UNITED NATIONS, Oct 29 (APP):With global conflicts multiplying, Pakistan has strongly advocated for empowering women as “agents of peace,” demanding their inclusion with full decision-making authority at senior levels of mediation, peace negotiations, and conflict resolution.
“Women are not merely victims of conflict; they are agents of peace, resilience and reconciliation,” Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council which held a debate on “Women, peace and security in the next quarter-century: fulfilling the promise through implementation.”
He emphasized that moving beyond standard international commitments to measurable results on the ground is vital for building lasting global stability. He underscored that preventing armed conflicts through active preventive diplomacy remains the single most effective way to safeguard women and girls from the horrors of war.
Despite twenty-six years of progress under Security Council Resolution 1325, Ambassador Jadoon said the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda has failed to bridge the gap between global policy and the perils women face in conflict.
“Their meaningful participation strengthens peace processes, promotes social cohesion and contributes to sustainable peace and security,” the Pakistan envoy added.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to WPS agenda, he said it is also reflected in Islamabad’s contributions to United Nations peacekeeping, where Pakistani women have served with professionalism and distinction, including through female engagement teams.
“Their contributions have demonstrated the indispensable role of women in building trust with local communities, protecting vulnerable populations and strengthening the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping.”
At the same time, the Pakistani envoy underscored that the protection of women and girls must remain paramount, highlighting women’s plight living under foreign occupation, that requires urgent international attention.
He also urged member States and international partners to prioritize gender-sensitive peacebuilding and provide flexible, multi-year funding. Investment in women’s education, health, livelihoods and economic empowerment is also an investment in lasting peace.
The Pakistani envoy said digital literacy, privacy safeguards and accountability were essential to ensuring that innovation advances women’s rights.
“We must recognize that the most effective means of protecting women and girls from the consequences of armed conflict is to prevent conflicts in the first place,” Ambassador Jadoon said, adding that it requires renewed investment in preventive diplomacy, mediation and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
The Security Council, the Pakistani envoy said, must address the root causes of conflicts, including prolonged foreign occupation and the denial of the right to self-determination. “Women must be empowered to participate meaningfully in these efforts, not only as beneficiaries of peace, but as its architects.”
Pakistan, he said, was committed to the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery.
“Women must be at the table from the outset, not invited after decisions have been made,” he emphasized .
Opening the debate, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres , said “the plague of gender inequality persists”, with women absent from negotiating tables, peacebuilders underfunded and “women and girls caught within the hell of conflict”, enduring “horrific acts of violence — including sexual violence”.
Noting “positive strides”, including over 110 countries adopting national action plans on women, peace and security, the UN chief called for a minimum target of one third for women’s participation in UN peace processes and gender parity.
With the world facing the highest number of conflicts since the Second World War, the number of UN-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence has sharply increased, reaching over 9,700 last year, with girls denied education and facing severe restrictions in Afghanistan, Mali, Yemen and Somalia.
Meanwhile, Guterres said, with global military expenditures skyrocketing to almost US$ 2.9 trillion last year, foreign aid continues to plummet. Noting that women represented just five per cent of negotiators across 57 peace processes last year, he urged all States to live up to official development assistance (ODA) commitments.
“Equality is not a dream,” he stressed. “It’s a decision.”
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
