S/PV.9797 Security Council

I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Security Council, to Her Excellency Dame Barbara Woodward, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom, for her service as President of the Council for the month of November. I am sure I speak for all members of the Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Woodward and her team for the great diplomatic skill with which they conducted the Council’s business last month. Adoption of the agenda

In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Ms. Tahani Abbas, Executive Director, Nora Organization. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Ms. DiCarlo. Ms. DiCarlo: I would like to thank the United States for organizing this meeting on intergenerational leadership on women and peace and security. Around the world, peace is in a perilous state. We face rising violence and diversifying threats to peace and security  — from climate crises to hybrid warfare. We see growing geopolitical contestation and polarization, yet the avenues for meaningful diplomatic dialogue are shrinking. Amid those crises, young women peacebuilders are demonstrating that a better world is possible. In Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai championed girls’ right to education, undeterred by an assassination attempt. She remains the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate ever. In Sweden, Greta Thunberg has galvanized millions through the Fridays for Future movement to confront the climate crisis. In Somalia, Ilwad Elman works to rehabilitate child soldiers, while empowering other young people to help prevent violent extremism. Those remarkable leaders remind us that transformation requires bucking the status quo. We must embrace new approaches to cultivate a new generation of leaders — especially young women and girls  — who are at the forefront of reshaping power structures and advancing peace. The Secretary-General’s policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace calls for dismantling entrenched patriarchal systems, which perpetuate inequality and exclusion. It underscores the urgent need to reimagine global power structures and place women and girls — especially young women — at the centre of our efforts to address the root causes of conflict and insecurity. If we do not break free from patriarchal norms, true peace and inclusive security will remain out of reach. In that context, the strong support for the women and peace and security agenda in the Pact for the Future (General Assembly resolution 79/1) is potentially transformational. The Pact underscores the importance of ensuring that women’s leadership and participation are integrated into all aspects of conflict prevention and sustaining peace. It also reaffirms our collective commitment to investing in young women as changemakers in the pursuit of sustainable peace. I would like to highlight three key areas in advancing intergenerational leadership  — facilitating dialogues, fostering inclusive peace processes and investing in young women’s leadership. First, tackling today’s conflicts requires forward- looking visions that are shared broadly within societies and transcend generations. Intergenerational dialogues are critical opportunities for building trust and articulating shared aspirations. In Chad, for example, the Peacebuilding Fund supported local dialogue platforms that brought together youth associations with traditional authorities to peacefully resolve disputes and lead prevention campaigns. The diverse young women and men and community elders committed to duties and responsibilities in a signed intergenerational charter. The platform strengthened social cohesion and reduced intercommunal tensions and conflicts in the Nya Pendé and Barh Sara regions. In the Gambia, dialogues in the three river regions brought together national and local authorities, police, ministries and young people to improve trust. That included mentoring programmes led by women politicians for young women running for office. The dialogues promote the involvement of women and young people in ongoing national processes and reforms. That intergenerational dialogue also helped to improve the relationship between young people and security forces. Secondly, peace cannot be achieved through deals made by elites alone. Advancing inclusive, multi-track peace processes that prioritize diverse groups of women, including young women, and promote their leadership and rights at every level is essential for locally owned infrastructure for peace. We recognize the diverse and changing mediation landscape today. During this year’s annual open debate on women and peace and security (see S/PV.9760), the Secretary- General launched his common pledge on women’s participation in peace processes. That initiative invites diverse mediation actors, including Member States and regional organizations, to join the United Nations in taking concrete actions to ensure women’s participation in peace processes. We urge all stakeholders to step forward and sign the pledge. We know that mediation processes that systematically include women and civil society are more likely to generate national ownership and stronger support for a negotiated settlement. Only through collective efforts can we move towards more inclusive and durable peace processes. The United Nations actively backs multi-track efforts that promote peace from the bottom up, emphasizing young women’s leadership. In Colombia, where I recently represented the Secretary-General at the eighth anniversary of the 2016 Final Peace Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia supports Colombian women and men from all backgrounds and of all ages, addressing the stigmatization of ex- combatants in reintegration areas. I saw that work up close when I visited the Agua Bonita reintegration area in south-west Colombia. In Yemen, the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, in partnership with UN-Women, has organized consultations for a bottom-up vision for an inclusive peace process. That has fostered advocacy coalitions between women’s groups and other stakeholders, including young people and traditional leaders, amplified diverse local voices and reframed the women and peace and security agenda as a broader community priority rather than just a women’s issue. Thirdly, our investments must be aligned with our priorities. Significant and sustained resources are essential to support young women peacebuilders and ensure their work flourishes. In Somalia, thanks to a Peacebuilding Fund initiative, young men and women worked together to manage and restore water canals across clan lines, overcoming historical grievances and mitigating inter-clan conflicts driven by resource scarcity. In El Salvador, another project of the Peacebuilding Fund empowered marginalized youth to lead community action. This became possible through integrating youth into municipal committees for the prevention of violence. The committees facilitated consultations with local governance actors and provided capacity training to marginalized youth. The success of these efforts requires more robust and consistent financial backing from the international community. Investments in the women and peace and security agenda are not an option. They are a necessity for preventing conflict and achieving sustainable and inclusive peace. In the face of unprecedented challenges to global peace and security, young women around the world are envisioning and demanding a world of justice and peace. As we approach the twenty-fifth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, and the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, we must open doors for the next generation. Together, we must cultivate leadership from the ground up, placing young women and women’s rights at the heart of our efforts.

I thank Ms. DiCarlo for her briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Abbas. Ms. Abbas: I extend my most distinguished greetings to members of the Council. I wish to express my gratitude for the invitation and the valuable opportunity to address the Council today on the subject of women’s leadership, the importance of the women and peace and security agenda, and the current situation in the Sudan. My name is Tahani Abbas, and I am a women’s human rights defender and peace advocate. I focus on advancing women’s access and inclusion in the justice system and provide legal aid and resources for women survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. My commitment to women’s rights and inclusion in peace is rooted in my personal history working with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence for decades and having fled from Khartoum on my own two feet as the war rained down around me. The reflections I share here are informed by the experiences and perspectives of many fellow Sudanese women colleagues and partners, but the opinions are my own. I would like to take a moment to recognize and salute the efforts of all who have amplified the plight of women and girls in the Sudan and the terrible situation in which we continue to find ourselves after more than a year of war. As I speak about the importance of women and peace and security, I encourage members to keep in mind the reason for what is happening in the Sudan. The Sudanese people are starving because of the ongoing war. They are being bombed and burned out of their villages. They are being assaulted and raped if they stay in their homes, as they flee, or as they take refuge in shelters. And as the rainy season arrives, we are seeing the polarization of Sudanese brothers and sisters against each other, as polarization becomes more entrenched. It is our collective duty to honour their sacrifice in the struggle for peace, to uphold human dignity and to assist all Sudanese people in building a peaceful future. To do that, I must recognize three key areas in which women have been linked with peace and security in the Sudan. First and foremost, women have been on the frontlines of conflict response. Women, and young women in particular, have been at the forefront of the Sudan’s advancements. Notably, they led the peaceful revolution of 2019, and we continued to carry our desire for a healthy, safe and just Sudan. And in this latest version of the war, Sudanese women have led the way as first responders to humanitarian needs and in finding ways to de-escalate conflicts. Sudanese women have created networks of resistance such as the Emergency Response Rooms, whereby they have designed humanitarian mechanisms that provide medical services, daycares, communal kitchens and more to women and girls throughout the Sudan. These resistance networks are instrumental in empowering women and providing them agency to respond to conflict in creative and adaptive ways. Women and young people are leading response mechanisms, sustaining locally led initiatives that predate the current conflict to efforts during the 2019 revolution. Secondly, supporting women peacebuilders before, during and after crises pays peace dividends. There is a deep need to continue processes to support local dialogue, access and support to women even amid crises. When the war broke out in the Sudan, we found that the women who had participated in de-escalation and dialogue processes at the local levels prior to the war had used their skills and capacities to mediate, negotiate and manage tensions and conflicts in their communities during the war. In places such as Dilling, South Kordofan, communities were already ready to accept women in leadership, especially with respect to younger women. Then, the women were ready to advocate for their rights and inclusion in discussions about their future. But, because of the overwhelming humanitarian need, 64 per cent of local community organizations and 84 per cent of non-governmental organizations have now shifted their focus to humanitarian response, leaving a gap in these critical efforts during the war. Thirdly, women’s civilian expertise can be formally included into dialogue processes that affect their fate. I was a member of one group that was asked to join to the United States-led mediation effort, known as the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan Process, which met in Switzerland in August, along with more than a dozen of my Sudanese sisters, more than half of them young women. We advised the United States Special Envoy for the Sudan and other members of the Process on bringing priorities and solutions. What we saw was that we brought a better understanding of the needs of the people within the country, combined with expertise on how to create solutions on the ground. We have continued to inform the technical committees about people’s needs and ways to support our Sudanese sisters and brothers. Without that kind of participation at every level of dialogue, we will not see the enduring peace that the Sudanese people desire and deserve. As we enter this new era of women and peace and security, I call for the Council’s ongoing support for the women who are fighting for peace and security every day. Although it may be logistically and politically difficult, the decisions made in the United Nations will have a direct impact on the life of the Sudanese population and women peacebuilders around the world. With that, I offer a few recommendations to consider. First, we need protection and support for women on the front lines of conflict, both as victims and first responders. We must continue supporting the women on the front lines in the Sudan leading humanitarian assistance and de-escalation, even as the crisis continues. Secondly, we need continued support for women peacebuilders before, during and after crises. The best assets that we have to stop the war are on the front lines, such as groups that are engaging in order to influence the rank-and-file within warring parties, such as the Mothers of Peace group in Blue Nile. Thirdly, we need partners with and for young women in the Sudan who can help ensure that youth perspectives, especially those of young women, are meaningfully included in dialogue at all levels with respect to ending the war and building the future of our country.

I thank Ms. Abbas for her briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United States. I want to thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her insights and our civil society briefer, Tahani Abbas, for her powerful testimony and recommendations here today. Thirteen years ago, three women were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize — President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee from Liberia and Tawakkol Karman from Yemen. There is a photo of them hand in hand, soaking in their historic accomplishment, one older than the other two combined, a seasoned leader whose life had been shaped by decades of struggle and triumph, the others a pair whose youth and energy had ignited movements for justice and equality. The image reflects a powerful truth that intractable challenges to peace and security require both hard- earned wisdom and fresh perspectives, steady grounding and boundless energy, a keen understanding of the past and unrelenting hope for the future. In other words, they require emerging and experienced women peacebuilders, hailing from the grass-roots, local, national and international levels, to work in partnership. Yet despite the ample evidence that society benefits from those coalitions, and more broadly from the full, equal and meaningful participation of all women and girls in peacebuilding processes, women, especially young and senior women, are disproportionately affected by conflict and underrepresented in the halls of power, from local governments all the way up to multilateral organizations such as this one. We gather amid a series of anniversaries. Next week we celebrate 76 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which enshrined the inherent dignity and equality of all people. Next year we will mark 25 years since the women and peace and security agenda was adopted, and 30 since then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton travelled to Beijing and declared that women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights. But as much as today’s meeting is about reflection, it is also about renewal. As we look to the future, we must ask ourselves how we empower both young and senior women peacebuilders and facilitate collaboration between them. How do we ensure that the international community complements their efforts, prioritizing not only representation, but tangible action on the women and peace and security agenda? Our efforts must begin by addressing the most pressing needs of women impacted by conflict — the food insecurity faced by hundreds of millions around the globe, women and girls who may indeed crave mentorship but who first and foremost need to know where their next meal is coming from. We must address the reality of sexual violence, often weaponized against peacebuilders, journalists and human rights defenders, but also against ordinary citizens, including children. We must address the educational inequality that keeps girls out of school everywhere from Afghanistan to the Sudan, impeding their ability to lead but also to earn money and forge a stable economic future for themselves and their families. Women are key to preventing the very drivers of food insecurity, sexual violence and educational inequality, but we cannot expect the people experiencing those ills to simply pull themselves up by their bootstraps. For its part, the United States has sought to address those challenges head-on and help women who are experiencing them to heal. For example, in Haiti, the community violence prevention programme of the United States Agency for International Development is helping organizations provide medical, psychosocial and legal services to survivors of sexual and gender- based violence and is pushing for concrete reforms in how those cases are handled by the justice system. Across the world in Ukraine, the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues has sought to confront Russia’s heinous use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, supporting local civil society and women’s rights organizations and improving referral pathways, psychological support services, survivor outreach and more. Most of all, we are committed to listening to those affected by conflict and to the women and youth- led organizations on the front lines of addressing it. We are committed to convening those leaders so that they can listen to and learn from one another. That brings me to the second thing we must do, which is to increase opportunities for dialogue, including across generations. Far too often we cast women in competition with one another. We leave one seat at the table for one woman, sowing discord rather than community within and across generations. We should be pulling up multiple chairs for women of different backgrounds and experiences, abilities and, yes, ages. I think, for example, about the work we have done in the Sudan, including support to the Youth Citizens Observers Network. The members of that extraordinary collection of youth activists and intergenerational civil society leaders come from every one of the Sudan’s 18 states, reporting directly from conflict zones and working at the grass-roots level to support transparency, human rights and a civilian-led transition. I have talked about how we see history repeating itself in the Sudan. That is why we need women who have lived through that history working with the next generation to help chart a new path and a more sustainable peace. Finally, as we work to eradicate systemic barriers to women’s leadership and bring emerging and established women peacebuilders together, we must also work to fully implement the women and peace and security agenda more broadly. That starts in our own countries, each of which should have its own comprehensive resource national action plan to promote the agenda. We must also partner across Governments, sectors and institutions, including through efforts such as our recent drive to establish women and peace and security centres of excellence, as well as country-led initiatives that coordinate local, national and regional women and peace and security initiatives. We must also of course continue that work in multilateral organizations such as the United Nations. For example, five years ago, the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security called on the United Nations to make women’s full, equal and meaningful participation a requirement in all the mediation teams, political transitions and peace processes it leads or co-leads. Yet last year fewer than one in five negotiators in United Nations-led or United Nations- supported peace processes were women, and in only one such process was the United Nations-led mediator a woman. And of course, here at the United Nations, women still have to crack some of the highest glass ceilings. I am proud that for the past 15 years the United States Mission to the United Nations has been helmed by a woman and grateful that the leader nominated to succeed me is also a woman. But we need to see that representation across Turtle Bay and around the world. The United Nations must do more to empower women peacebuilders within our own institutions, including young and senior women, whose unique and valuable perspectives move peace processes forward. That is why, earlier this year, I called for a three Is approach that increases investment, initiative and implementation in the women and peace and security agenda. Today I reiterate that call, because if we do indeed increase funding, political will and tangible action on women and peace and security, we can create a more durable peace for women and girls and for us all. I opened my remarks in Oslo with an image of three women — the oldest in her 70s and the youngest in her early 30s, hand in hand. Today let us follow their example, linking arms with one another to create more coalitions like the one on that stage 13 years ago, by addressing the immediate needs of young and senior women facing conflict and listening to those on the ground, helping to forge partnerships between emerging and experienced peacebuilders, whose unique experiences combine to create a sum greater than the whole of its parts, and by drawing from the bravery and resolve of so many women peacebuilders around the world to implement the women and peace and security agenda in our countries and here at the United Nations. I resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements. Dame Barbara Woodward (United Kingdom): I would like to thank you, Madam President, for your kind words earlier, and to congratulate you on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I also thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Ms. Abbas for their briefings today. The United Kingdom is unwavering in our commitment to the women and peace and security agenda and its crucial role in sustaining peace. There are three priorities I want to focus on today. The first is participation. We must commit to amplifying the voices of women from all backgrounds and strengthening their active participation in peace and security processes, as well as all aspects of political and civil life, and in that context I am inspired to see today’s list of 100 Women for 2024 published by the BBC. The United Kingdom is working with, for example, Afghan women leaders to discuss tangible steps to support women’s inclusion in Afghanistan’s future. And in October, my Minister for the Indo- Pacific attended the international conference on women and peace and security in the Philippines to showcase the United Kingdom’s support in enabling cross- generational women peacebuilders to participate in the Mindanao peace process. Secondly, it is vital for the Council to increase support to grass-roots women’s rights organizations, recognizing their crucial role in building and sustaining peaceful communities. The support provided by the United Kingdom for the Peacebuilding Fund is reaching women and young people in 21 countries, including in Chad, Haiti and South Sudan. Through its $900,000 programme with the International Civil Society Action Network, the United Kingdom helped bring together more than 40 women peacebuilders across generations to assess challenges and plan collective action. Such dialogues provide opportunities to strengthen partnerships among women peacebuilders and expand the impact of their work. Thirdly and lastly, we must urgently address conflict-related sexual violence. The Secretary- General’s latest report on that matter (S/2024/292) noted a 50 per cent increase in United Nations-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence this year alone. That is a deeply worrisome trend, but it is also an inhuman story, and we must collectively do more to address it. Our newly appointed Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Lord Collins, will drive international action to tackle that issue. The Minister has hosted events on the deteriorating situation in the Sudan and the rising cases of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Both meetings gave a platform to civil society organizations and first responders, supporting survivors of all ages on the ground. Women peacebuilders secured hard-won gains under resolution 1325 (2000). Yet those gains have not been fully realized. The Secretary-General’s common pledge to prioritize women’s participation in peace processes will help to address that gap in implementation, but there is more to be done. We call on all Member States to move from words to action.

We would like to thank the United Kingdom for presiding over the Security Council for the busy month of November and wish the United States delegation every success as it begins its presidency of the Council this month. We thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo for sharing her assessment of the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda. We also note the contribution to today’s discussion of the civil society representative. In the modern-day world, women are not merely a vulnerable segment of the population needing protection during armed conflict. It is difficult to imagine the processes of conflict resolution and peacebuilding, including the protection of children and the elderly, as well as the reintegration of conflict victims into society, without taking into account the contribution of women. The United Nations needs to establish equitable conditions for the participation of women and men in peacekeeping processes at all levels on the basis of the Beijing Declaration and Programme of Action and resolution 1325 (2000). We believe that women’s most valuable contributions to peacekeeping are made by women who reside in conflict-affected regions. At the same time, the Council’s approaches need to be practical. They should take into account the cultural specificities of actual countries and regions. It is important to avoid ideologically driven cookie-cutter approaches and constructs, or the imposition of the interests of donors or other external players. That raises questions about the effectiveness of the proposed idea to develop a long-term strategy for the women and peace and security agenda over the next 25 years. Today’s multipolar world is characterized by heightened geopolitical volatility. Conflicts break out and spread every day, each with its own specific reasons, particularities and context. The Security Council must do everything it can to seek specific solutions to resolve each of them. To what extent can that goal be furthered by long-term strategies? As we all know, numerous national action plans have been devised and adopted as part of the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda. However, one question remains unclear: what are the results of their implementation? For example, we have repeatedly raised in this Chamber the question of how the women and peace and security agenda is being implemented in, say, the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Is it helping to resolve it? We support dialogue between representatives of different generations in all areas of life, including in the context of peacebuilding. Such dialogue ensures the continuity of traditions, facilitates a better grasp of the causes and consequences of events and on a larger scale helps to consolidate society and therefore to prevent and resolve conflict. We see the potential of the United Nations in helping establish intergenerational dialogue among peacebuilders, including women. However, we believe that is a task for the Peacebuilding Commission, not the Security Council. One of the Commission’s objectives is to function as a unifying platform where various participants in peacebuilding, including civil society representatives, women’s groups and youth organizations, have opportunities to forge connections and exchange experiences, recommendations and best practices. In order to achieve long-term results, that dialogue should also include representatives of the governing authorities that are in conflict. As a State that has been there from the beginning of the fight for the rights of women, irrespective of their age, national affiliation or social status, Russia always stands ready to elevate their role, including in the context of peacebuilding.

I commend the United Kingdom for a successful presidency of the Security Council and offer my best wishes to the United States presidency for the month of December. I also thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Ms. Tahani Abbas for sharing their perspectives with us. Today’s topic offers an opportunity to explore convergences on a key pillar of the women and peace and security and youth, peace and security agendas — that is, participation and leadership in peace processes and peacebuilding, particularly in relation to women. Women of all ages are contributing to improvements in their communities in conflict-affected areas. They are at the forefront of delivering education and health services and are the providers of critical humanitarian support, often at great personal risk. However, too few women are part of peace talks and negotiations. As the Secretary-General expressed in his 2024 report on women and peace and security (S/2024/671), “Power and decision-making on peace and security matters remain overwhelmingly dominated by men”. The report cites preliminary global data collected for 2023 by UN-Women from analysis of more than 50 processes, showing that on average women made up only 9.6 per cent of negotiators, 13.7 per cent of mediators and 26.6 per cent of signatories to peace and ceasefire agreements. It is a stark representation of the lack of overall progress on women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace processes. We are seeing that deficit at a time when the proportion of women killed in armed conflicts has doubled compared to the previous year and the number of United Nations-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence is 50 per cent higher. It has repeatedly been acknowledged that when women are part of peace processes, the outcomes are better. The key importance of young people’s participation has also been emphasized many times, including in the Security Council. As we are doing today, the Council must continue to engage on how to realize the potential of such participation. In the context of intergenerational dialogues between women peacebuilders, I would like to make three points. First, it must be recognized that women are not a homogeneous group when it comes to participation in peace processes. Conflict has varying impacts on women and girls of all ages. Different generations of women can bring their unique perspectives to the table and widen the reach and impact of their efforts. Secondly, experienced women peacebuilders can pave the way for the next generation. Engagement with younger women and girls can enable them to build on work previously done, ensuring that gains are not re­ versed. Women’s participation and leadership should not be limited merely to civil society but should also be main­ streamed into government structures, regional and in­ ternational engagements and the United Nations system. Thirdly, intergenerational dialogues should not be seen as a one-way street with knowledge and experiences passed only from older to younger generations. Younger women also have experiences and opinions to bring to the table. Young people must not be relegated to the future. They are also the present. For intergenerational exchanges to be effective, they must encompass genuine partnerships and co-leadership where all perspectives are respected and are combined to advance the shared goals of international peace and security. Through resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women and peace and security, the Security Council has identified a wide range of measures to advance women’s participation and leadership in peacebuilding. Implementation, however, continues to be the greatest challenge. The Security Council must continue to be a safe space for women peacebuilders of all ages to share their perspectives on situations in their countries. Today we heard from Ms. Abbas on the Sudan. The Council must continue to promote women’s participation in peacebuilding in mandate renewals and peace agreements, emphasizing the inclusion of young women. That should be complemented by adequate resourcing for capacity-building, empowerment and participation, particularly at the local and grass-roots levels, with structured monitoring mechanisms to measure implementation. As Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo said, our investments must be aligned with our priorities. The Council should also request that reports on country situations include substantial data and analysis on the participation of women in peacebuilding. In conclusion, I reiterate Guyana’s commitment to supporting women’s participation and leadership in peace processes.

I would like to thank the United States for organizing today’s debate. We also want to thank the briefers — Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Ms. Abbas — for their very insightful information and inspirational messages. We welcome every opportunity to discuss the situation of women and girls, and we call on the Council to more systematically include the women and peace and security agenda in all our discussions on peace and security. Intergenerational leadership can make a significant contribution to our ability to conceive of a future that is fit for all generations, as well as to strengthening the implementation of existing peace and security commitments, including the women and peace and security agenda. In that respect, allow me to underscore the following points. First, inclusive processes are key to resolving conflicts. That cannot be emphasized enough, and it is supported by statistics and data. We continue to call for the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women in peace and security processes and decision-making at all levels. Trust-building and meaningful cooperation across generations can be of great value to conflict resolution. The diversity of women’s voices must be recognized, including those of older women. All that led Slovenia to endorse the Secretary-General’s common pledge to increase the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace processes. Secondly, we must support local peace initiatives and efforts. We must support the engagement of women and grass-roots organizations at the local and regional levels. They have unique insights into and solutions for the challenges of their communities. They are also best placed to detect and understand the trends and changes that might lead to conflict. Therefore, their voices must be amplified at all levels. The experience of our membership in the Security Council has reaffirmed our conviction of women’s key contribution to our deliberations and decision-making. We will continue to support the efforts of local women- led organizations, including through our partnership with the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund. At the same time, Slovenia continues to call for the creation of an environment that allows women to safely engage in all peace efforts, including through repealing discriminatory laws and ensuring zero tolerance for retaliation or reprisals for their work. Thirdly, we must address sexual and gender-based violence. Women remain disproportionately affected by conflicts. They bear the heaviest burden, including because of sexual violence used as a method of war. Yet the specific needs and vulnerabilities of different age groups remain largely invisible owing to gender- and age-based discrimination. We call for the inclusion of comprehensive gender analysis, including gender- and age-disaggregated data, in all policy planning and implementation, as it is crucial to addressing that gap. We also firmly believe that addressing sexual and gender- based violence calls for a survivor-centred response, which must ensure access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Empowering the survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, including older women, by engaging them in designing the response and providing support should also be part of transformative leadership. Almost 30 years ago at the fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing, we recognized that societies have much to gain from the knowledge and life experience of older women. We must recognize the significant contribution of all women to peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Women and girls are much more than victims and survivors of conflict. They are agents of change, they are pillars of peace within their families and local communities, and they are central to building sustainable peace in their countries. Therefore, let us move from rhetoric to action and leverage our political capital to dismantle patriarchal power structures, advance gender equality and reject ageism, including by investing in intergenerational leadership. Only by working together will we be able to reach that goal — for the young women activists in Ukraine, for the older women peacebuilders in Colombia, for the survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in the Sudan and Haiti, for the many-times-displaced women in Gaza, for the women and girls robbed of education in Afghanistan, for the detained women in Myanmar and Yemen, and for all other women. They are counting on us.

Allow me, like my colleagues, to thank the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom and her team for their excellent work in November. I would also like to congratulate you, Madam President, on taking the helm once again for the month of December. We will have seen three women-led presidencies in a row, and we thereby hope to contribute to today’s debate by inspiring many young women to take on more responsibility around the world and at all levels. I also thank you, Madam President, for giving us one final opportunity to reflect on our contribution to this issue over the past two years. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the speakers, Under-Secretary- General DiCarlo and Ms. Abbas, for their valuable comments. They asked us three questions. Allow me to answer them and draw some conclusions for the future. First, how can the Security Council promote an intergenerational partnership for peace? As co-Chairs of the Informal Expert Group on Women and Peace and Security, we have organized 16 meetings — eight this year with our partners in Sierra Leone. The aim of those meetings is to bring gender issues to the fore at key moments, such as the renewal of the mandate of a peace mission or in emergency situations. It is important to strengthen the Council’s expertise before it takes decisions, as was the case in the meetings on Somalia and Libya or in the context of conflict-related sexual violence. To strengthen the Council’s expertise and legitimacy, it is essential for us to interact with women on the ground. We tried to promote that through a trip by members of the Expert Group to South Sudan and during this year’s Council trip to Colombia. Then, during our presidency, we invited 20 civil society representatives, aged from 27 to 81. The aim was to add the expertise of those on the ground contributing to the transition to peace. Among the youngest speakers were Ms. Sarah Kyabu Ntambwe from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ms. Hanaa Eltigani from the Sudan. They stressed the urgent need for visibility, financial support, access to decision-making, trust and resources to promote intergenerational dialogue. In summary, the Council must understand the situations it is dealing with regarding women and peace and security, strengthen its expertise by visiting the field and listen to the agents of change by inviting them here, and of course all of that is so that we can make better decisions. Secondly, what role can we, the Member States, play? In March, we organized an informal meeting of the Council to understand the links between the normative framework of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and that of resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions. The Council has built a solid normative framework with about 10 resolutions. It is now a matter of implementing them vigorously and holding accountable those who violate international law. That is particularly urgent in contexts such as Afghanistan, the gravest women’s rights crisis in the world. Women in all emergencies must be able to count on our attention and support. In July, we invited networks of women mediators to a retreat to inform our annual October debate. Those networks of women mediators are intergenerational learning spaces and are therefore an essential tool for women’s inclusion. The networks draw on technical expertise and diverse perspectives. Mentoring and sharing experiences are also at the heart of the book Letters to a Young Mediator published by Switzerland. It creates links through literature. For his part, during the Council’s debate in October (see S/PV.9760), the Secretary-General called for pledges to increase the number of women in peace processes at all levels. Let us respond to his call. In conclusion, we must use the normative instruments at our disposal and commit ourselves to increasing the number of women mediators and contributors in the run-up to the twenty-fifth anniversary of the resolution. That is an effort both at the level of Member States and of individuals — whether it is through women’s initiatives such as the Fab Five in the Council or through men’s initiatives such as the barber shop or even through joint initiatives such as the International Gender Champions. And finally, what role can the United Nations itself play? If we have done our homework on the above points, the role of the United Nations will benefit. There will therefore be references to gender in Council resolutions, as for example in the resolutions on Colombia, the Sudan, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan or in resolution 2730 (2024) proposed by Switzerland for the protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel. They need to be vigorously implemented, for example, through reporting that systematically takes the gender dimension into account, through gender advisers in peace operations and through a United Nation presence that can ensure the safety of those women. Ultimately, the transformational power— and there is enormous potential in view of the twenty-fifth anniversary of this agenda — lies in the combination of all levels: the United Nations, the Security Council, the Member States and us. Therefore, when the Peace and Security Council of the African Union visited us in October, we led a joint dialogue between the African Union Youth Ambassadors for Peace and the Ambassadors of the two Security Councils  — the United Nations and the African Union. In response to the question: (spoke in English) “What do you need from us to carry on the torch?”, (spoke in French) the young Ambassador for Peace, Mpule Kgetsi of African Youth Ambassadors for Peace Southern African Region, replied: (spoke in English) “We would like our leadership to hear us more. And in order for that to happen, we need to be where important conversations are happening. At the same time, we need you by our side so that when we are getting to the opportunity where we are taking up the mantle, we know what to do.” (spoke in French) Switzerland will continue to be committed to ensuring that those young leaders are heard and included in our efforts. We remain available to offer our expertise and wish our successors energy and courage for this important work.

At the outset, I join others in commending the United Kingdom for its accomplishments during its presidency in November. I extend my congratulations to you, Madam President, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of December. I also appreciate your organizing this meeting on women and peace and security as a signature event of the United States presidency of the Security Council. I express my gratitude to Under- Secretary-General DiCarlo for her comprehensive briefing and extend my thanks to Ms. Abass for sharing her personal experiences and insights. This meeting is both timely and significant, particularly given its theme. Two phrases resonate deeply with me: the “transformative power” and the “intergenerational partnership between women peacebuilders”. In the Security Council, we discuss ending conflicts daily and are constantly reminded of their disproportionate impact on women, including those in the Sudan, as highlighted in today’s briefing. Today I would like to emphasize three points in that context. First, we all must commit to recognizing and supporting women peacebuilders, who have demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience in promoting peace in conflict-affected areas. The Republic of Korea, in particular, reaffirms its solidarity with Afghan women who continue to face severe restrictions on their rights and fundamental freedoms. Despite those challenges, they persist, demonstrating their indispensable role in achieving peace, stability and long-term development of their country. Women are often on the front lines of conflicts, not only as those directly impacted but also as first responders. In Myanmar, for example, local women leaders have played a vital role in delivering essential services in areas with limited access. In that context, gender advisers in United Nations missions should be provided with stronger support. By actively engaging with local women across generations, those advisers can enhance service delivery and promote intergenerational dialogue among women. Secondly, we must recognize the potential of young women. They are uniquely positioned to address both gender and generational inequalities, preventing those challenges from being passed down to future generations. Education is the key to empowering young women. In that regard, allow me to briefly reflect on my country’s modern history. In 1948, the first National Constitution of the Republic of Korea guaranteed women the right to vote, run for elections and, most importantly, access education on equal terms with men. Korean girls and boys have had equal opportunities in education since then, which was innovative for its time and something unimaginable during Korea’s prior history. That legal framework for equal education yielded immediate results. In 1945, Korea’s national illiteracy rate exceeded 70 per cent. By 1955, that rate had dropped sharply to 22 per cent. By 2008, women’s illiteracy rate in Korea was merely 2.7 per cent. The Republic of Korea rose from the ashes of war to achieve remarkable success in new nation-building, and that would not have been possible without the empowerment of Korean women and girls. Thirdly, the women and peace and security agenda requires more generous financial support from the international community. This year we launched the Action with Women and Peace Fund. As its first contribution, Korea will support the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, focusing on Sudanese women’s participation in peace processes. The funding will empower grass-roots women peacebuilders who urgently need resources. Additionally, we will host the sixth annual International Conference on Action with Women and Peace in Seoul next week, as part of the lead-up to the twenty-fifth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000). The conference will amplify the women and peace and security agenda by providing a dedicated platform for discussion and action. In conclusion, as a member of the group of signatories of the statement of shared commitments on women and peace and security, the Republic of Korea reaffirms its commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities and mainstreaming the women and peace and security agenda in the Security Council.

I congratulate you, Madam President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. I echo the tribute you paid to the presidency of the United Kingdom last month. We are grateful as well for the information provided by Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo and the briefing by Ms. Tahani Abbas on behalf of civil society. Almost 25 years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the implementation of the principles of the women and peace and security agenda has increased the presence and participation of women in decision-making in the Council and in peacebuilding- related processes. However, we are also seeing the erosion of women’s rights in other spheres. The use of sexual violence as a tactic of war persists. The forced displacement, which especially affects women and girls, continues unabated. Gender discrimination, which restricts access to educational, labour and participation rights, is intensifying in some regions. The destruction of protection and care systems with a gender focus cannot be contained. Millions of women and girls remain defenceless. The United Nations system, regional organizations, States, academia, the private sector and all stakeholders have a common responsibility to redouble efforts to protect women and, at the same time, must promote their presence in all forums and at all levels of representation. It is within this framework that Ecuador is betting on youth, because it believes in the transformative power that youth can bring to societies, in general, and to those weakened by conflict, in particular. The time has come for women and youth, as we said in October’s open debate (see S/PV.9760). Sponsoring dialogue between women and youth, promoting their leadership and empowerment, establishing transparent and accessible accountability mechanisms and contributing to the consolidation of an intergenerational fabric of women mediators and peacebuilders are essential to achieve peaceful and stable societies. We are witnessing changes in the nature of conflicts — changes that involve the proliferation and operation of non-State armed groups, whose links to transnational organized crime and narco-terrorism have the potential to challenge the capacity of States to confront them. In the face of this new configuration of conflict and violence, intergenerational dialogue is one of the crucial elements to capitalize on the experience of proven women who transmit their knowledge and actively participate in the formation of new generations of women leaders committed to peace, security, development and human rights. In these almost two years in the Security Council, advancing the women and peace and security agenda has been a priority for Ecuador. We have worked actively in the Informal Expert Group on Women and Peace and Security and as adherents to the declaration of shared commitments on women and peace and security to advocate for the elimination of barriers that impede the participation of women in peacebuilding processes and peace operations. We have ensured the mainstreaming of specific language in Security Council products. Words matter when they convey messages that seek concrete results, and they also serve to raise awareness of the international community’s debt to women. With the support of the United Nations, Ecuador has been working on the construction of the national action plan on women and peace and security 2025– 2029, with a view to ensuring that the protection and care of women and girls, as well as the penalization of violence against them, will guarantee their access to rights and build a culture of peace. I reaffirm that joining efforts to promote assertive interaction among women is key to accelerate progress in the implementation of the youth agenda and the women and peace and security agenda of the Council, with the ultimate goal of supporting and advancing the construction of resilient, stable and peaceful societies. Now that Ecuador is preparing to complete its responsibility in the Security Council for the period 2023 –2024, I conclude by reiterating what we already expressed in the high-level debate of the General Assembly in September: “Ecuador reaffirms its support for a woman from the Latin American and Caribbean region to be the next Secretary-General”. What better way to invest in the transformative power of intergenerational leadership on women and peace and security? What better way to invest in the backbone of the entire gender equality and rights agenda at the United Nations?

I wish to begin by warmly congratulating the United States of America for assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of December. We assure you, Madam President, of our steadfast support during your tenure. We also express our appreciation to the United Kingdom for its successful presidency in November. We commend the United States presidency for convening this crucial and timely briefing on investing in the transformative power of intergenerational leadership on women and peace and security. Our appreciation is extended to the briefers  — Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary- General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs; and Ms. Tahani Abbas, Executive Director of the Nora Organization — for their comprehensive and insightful contributions on the subject under consideration. Mozambique recognizes the significant role and leadership that generations of women have played in boosting the agenda for peace and security. We pay tribute to the trailblazing women whose courage and determination paved the way for conflict resolution globally. The intergenerational dialogue and partnership between young and senior women champions are vital in enhancing peace support operations and consolidating the progress made by women in driving meaningful results, particularly within their communities. As highlighted during our participation in the women and peace and security annual open debate in October (see S/PV.9760), Mozambique’s journey to independence owes a profound debt to the engagement, participation and contributions of women. During the struggle against colonialism, young women drew inspiration and support from their mothers and grandmothers. That legacy continues to inspire successive generations of women peacebuilders, who are now working towards a brighter future for women’s empowerment in Mozambique. We firmly believe that investing in intergenerational leadership is essential to amplify diverse voices and perspectives, foster innovative solutions and approaches, as well as to ensure continuity and progress in women and peace and security efforts. Furthermore, concrete initiatives can be collectively undertaken by the Security Council, all Members of the United Nations, regional organizations and Member States, individually, to advance women’s participation in peace processes. It is in that context that we propose three critical measures. First, we must promote capacity-building and women’s empowerment by establishing mentorship programmes aimed at women peacebuilders in order to enhance their representation and participation in peace mediation processes. That includes strengthening gender-sensitive laws, training, organizing courses focused on conflict resolution, negotiation and leadership skills. Secondly, we must ensure the effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and other relevant resolutions. Further opportunities must be provided for emerging women peacebuilders to gain practical experience within international organizations, Governments and non-governmental organizations. Lastly, we must ensure financial support and resource allocation. It is imperative to support women- led organizations by providing technical assistance to women working on peacebuilding and conflict resolution and supporting initiatives that promote female empowerment. We believe that these measures are fundamental in creating platforms for women peacebuilders from marginalized communities to share their experiences and perspectives. They can also foster dialogue and collaboration between women peacebuilders, Governments, civil society and international organizations. As we look ahead to the next 25 years of the women, peace and security agenda, we have a unique opportunity to create a world where the perspectives, needs and rights of women, across generations, are fully integrated into the structures of national and international peacebuilding. In conclusion, I would like to underscore Mozambique’s commitment to harnessing the collective strength of women leaders across generations in order to drive transformative change and achieve a more just and peaceful world.

At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Madam President, on assuming the presidency of the Council, and to thank the United Kingdom for its leadership in steering our work in November. I also thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Ms. Abbas for their insightful remarks. As we approach the twenty-fifth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) and the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, we must seize this moment to reaffirm and advance the transformative vision of the women and peace and security agenda. Implementing and advancing the agenda will require dismantling the systematic barriers that exclude women from peace processes and addressing the structural inequalities that perpetuate conflict and insecurity. We must now also confront the growing gender backlash that we are witnessing every day and that seeks to erode what has been achieved so far. It must be countered through sustained political will and determined action. By promoting mentorships, knowledge transfers and coalition-building, those partnerships can adapt to meet emerging challenges. To be effective, they must also tackle persistent barriers to women’s leadership in conflict settings, including access to education, maternal health and sexual and reproductive healthcare services, particularly for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. To deliver on those commitments, we must create inclusive platforms that foster solidarity and shared learning across generations of women peacebuilders at local, national and international levels. First, we must put the voices of marginalized women at the centre, recognizing the intersecting identities that shape their experiences of conflict and ensuring that their voices are heard and valued. Secondly, we must ensure that women are included in a meaningful and substantive way, not as symbolic figures or tokens. Thirdly, we must adopt peace and security frameworks that prioritize women’s diverse needs and perspectives, while addressing the patriarchal norms that fuel conflict and perpetuate gender discrimination. Fourthly and finally, we must shift from militarized responses to holistic approaches, prioritizing local solutions led by women peacebuilders and human rights defenders. Malta’s term on the Security Council is coming to an end. As coordinator of the women and peace and security shared commitments, Malta has worked throughout that term to amplify the contributions of diverse women peacebuilders. I salute their resilience, courage and innovation, which are central to sustainable peace. We stand firm in our belief that in its deliberations, the Council must keep the daily and disproportionate challenges that women peacebuilders face at the forefront of its considerations. We must never lose sight of the fact that for them the precarious conditions of war and conflict are greatly compounded by sexual violence, exclusion, marginalization and the psychological impact of such conditions. Today we once again strongly condemn all reprisals against women human rights defenders, including those who engage with the Security Council. We call for immediate action to ensure that they are protected and can carry out their vital work without fear of retribution. As we reflect on the next 25 years of the women and peace and security agenda, Malta reaffirms its commitment to advancing intergenerational partnerships and ensuring that the Security Council’s normative framework on women and peace and security is fully realized in practice. The facts and figures speak for themselves. Women’s participation in peace agreements increases by 35 per cent the probability of an agreement lasting 15 years. We must therefore collectively redouble our efforts to increase capacity- building, ensure adequate funding and implement the necessary reforms to counter oppressive societal norms that leave women behind. In conclusion, together we can create the conditions for a more just, inclusive and peaceful world for everyone.

First of all, allow me to express our gratitude to the United Kingdom for its successful presidency in November. I congratulate you, Madam President, on assuming the presidency this month. Japan would like to assure the United States delegation of its full support. I also thank Under- Secretary-General DiCarlo and Ms. Abbas for their comprehensive briefings. Japan recognizes that sustainable peace and security at local, regional and global levels can be achieved only through the full, equal and meaningful participation of women peacebuilders across generations, including youth. First, I would like to introduce an example of a local level effort. During Japan’s presidency of the Council in March, we invited Ms. Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, a peacebuilder from Fiji, to brief the Council at its open debate entitled “Peacebuilding and sustaining peace: promoting conflict prevention  — empowering all actors, including women and youth” (see S/PV.9574). Among her many important recommendations, she highlighted the value of integrating traditional and local knowledge to showcase how local peacebuilders develop locally tailored strategies to prevent and address recurrences of conflict. Her insights also underscored the need for inclusive conflict prevention efforts to ensure that young women have opportunities to contribute to the Council’s work. Japan fully aligns itself with that perspective. We are committed not only to amplifying the voices of women peacebuilders but to fostering stronger collaboration across generations. By embracing intergenerational cooperation, we can ensure that peacebuilding efforts reflect diverse perspectives and create longer-lasting solutions. Secondly, I would like to refer to an example of a regional initiative. It is imperative for Member States to prioritize tangible actions that promote cross- generational learning, exchanges and coalition-building among women peacebuilders. In that spirit, in August Japan launched the Initiative for Women’s Human Resources Development for Peace in the Horn of Africa. Based at the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Leadership Academy, the initiative aims to enhance the capacities of women leaders at the regional level. The inaugural workshop, held in Kenya in November, brought together 28 participants from IGAD member States, including representatives from parliaments, Governments, media, civil society and academia. The platform not only provided training in peacebuilding and leadership but also fostered invaluable networking among diverse participants. Such regional initiatives offer promising models for engaging young peacebuilders and cultivating intergenerational collaboration. Thirdly, Japan’s commitment extends beyond regional efforts to the global stage. In 2025, Japan will co-chair the Women and Peace and Security Focal Points Network with Norway and will host the capital-level meeting in Tokyo in February. Mediation and peacebuilding will be central themes and championed throughout the Network’s yearly processes, with a strong emphasis on fostering dialogue and collaboration between women peacebuilders across generations and from diverse backgrounds. We aim to build bridges that strengthen their collective impact on the work of achieving sustainable peace. Although Japan’s current term on the Security Council will soon end, we will continue to promote dialogues and partnerships across generations so as to ensure that the voices of women peacebuilders of all generations are actively heard and their contributions are fully integrated. To that end, we advocate leveraging the advisory role of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). The PBC’s convening power can bring together diverse actors, including civil society and women peacebuilders, to inform the Security Council’s deliberations. By requesting the PBC’s inputs and advice, the Council can better incorporate the voices of those diverse actors and reflect upon cross- generational efforts and initiatives on the ground. In conclusion, promoting sustainable peace requires us to empower women peacebuilders, amplify their voices and strengthen intergenerational cooperation at the local, regional and global levels. By creating platforms for dialogue, investing in capacity-building and supporting innovative initiatives, we can unlock the full potential of women peacebuilders across generations. Together, we can lay the foundations of a more peaceful and sustainable world.

Allow me to begin, Madam President, by congratulating you on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of December and by assuring you of our support. I would like also to congratulate the United Kingdom for its successful presidency for the month of November. I thank the United States for convening this important briefing and Ms. DiCarlo for her insightful remarks. We also listened carefully to the remarks of the civil society representative. Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), which emphasizes the vital role of women in conflict prevention, management and resolution, alongside resolution 2250 (2015), addressing youth, peace and security, we have seen some progress. Yet significant challenges remain to the full implementation of those frameworks. Evolving global challenges, shaped by armed conflict, extreme poverty and rising inequalities, complicate our efforts to advance those critical agendas. However, supporting women in peacebuilding endeavours remains essential for achieving lasting stability and resilience. Generational equality, not just gender equality, must be our goal, recognizing the contributions of both women and youth in peace processes. Youth, especially young women, bring energy and creativity that are essential to shaping sustainable peace efforts. Their involvement is key to ensuring inclusive and effective peacebuilding. To translate political will into concrete action, we must foster intergenerational dialogue and partnerships among women peacebuilders. That can be achieved through the following measures. First, we must adopt an integrated approach that involves all relevant stakeholders — such as the United Nations, regional organizations and civil society — to enhance women’s role in peace and security. Secondly, we must promote gender equality policies and developing comprehensive programmes to empow­ er and protect women, particularly in conflict zones. Thirdly, we must encourage effective youth participation in decision-making and peacebuilding processes, ensuring their voices are central in shaping the future of peace and security. Fourthly, we must support capacity-building and educational programmes to facilitate the intergenerational transfer of knowledge, ensuring that the experiences of elders are shared with younger leaders. Fifthly, we must advance the empowerment of women by creating comprehensive policies that integrate their leadership in all peace and security efforts. Algeria has made significant strides in supporting women as key agents of peace, both nationally and regionally. In line with our commitment to resolution 1325 (2000), we adopted a national action plan in July 2023, with a strong focus on improving women’s inclusion in decision-making processes. Moreover, we recognize that by empowering young people, including young women, we are ensuring that future peace efforts are inclusive, forward-looking and responsive to the needs of future generations. Algeria’s establishment of the High Council for Youth in 2021 reflects our commitment to giving younger generations a meaningful voice in shaping policy and peace initiatives. Before I conclude, I must address the devastating situation in Gaza. The ongoing conflict has inflicted a severe toll on women, young people and children, the result of the outrageous violations of their rights. We reiterate our call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, ensuring the protection of all civilians, including women and children.

I would like to begin by congratulating the United States on assuming the presidency this month and by congratulating the United Kingdom for its successful presidency last month. I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her briefing. I also listened attentively to the statement by the civil society representative. This year, the Security Council has convened five meetings on women and peace and security, during which the protection of women’s security, supporting women’s economic empowerment and promoting gender equality have been discussed at length. China has fully elaborated its position and proposals in that regard. Next year will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing, and the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). The international community must work with a greater sense of urgency to translate consensus and commitments into action so as to effectively improve the status of women and safeguard their rights and interests. In the current volatile international situation, more than 600 million women and girls are suffering the effects of conflicts and wars. The rampant gang violence in Haiti and the resurgent terrorist forces in the Sahel, in West Africa, all pose grave threats to the lives and safety of women and girls. In Gaza in particular, where fighting has been going on for 14 months, more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed, 70 per cent of them women and children, and more than 2 million people are struggling to survive in a hell on earth, among them babies waiting to be fed, pregnant women in dire straits and elderly people in need of medical attention. When life and survival are not guaranteed, what is there to discuss? The Security Council’s discussions of the women and peace and security agenda should not be for the sake of political correctness or sound bites. It should come up with concrete and pragmatic measures. An overriding priority in that regard is to promote a ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities. Without creating the conditions for women’s security, the Council’s discussions will be nothing more than empty platitudes for the women who have suffered so much because of war and conflict. We reiterate our call on all Council members to stand united in upholding the authority of the Council’s mechanisms and its resolutions and support robust action by the Council to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to restore peace. Every country has a responsibility to promote the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda and to safeguard and protect women’s rights and interests. China is an active global advocate of women’s rights and an unwavering and determined practitioner. China is committed to creating a peaceful environment for the survival and development of women. We insist on the political settlement of hotspot issues and have always been committed to facilitating peace talks and resolving conflicts and disputes through peaceful and diplomatic means. China is actively engaged in United Nations peacekeeping operations and has sent a total of more than 50,000 peacekeepers — becoming the largest troop-contributing country among the permanent members of the Council. More than 1,000 Chinese women peacekeepers have performed their duties conscientiously on patrol, in demining and in other tasks, bringing the hope of peace to conflict areas. China is committed to generating endogenous momentum for women’s economic empowerment. In Central Africa, the mushroom sheds, poultry farms and livestock pens built with Chinese assistance have helped local women embark on the road to poverty alleviation and prosperity. In the Solomon Islands, the fishing boats and the farmers’ markets built with China’s aid have provided new opportunities for local women to become prosperous. In Afghanistan, Chinese enterprises have invested in and built textile factories to create jobs and help Afghan women to achieve economic independence. China also calls on the Afghan interim Government to give due regard to the legitimate concerns of the international community and to take steps to effectively guarantee the basic rights of women and girls. China is committed to providing robust guarantees for improving women’s livelihoods. We have dispatched medical teams to 48 African countries, sent the Peace Ark hospital ship on 12 voyages and conducted multiple Brightening Eyesight Trips, aimed at improving local cataract treatment. All these initiatives help to provide medical services to local women and children. In cooperation with UNESCO, we established the Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education and helped developing countries to implement 100 maternal and child health projects and 100 Happy Schools. We trained more than 200,000 talented women in more than 180 countries and regions. China is committed to building partnerships for women’s development. We support UN-Women, the United Nations Development Programme and other agencies in helping women in developing countries, especially in conflict areas, to effectively address poverty and backwardness and to bridge the digital gender divide. We set up the Exchange and Training Base of the Global Women’s Development Cooperation, deepened our collaboration with UN-Women, through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other frameworks, and established platforms for women’s exchanges and cooperation in order to promote women’s empowerment and the advancement of women. The commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing, was officially launched in September at the United Nations. As the host country of the Beijing Conference, China has taken the initiative to organize yet another global women’s summit next year. We stand ready to continue working with all parties to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in an equal, inclusive and sustainable manner to advance the cause of women globally.

I thank the United States for organizing today’s meeting and the various speakers for their statements. Through the 10 resolutions it adopted under the women and peace and security agenda, the Security Council made a commitment to current and future generations of women and girls. As we prepare to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) and the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, I would like to make two points. First, the increase in violations of the rights of women and girls in armed conflicts has a considerable impact on current and future generations. Sexual and gender-based violence, which is on the rise in the armed conflicts in the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Ukraine, Burma, the Middle East and other parts of the world, is an unacceptable threat to the well-being of women and girls. It has traumatic consequences, and the stigma endures from one generation to the next. The Yazidi women’s quest for justice, 10 years after the genocide, reminds us of that. In Gaza, following the crimes committed on 7 October 2023, of which many women were victims, the subsequent war’s consequences on women are dire. The attacks on civilians, the deprivation and the destruction of housing, essential infrastructure and health services pose a long-term threat to the lives of the entire population, primarily women and girls. In Afghanistan, the Taliban’s policy of segregation and systematic violation of Afghan women’s rights for more than three years has deprived an entire generation of a future. In response, the Council must adopt an approach based on law and the fight against impunity, while supporting national and international courts. To respond to this urgent situation, civil society funds and organizations must be supported. France contributes to the Global Survivors Fund for survivors of sexual violence, created by Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege in 2019. Through our Support Fund for Feminist Organizations, France is mobilizing €250 million over the period 2023–2027. My second point relates to the contribution of women in peacekeeping, which is a key component of the women and peace and security agenda. It is essential to build more inclusive and stable societies over generations. Women’s participation in peace talks must be strengthened, and all peace agreements must contain provisions on equality between women and men. I am thinking of the peace process in Colombia and even in Burma. In partnership with the United Nations, over the past three years, France has invested more than $1 million to train women officers and establish positions for military gender advisers in the conduct of operations. We support general recommendation No. 40 on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making processes, which was recently adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. France appeals to all States to sign and ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. France supports the Secretary-General’s joint promise to make more room for women in mediation processes. Through the implementation of its third national action plan, France will continue to take action for current and future generations of women and girls, and to ensure that their rights are respected. That is the goal of our feminist diplomacy.

At the outset, I would like to thank the United Kingdom for the smooth conduct of their presidency in November and to congratulate the United States on its assumption of the presidency for this final month of 2024. They should be assured of Sierra Leone’s support and cooperation. I would also like to thank the United States delegation for convening this meeting on a topic that my country holds dear as one of its key policy priorities. I thank Under-Secretary- General Rosemary DiCarlo and Ms. Tahani Abbas for their insightful briefings. The Secretary-General’s recent annual report on women and peace and security (S/2024/671) paints a thought-provoking picture of both the gains and the challenges to the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in the political, social and economic spheres of society. Despite the undeniable contributions women make to peacebuilding and conflict resolution, both locally and globally, and despite women being disproportionately affected by conflict, violence and restrictive policies, their participation in peace processes remains limited. It is in this regard that we want to highlight the Revised African Union Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development Policy, which includes a dedicated pillar on the role of women in post-conflict reconstruction and development as a positive regional step forward, effectively ensuring the active and meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, management and resolution, including peace negotiations. At the recent High-Level Regional Forum of Women of the Great Lakes Region Conference, held in October, women engaged with key stakeholders, including His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, on developing pathways to centralize their intervention and participation in ongoing the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes for the region. Resolution 1325 (2000) is a revolutionary global norm that puts inclusion at the heart of conflict prevention. However, for young women, those ideals may often seem a distant dream, as they face intersecting discriminations of sex and age. When we demand that young women be included in decision-making, in shaping the future of their societies or in building peace, we have to understand and acknowledge that so many of the horrible things that happen to women, in war or even in so-called peaceful settings, disproportionately affect adolescent girls and young women. Whether we are speaking about sexual violence, forced marriage, obstetric violence, abductions, trafficking, loss of education or increased burden of care, the majority of victims are adolescent girls and young women. In the past five years, we have seen young women engaged in various activities aimed at peace and social change across the globe and doing so even in the face of grave danger and repression. We have seen young women strive for peace, democracy and gender equality in many conflict-affected countries. Research shows that participation by women on the front lines of those efforts is highly correlated with the chance that a social movement will use non-violent methods and succeed. Collaborative approaches to peacebuilding that prioritize gender equality from the outset, including gender-responsive conflict analysis, participatory planning and robust monitoring and evaluation systems, are key to ensuring that women are actively involved in all stages of peace processes. However, transformational intergenerational leader­ ship requires us to go further. It starts first with the ac­ knowledgment that women’s involvement is important for building sustainable and lasting peace. Reports such as Intergenerational Peacebuilding Among Women: Lever­ aging the Power of Collaboration, published by the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, have shown that “Intergenerational collaboration has been linked to stronger community cohesion; improved understanding between younger and older populations; greater participation in community development by older people, youth and children; and decreased fear of crime.” Intergenerational collaboration with women peace defenders is an important way to ensure that younger women play a meaningful role in shaping the present and winning the future, but it will not achieve the desired impact if we continue to limit it to bringing young women only to consultation spaces on the margins of actual decision-making. When we speak about women’s meaningful participation, including intergenerational collaboration, specifically with young women, we must put in place robust measures to achieve it, or it will remain lip service. Meaningful participation is not tokenism — and neither is the fact of merely being a woman, or merely being a young person. Advancing women’s meaningful participation requires more than normative frameworks. It requires practical political, financial and logistical support to women’s groups, funds and other initiatives. There have been a few examples of initiatives to include youth in peacebuilding, for example in South Sudan, where a Peacebuilding Fund project worked directly for the first time with members of youth gangs to reduce violence and insecurity, empowering young women and young men to become agents of peace in their communities. Nevertheless, we still do not have enough examples of such efforts to emulate good practices or to improve on them. We must be intentional in recognizing the factors for fostering an ecosystem conducive to successful intergenerational collaborations. Studies have shown that the first of those factors is mutual respect and recognition of expertise. Another crucial factor that advances intergenerational peacebuilding appears to be trust and meaningful one-on-one relationships. Time and intentionality are required for that to be sustainable long- term. It is also crucial to create the space at national and international levels where women, and young women in particular, can have their voices heard, to acknowledge that women and youth are not homogenous groups and to adopt different approaches to engagement. Creating the space also means recognizing that both women and youth peacebuilders and peacebuilding initiatives need to be better funded and directly funded. Flexibility in funding can also be used as a means of collaboration to advance intergenerational peacebuilding. That flexibility means that donors need to be creative by thinking beyond a project-based approach and by allocating sufficient direct funds for the long-term, with a view to creating or developing sustainable institutions for transformational leadership. Governments can also play a role in fostering intergenerational collaboration. Sierra Leone has a youth- and female-majority population. We recognize that engaging diverse female stakeholders means engaging both older and younger diverse women. In essence, across generations, women should not only have a say in the development and implementation of peace processes during and after conflicts, but they should also be actively involved in national development activities aimed at helping to forestall conflicts. The development of national action plans, informed by regional and global frameworks, is essential in that regard. That aligns with tools such as the African Union Continental Results Framework, the European Union strategic approach on women and peace and security and the United Nations system-wide action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), which help to ensure coherent action at all levels. In that regard, on 3 October, Sierra Leone launched the third generation of its national action plan to enhance women’s role in peace and development, reaffirming my country’s commitment to advancing women’s participation in peacebuilding, leadership and national development. Let me conclude by underscoring that Sierra Leone remains steadfast in its commitment to gender equality, women’s empowerment and the women and peace and security agenda. We recognize the need for greater intergenerational collaboration among women peacebuilders, international organizations, national Governments, civil society and other stakeholders in achieving the full objectives of resolution 1325 (2000). As such, we have built-in gender equality and youth inclusion in all our national planning, with the clear recognition that achieving our national development goals will not be possible without it.