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New Zealand welcomes this opportunity to focus on Women, Peace and Security and once again reaffirms its strong support for Security Council resolution 1325. New Zealand is committed to seeking ways to enhance and strengthen the implementation of resolution 1325 through its development cooperation programmes, peacekeeping efforts and domestic policies.
SCR 1325 remains the internationally-accepted blueprint for a multifaceted response to the issues facing women in conflict and post-conflict reconstruction. It has played an invaluable part in highlighting the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts.
New Zealand welcomes increased Security Council attention to the reality of sexual violence during conflict, and to the need to end impunity for crimes involving sexual violence. This is an important aspect of SCR 1325. Sadly, sexual violence continues unabated in conflict and post-conflict situations around the world. It is a gross violation of women’s human rights that further exacerbates the vulnerability of women and girls in times of conflict. Sexual violence is an attack not only on the dignity of women but also on the peace process: it raises significant barriers to reconciliation and peace. New Zealand attaches great importance to the urgent need to eliminate such violence.
New Zealand welcomes the advances that have been made in these areas by the United Nations and Member States. We strongly endorse the Secretary-General’s in-depth study on all forms of violence against women and the campaign ‘UNite to End Violence Against Women’. New Zealand has actively supported General Assembly resolutions on the “Intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women” and on “Eliminating rape and other forms of sexual violence in all their manifestations, including in conflict and related situations”.
New Zealand’s response to resolution 1325 is proactive and includes a number of concrete steps to encourage implementation both domestically and internationally.
First, New Zealand is committed to encouraging women to undertake assignments on peace keeping missions. Women from the New Zealand Defence Forces, New Zealand Police and our wider society are an integral part of New Zealand’s regional, United Nations and other international peacekeeping efforts. This includes women working in high risk areas such as Afghanistan and on operational missions such as in Timor-Leste. Furthermore, up to 30 percent of all our police peacekeeping deployments are female – among the highest rate in the world.
Second, the New Zealand Defence Forces have worked hard to integrate women at all levels and trades of the Defence Forces, including combat. Its Diversity Strategy recognises the full value of integrating women into the Defence Force, and the benefits of having more women at senior levels of the Force.
Third, New Zealand attaches priority to promoting women’s rights through the delivery of Official Development Assistance (ODA). Gender-based violence is a core focus area for New Zealand’s development agency, NZAID. NZAID supports a number of initiatives in the Pacific aimed at empowering women and mitigating their exposure to violence. For example, New Zealand is currently involved in the Pacific Prevention of Domestic Violence Programme, a joint initiative of NZAID, New Zealand Police and the Pacific Islands Chief of Police organisation. It seeks to tackle domestic violence and influence social change.
In addition, NZAID’s Conflict and Peace building policy identifies women and girls in conflict and post-conflict areas as a priority group for attention and specifically includes the need to provide support for the full implementation of SCR 1325. It highlights the gendered impact of conflict and the role of women in peace building.
New Zealand welcomes this opportunity for debate on resolution 1325, however, we also note that progress towards achieving its major goals has been slow and uneven. There remains an urgent need to increase political commitment and resources to ensure its systematic implementation.
