Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
March 13, 2024
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Mr. President. I want to start by thanking Japan for convening today's open debate on conflict prevention and Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Ambassador Danese, Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, for your insights. I also want to thank our civil society briefers: Dr. Williams and Ms. Bhagwan Rolls. And I welcome all of the visiting members, ministers who are visiting the Council today.
Colleagues, we meet during the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, when leaders from around the world come together to advance gender equity, unlock economic and educational opportunities for women and girls, and protect and promote the fundamental freedoms and rights of all.
Our success, in all of this critical work, hinges on one thing: Peace. Everything we do to empower women, everything women do to empower themselves, is eroded by conflict. Because we know that women and girls are disproportionately impacted by conflict, by displacement, food insecurity, sexual violence, by all of the horrors of war.
If we just look at the civil war in Sudan. This horrific, senseless conflict has forced millions of women and girls from their homes. It has exposed them to rape and other forms of sexual violence. And with the destruction of health care facilities, they have almost no access to health care and psycho-social support services.
And for all we know about the impact conflict has on women and girls, there is so much that never cracks the surface because of underreporting, because of stigma. Because of legitimate privacy and safety concerns, it is difficult to prevent and monitor the unique risks faced by women and girls in violent settings, to adequately support survivors with victim-centered, trauma-sensitive approaches, and to effectively pursue post-conflict peacebuilding and justice.
Colleagues, we must prioritize gender issues in this Council, and we must center Women, Peace, and Security in our work. The United States is committed to UN conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts, including through our implementation of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability and the U.S. Strategy and National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.
But this work requires every single one of us. It requires collective action. And today, I would like to discuss four ways we can strengthen our cooperation around conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
First, we need to support the important work of the Peacebuilding Commission. The Commission's convening power, within and beyond the UN system, enables integrated, strategic, and coherent approaches to building and sustaining peace. This Council should look to the Commission's advice - advice that reflects the expertise of civil society, governments, international financial institutions, as well as regional bodies. And we welcome efforts to establish more ambitious, structured collaboration between the Security Council and the Commission.
Second, I want to emphasize that UN peace operations and peacebuilding efforts are only successful when they are supported by a committed and accountable host government. And as we work to achieve smoother and more sustainable transitions, we must commit to advanced and holistic planning across the UN system. Through the Peacebuilding Commission and Security Council, we must also work closely with host governments to ensure missions have the resources they need to successfully transition, and to plan and support for the day after.
Third, this Council must view peace, development, and humanitarian issues as inextricably bound together. When one is hamstrung, all are hamstrung, and so, our approach to these issues must be complementary and coordinated.
As part of the Summit of the Future process and in the lead up to the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review, we must consider how more inclusive peacebuilding can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including goals on climate.
We know that climate change causes displacement, threatens economic and food security, and exacerbates conflict and instability. In short, its consequences are far reaching and linked. And its impact is borne disproportionately by the world's most vulnerable, including women and girls. This crisis demands a robust response, not only from our national governments and UN entities like the Climate Security Mechanism, but also, from the UN Security Council, within its mandate.
Fourth, and finally, I want to highlight the transformative impact women and young leaders can have on peacebuilding processes. We know that when women are at the table, and able to participate, fully, equally, and meaningfully, peacebuilding efforts are more successful, and peace is more durable.
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The same is true with young leaders. Today's youth population is the largest recorded. And engaging them in peace processes mitigates the risk that nations will be pulled back into conflict. These young leaders, who are already taking the baton and they're running with it, who are already creating the change they want to see in the world, give me tremendous hope.
The women I meet throughout my travels, who are supporting their families and supporting peace efforts, also give me tremendous hope. The women who are here this week, during the 68th [CSW], give me hope. They're all different. They bring different experiences and different backgrounds to the table, but they are unified in their efforts to empower women as peacebuilders.
Colleagues, let's look to their example. Let us lift up their voices. And let us do all we can to advance peace and security for all.
Thank you, Mr. President.
