Nordic statement at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security

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Madam President,

I am delivering this statement on behalf of the Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and my own country, Sweden.

The calls from civil society continue to be loud and clear. Only in the recent month, and in this very chamber, we have heard women peacebuilders and human rights defenders from Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, among others, describe the needs of their communities and ask for women’s voices to generate impact on all peace and security efforts. We also continue to hear that these actors are forced into a dilemma – whether to speak up, defend their rights and promote a better future for their societies, or prioritise their own safety and survival. This is unacceptable and constitutes a threat not only to the actors themselves but to all of us.

The Nordic countries particularly thank Kenya for placing the emphasis of today’s debate on women leaders at the grassroots level. They are at the heart of the WPS Agenda and lead the way towards transformative change.

As we look ahead, the Nordics would like to stress the following:

• One: Local women and women civil society representatives need to directly inform peace and security efforts. Experiences from MINUSMA show that gender-balanced engagement teams have significantly improved the mission’s exchanges with local women and led to more inclusive dialogues. In our own OSCE region, field missions are in close dialogue with women civil society actors to inform efforts. We need to further institutionalise such positive practices and link local initiatives to formal peace talks. Furthermore, women civil society briefers’ recommendations to the Security Council, and other decision-makers, must be reflected in outcomes, and briefers need to be updated on how their recommendations are taken forward. Promoting women’s role and impact also requires funding. The Nordic countries focus on long-term, flexible and core funding to advance the WPS Agenda, including through women’s rights organisations and other civil society actors that work for gender equality.  
• Two: The inextricable link between participation and protection needs to be significantly strengthened. Here we welcome the recommendations in the NGO Working Group on WPS’ Open Letter, signed by over 380 CSOs. We call on the UN and Member States to adopt mechanisms for preventing and addressing reprisals against women civil society actors. However, an increased focus on protection cannot replace, nor come at the expense of, the promotion of women’s full, equal and meaningful participation. We need to promote participation, protection and prevention simultaneously.
• Three: We need to invest in what drives peace. The WPS Agenda plays a key role in expanding the way we define security, making it clear that a military understanding of security only captures one out of numerous factors that make up human security. In addition to peace and political processes, we need to invest in socioeconomic welfare, human rights, gender equality as well as disarmament, development, humanitarian assistance and climate action. We urge all actors, particularly the Security Council, to adopt this holistic approach. In this work, advice from relevant actors, including the Peacebuilding Commission, is essential. We also welcome that the Secretary-General puts a special emphasis on these aspects in his recent WPS report.

As we take stock today, it is with a sense of frustration. 21 years after the adoption of 1325, women are still asked to justify their inclusion in peace and security efforts. To help create the radical shift that is needed, women and girls need to be at the centre of security policy, as highlighted in Our Common Agenda. The Nordic countries are continuously utilising systematic gender mainstreaming, investing in gender-responsive leadership, and pushing forward with our comprehensive support for WPS.  

Before closing, we want to sincerely thank Kenya for enabling non-Security Council members to address the Council in-person at this open debate. We urge all Council members to do the same.

Finally, making WPS a reality requires a systematic focus throughout the year. We warmly welcome the trio initiative by Ireland, Kenya and Mexico, as it is a decisive step towards making WPS a given in all peace and security discussions. We hope to see similar initiatives.

Making WPS a reality also takes targeted efforts, which brings me back to where I started – to the women peacebuilders and human rights defenders. We need to invest in them and their recommendations. That is what truly drives peace. The Nordics stand ready to do our part.