Statement by the Delegation of Brazil at the UNSC meeting on Women, Peace and Security - June 15th, 2022

I thank H.E. Minister Olta Xhaçka for proposing this very timely debate. I would also like to thank Secretary General Antonio Guterres for his commitment to the WPS agenda and Mrs Sima Sami Bahous for UN Women’s invaluable contribution to our collective endeavors to turn WPS objectives and aspirations into reality.

Resolution 2242 recognizes the complementary role of regional organizations in the implementation of UNSC resolutions on Women, Peace and Security. Council’s WPS resolutions focused on sexual violence in conflict also acknowledge their shared responsibility in this regard. 

In recent years, this Council has done a good job in strengthening dialogue with regional organizations by holding annual meetings that have resulted in outcome documents that recognize their relevance to WPS. 

Initiatives such as the African Union’s Implementation of the WPS Agenda in Africa and the League of Arab States’ Protection of Arab Women: Peace and Security Executive Action Plan 2015-2030 have contributed to the efforts to ensure that WPS objectives are translated to regional-specific contexts. Conversely, regional best-practices, such as the ones presented here today, can help the Council in its continuous efforts to advance the agenda.

Brazil commends the initiative of the presidency of Albania to bring representatives of regional organizations to brief the Council and thanks

(                                                                                                                         for their insightful presentations.

Women briefers from regional organizations can help us better understand regional priorities so that we can respond appropriately when designing mandates.

Madam President,

The cases pinned out by Albania in the concept note for this event are indeed challenging for the implementation of the WPS agenda as they often involve a restricted space for dialogue with local authorities and, in many cases, a dangerous environment for women human rights defenders, journalists, activists. In some cases, we are dealing with an entrenched history of violations of the rights of women and girls and of the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. They help us identify some key areas to which we need to dedicate our work to be able to translate WPS resolutions into actions.

Last week, we discussed the reports of alleged cases of sexual violence directed against women and girls in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. The numbers reported are alarming and suggest that rape has been systematically used as a weapon of war. In the case of Ukraine, immediate investigation by relevant international bodies is called for, including by the Committee for Inquiry for Ukraine of the Human Rights Council.

In all case of sexual violence in conflict, we must continue to demand all parties to adopt commitments to prevent and address sexual violence, develop a victim and survivor-centered approach, and hold perpetrators to account. Humanitarian actors must also be able to support survivors. 

We must not only recognize the problem but also strengthen, whenever appropriate, the mandates of peacekeeping operations and special political missions to better respond to those violations of international humanitarian law. The presence of women peacekeepers on the ground has also proven helpful and should continue to be pursued.

On different occasions, women briefers to this Council have called for more financing to women organizations on the ground to enable them to exercise their unique potential to support women and girls. UN Women has also reminded us that project planning and financing often neglects the specific needs of women. Underinvestment in women’s empowerment hampers progress on women’s rights and gender equality and leaves women less resilient in cases of conflict and seizures of power by force.

Brazil will continue to apply a gender-sensitive approach to international humanitarian assistance. We believe that international financing should aim at promoting gender equality as a catalyst for lasting peace; but also focus on financing initiatives to ensure women’s long-term economic security and well-being. We can also continue to update peacekeeping mandates so that they are more explicit in their role to promote women's economic inclusion and empowerment, in line with Resolution 2242 (2015).

Madam President,

We must condemn all actions that hinder the meaningful and purposeful participation of women in peace processes and in society in general. The Council must work not only to bring women to peace negotiation tables, but also on ways to protect those invited to the table, those working on the ground from direct violence and intimidation.

By protecting those women already trying to make a difference to their communities, this Council is also making it clear that, without the participation of the female population, there is no perspective of lasting peace, let alone economic development, in Afghanistan, or in any other country. Normalizing the participation of women in peace processes and upgrading their role is a very concrete way to implement the women, peace and security agenda.

More than 20 years after Resolution 1325 (2000), women still face the grave security and humanitarian consequences actions decided primarily, if not exclusively, in decision making processes to which they did not take part.

Women and girls must finally be systematically and meaningfully included in the decisions that affect their daily lives and be economically empowered so that they can face the dire consequences of conflict and seizures of powers that often entails violations of their rights. 

Brazil will continue to support inclusive, democratic political processes, with full, equal and meaningful participation of women; constructive processes with the aim to promote the cessation of hostilities but also stability, national reconciliation and lasting peace.