Viet Nam and United Nations convenes global conference to accelerate action on global commitments on women, peace and security

Viet Nam, a non-permanent UN Security Council member (2020 – 2021), will host a International Conference on Women, Peace and Security entitled Strengthening Women’s Role in Building and Sustaining Peace: from Commitments to Results on 7-9 December 2020. The conference is organized by the Government of Viet Nam in partnership with the United Nations, led by UN Women and UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Viet Nam and supporting Member States.

Viet Nam’s leadership in drafting UN Security Council resolution 1889 (2009) calling for mainstreaming gender perspectives in all decision-making processes, especially in the early stages of recovery and peacebuilding, has been a critical foundation for furthering support women participation in peacebuilding on the ground. Women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and rights must be put at the core of all approaches to conflict prevention, resolution, and post-conflict recovery efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and impacted the work of women peacebuilding practitioners, who have been taking on new roles to safeguard peacebuilding gains and contribute to longer-term post-pandemic recovery.

The conference will reinforce the key messages of the report of the UN Secretary-General to the UN Security Council during annual Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security on 29 October 2020 commemorating the 20th anniversary of its landmark resolution 1325. The report provides a review of the progress of the last twenty years of implementation of Women, Peace and Security Agenda and outlines five goals to realize inclusive and sustainable peace in the next decade. These five goals will provide a key feature for the discussions during the conference, which seeks to contribute to creating a clear pathway forward in furthering implementation of the WPS agenda.

The conference will focus on commitments and results of women’s participation in building and sustaining peace and reflect on successful strategies for inclusion, women’s empowerment, and support for young women’s peacebuilding and conflict prevention work on the ground. Participants from across the globe will gather virtually and join partners in Viet Nam to examine a range of themes, including women’s participation in peace processes, peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery, women in peacekeeping, women’s economic security and access to resources, and emerging trends and new context for WPS. The event will provide the space for critical thinking around priorities, actions and acceleration of global, regional and national implementation, including through Action Plans on WPS. The participants will discuss priorities for the next decade and agree on a set of concrete commitments aimed at accelerating action and closing implementation gaps. These will complement and respond to the calls for action made in October by various networks and women’s organizations.

“It is a consistent policy of the Party and State of Viet Nam to fully promote the immense role and potential of women in our national construction and defense, to raise the standing of women, and to advocate gender equality in every domain: political, economic, cultural and social. These key lines for action have been enshrined in our Constitution, Law for Gender Equality, and numerous laws and policy lines. We have in place clear strategies and plans for economic and social development, in order to advance women's contributions in making Viet Nam into a modern industrial country by 2045.” H.E. Mdme Tong Thi Phong, First Vice President of the National Assembly of Viet Nam said.

"Viet Nam calls on the international community to heighten their commitment and determination in promoting cooperation on global gender equality. We should arrive at measures to mobilize resources for women’s more substantive role and participation in fostering and enhancing peace”. H.E. Mr Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam said.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the fragile gains made in women, peace and security, increasing poverty, inequality and tensions around the world. Women are essential in the response. We must fully include them in all peace efforts and defend their human rights; decrease global military spending and spend more on gender equality; and get the data that can support rapid action. We need to put women at the centre, and listen and learn from women peacebuilders, including young women, whose vision and strength is at the heart of Generation Equality.” H.E. Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women said.

“Viet Nam has been a strong advocate for the women, peace and security agenda for over a decade now, working closely with the United Nations especially at the UN Security Council but also by deploying an increased number of female UN Peacekeepers. This global conference provides an excellent opportunity for government leaders, peacebuilders, experts and youth ambassadors to come together and drive forward action-oriented commitments to enhance the role of women in achieving peace and security at all levels from local to global. I strongly believe that Viet Nam will remain at the global forefront of this agenda as it evolves in the future.” said Kamal Malhotra, UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam.

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For more information, stories of women peace leaders and new data on Women, Peace and Security visit: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/women-peace-security

For additional data on Women, Peace and Security, click here.

For more information, please contact:

Mr Trinh Anh Tuan, Senior Programme Communications and Advocacy Officer

UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Viet Nam

trinh.anh.tuan@one.un.org, (+84) (0) 90-329-6393

Ms Hoang Bich Thao, UN Women Communications Officer

hoang.thao@unwomen.org, (+84) (0) 70-514-3996