by this very experience.
Today, as a global peace actor, the EU is committed to the peaceful settlement of conflicts, dialogue and diplomacy, as well as respect for international norms and obligations. We stand firm in our conviction that today’s complex challenges can only be resolved through collective commitment and action, through effective multilateralism, with the United Nations at its core.
Chair,
Peace can only be achieved and sustained with a holistic approach that tackles the root causes of conflicts. It requires strengthening societies through the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, democratic participation and civic space, inclusive and sustainable development, as well as the rule of law and good governance, served by well-functioning justice systems. A comprehensive approach to peacebuilding also requires strengthened coherence between humanitarian action, development and peacebuilding efforts, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
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What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?
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Peace is where the rights and dignity of every person are respected and where all have equal opportunities to thrive, without any discrimination, intimidation or violence, and where diversity and pluralism are celebrated. This requires investments into education from an early age, the empowerment of young persons, the inclusion of those marginalised, as well as gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls – the focus of today’s discussion.
Chair,
Women play a fundamental role in building and maintaining resilience in societies through their contributions in all aspects of life. Societies can only be strong if they are underpinned by the full and equal contributions of women and girls.
In times of conflict, women have proven to be at the forefront of prevention, mediation and conflict resolution. Their full, equal and meaningful participation in peace processes, peacebuilding, post-conflict recovery and decisions-making is a prerequisite for sustainable and inclusive peace. The Women, Peace and Security Agenda is central to advancing this goal, and therefore, its implementation is a strategic imperative.
However, this requires the elimination of structural barriers that women and girls face in society. This includes eradicating discriminatory gender norms, threats, harassment, reprisals and violence against them, including women peacebuilders and women human rights defenders, providing a safe and enabling environment, and taking proactive steps to promote women’s leadership at all levels.
The EU remains strongly committed to this end. We support women mediators’ networks, systematically include women experts in our mediation support teams, and integrate a gender perspective throughout their work. We also promote women’s participation in peace processes, making sure that at least one third of participants in all EU-supported peace process activities are women. We further support women leaders and experts in directly engaging in negotiation and political processes through dedicated women’s advisory bodies. And finally, we fund women peacebuilders, women-led and civil society organisations and women human rights defenders to advance mediation, conflict prevention and inclusive governance in conflict-affected communities in various regions of the world.
Chair,
The Culture of Peace agenda remains at the heart of our work as we strive to achieve peace, prosperity and human rights for all. The EU stands firm in this commitment and is taking action to cultivate it today and every day.
I thank you.
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