CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT DISCUSSES GENDER EQUALITY AND PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN DISARMAMENT

The Conference on Disarmament this morning discussed gender equality and women’s participation in disarmament, based on a non-paper on women and disarmament presented by its Argentinian presidency. It also paid tribute to the late United Nations Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, who died on 4 March.

Opening the discussion, German Edmundo Proffen of Argentina, President of the Conference on Disarmament, said a non-paper on women in disarmament had been circulated to the delegations and stressed the importance for the Conference to go beyond mere words to include gender in its work.

Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva and Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament, noted that the equal, full and effective participation of women in all decision-making processes related to disarmament was essential for the promotion and attainment of sustainable peace and security.

Renata Dalaqua, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, said that acknowledging linkages between international peace and security and gender agendas might not only advance women’s participation in disarmament but also encourage new perspectives and thinking on arms control. The Conference could apply some of the recommendations by the Disarmament Impact Group to advance gender-responsive action within the multilateral disarmament processes.

In the ensuing discussion, the delegations thanked the President for initiating this important discussion and noted that the absence of women from disarmament forums - historically dominated by men - led to decisions that ignored the concerns of half of the world’s population. Involving more women would help revitalize disarmament discussions, but this was not simply an act of altruism - diversity in the realm of decision-making led to better decisions for all.

Active participation and leadership of women in the field of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control were crucial to achieving peace, security and sustainable development, while a gender perspective expanded the scope of knowledge on disarmament. Speakers stressed the importance of integrating gender in multilateral processes, as had been done in the Arms Trade Treaty, the first arms control instrument to explicitly include the gender dimension, and in the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the first treaty that included the term “gender-based violence”.

A speaker wondered how the inclusion of the gender issue into the discussions in the Conference and possibly into the legally binding instruments could help this body to implement its mandate.

Australia, the incoming President of the Conference on Disarmament, said that it would continue to monitor the fluid situation related to COVID-19 and reiterated that for the P6, the utmost priority was the safety and wellbeing of everyone. The P6 had developed a coordinated schedule for plenary meetings for the rest of the year, covering all agenda items equally and addressing also the question of improved and effective functioning of the Conference. Australia would hold four thematic plenaries and would propose a technical amendment to introduce gender-neutral language to the Rules of Procedure.

The Conference could learn from Javier Pérez de Cuéllar that disarmament could only be achieved through the disarmament of minds and hearts and effective use of diplomacy, a speaker noted in tribute to the former United Nations Secretary-General, who had held office from 1982 to 1991.

Chile, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Slovenia, Croatia (on behalf of the European Union), Norway, Ireland, Peru, Netherlands, Austria, Latvia, United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Pakistan, Iran, Republic of Korea, Spain, Turkey, Indonesia, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria took the floor in the discussion on the role of women in disarmament.

Brazil and Peru also spoke, while the United States and Iran spoke in right of reply.

The Conference on Disarmament will hold its next plenary on Tuesday 17 March, at 10 a.m. under the presidency of Australia.

Introductory Statements

GERMAN EDMUNDO PROFFEN of Argentina, President of the Conference on Disarmament, said a non-paper on women in disarmament had been circulated to members of the Conference. Recalling that that two of the most recent treaties on disarmament, namely the Arms Trade Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, addressed gender issues, it was important for the Conference to go beyond mere words to include gender in its work.

TATIANA VALOVAYA, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva and Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament, said 2020 was a milestone year for the global efforts to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. It marked the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the tenth anniversary of the General Assembly resolution on women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. Those anniversaries represented the global recognition of the critical role that women played in decision-making processes in peace and security, including disarmament, she stressed.

The United Nations Secretary-General, she noted, continued to emphasize that the equal, full and effective participation of women in all decision-making processes related to disarmament was essential for the promotion and attainment of sustainable peace and security. In his Agenda for Disarmament, the Secretary-General highlighted gender parity in those processes as both a moral duty and an operational necessity. Women had always played a crucial role in the development and implementation of disarmament instruments, therefore their contributions must be acknowledged and their voices further amplified.

In tandem with the efforts to enable the meaningful participation of women in disarmament, it was essential to address the differentiated impact of various weapons on segments of populations, Ms. Valovaya said. Expressing hope that the Conference would consistently factor in its deliberations the topic of gender, the Director-General said that, as an International Gender Champion, she was ready to support its Members in promoting gender perspectives in the Conference.

RENATA DALAQUA, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, said gender equality and women’s participation were gaining momentum in disarmament, as seen in the growing number of statements and resolutions expressing support for the equal, full and effective participation of women in matters related to weapons.

However, while in 2018 women had made up 37 per cent of the participants in the Conference, the share of women speakers had often been below 20 per cent and seven out of the nine panel discussions organized by the Conference presidencies were all-male. Acknowledging linkages between arms control and international peace and security and gender agendas might not only advance women’s participation in disarmament but also encourage new perspectives and thinking on arms control, stressed Ms. Dalaqua.

She added that the Disarmament Impact Group, co-chaired with Canada, Ireland, Namibia and the Philippines, sought to promote dialogue, knowledge sharing and the pursuit of concrete opportunities to advance gender-responsive action within the multilateral disarmament processes.

The Conference on Disarmament could apply some of its recommendations, such as to organize gender briefings related to the substance of its work, institutionalize gender balance on panels by setting guidelines and support side events on gender at the margins of multilateral meetings. It could furthermore add a gender perspective to the principle of regional balance in the appointment of the coordinators of the subsidiary bodies and apply gender perspective when planning work under each agenda item.

Statements by the Members of the Conference on Disarmament

Chile recalled that it was the co-founder of a regional forum and network of national focal points for mainstreaming gender in the security sector and the first country to establish a national action plan on United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. It had also integrated a gender perspective in that plan, specifically concerning the four thematic areas of participation, prevention, protection and emergency relief.

Switzerland underlined the significance of a discussion on gender and disarmament since men and women were differently affected by armed conflicts. Swiss foreign policy applied a gender-sensitive approach and integrated gender perspectives in its programmes to promote peace. Stressing the importance of integrating gender in multilateral processes, as had been done in the Arms Trade Treaty and the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, Switzerland said it would seek to integrate a gender perspective during its presidency of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Canada noted that the Conference’s membership was mainly male and recalled that Canada had been consistently advocating for gender parity in disarmament matters, for example to ensure the participation of women in the negotiation of the 2019 Oslo Action Plan on Personal Landmines. As a member of the Disarmament Impact Group, Canada believed that a gender perspective expanded the scope of knowledge on disarmament.

Australia stressed that the inclusion of women in disarmament would lead to diversity and better outcomes for disarmament and arms control, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and development. Australia recalled the legacy of Jessie Street, the only woman in the Australian delegation to the founding conference of the United Nations in 1945, who had been instrumental in ensuring the prohibition of gender discrimination in the United Nations Charter. Australia said it would lead by example during its presidency of the Conference, including by promoting the gender-neutral language.

Slovenia said gender equality would be one of its priorities during the upcoming Review Conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Equal participation and leadership of women and men in disarmament and non-proliferation were vital for achieving lasting peace and security. Slovenia had joined numerous statements on gender equality, such as the joint statement on gender and disarmament machinery during the United Nations General Assembly First Committee in 2019.

Croatia on behalf of the European Union noted that active participation and leadership of women in the field of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control was crucial to achieving peace, security and sustainable development. Recalling that the Arms Trade Treaty was the first arms control instrument to explicitly include the gender dimension, Croatia said that the European Union Member States would consider the risk of gender-based violence in their weapons exports before authorizing them.

Norway stressed that women were and could be powerful agents for peace and noted the significant achievements in increasing women’s participation and decision-making powers in peace processes. And yet, progress was still lagging and was “behind the curve” in disarmament and proliferation. Involving more women would help revitalize disarmament discussions, but bringing more women into international security was not simply an act of altruism because diversity in the realm of decision-making led to better decisions, which benefitted all.

Ireland emphasized that ensuring a diversity of voices in disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control efforts was a priority. Ireland welcomed the short course on gender perspective for the coordinators of subsidiary bodies and suggested opening it to all Members and observers. Ireland emphasized the progress in integrating gender in disarmament, such as in the Arms Trade Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Peru agreed that there was still much to do to fully incorporate gender perspectives into the work of the Conference. Peru took positive note of the Finnish document on monitoring the implementation of a gender perspective in the Oslo Plan, the “Missing Links” document by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research and Latvia’s work on the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty that linked it to violence against women.

Netherlands pointed to the wide gap between the commitment to the women, peace and security agenda and its implementation and said that its fourth national action plan on the resolution 1325 would draw upon the lessons learned over the past two decades. The topics of disarmament and non-proliferation went beyond the binary perspectives of men and women and touched upon a more diverse range of issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Those must be considered when aiming for inclusive societies in which all could participate.

Austria pointed to the still unequal participation of women and men in international security forums and a significant gender imbalance in multilateral disarmament policy design and implementation. Noting that men and boys were more likely to be the victims of mines and cluster munitions and that ionising radiation and nuclear weapons explosion was more lethal for women and girls, Austria stressed that the understanding of the disproportionate impact of weapons on women and men was critical to preventing human suffering in armed conflict.

Latvia recalled that during its presidency of the 2019 Meeting of States parties to Arms Trade Treaty, Latvia had prioritized gender and gender-based violence, a topic important for the country and the Treaty. The Arms Trade Treaty was the first treaty to include the term “gender-based violence”. Therefore, the focus was on ensuring a greater gender balance and equality within the delegations, data collection to enable an appropriate response to the gendered impact of violence and conflict and the role of the Treaty in risk assessment of gender-based violence.

United States said that its national security strategy identified women’s equality and empowerment as integral to security and stressed that women practitioners in disarmament ensured a fulsome view and understanding of the issues. On the twentieth anniversary of the Security Council resolution 1325, the United States remained committed to expanding meaningful participation of women in the establishment and maintenance of global peace, security and prosperity. The enactment of the Women, Peace and Security Act in 2017 had made the United States the first country in the world with a comprehensive law on the issue.

United Kingdom welcomed the opportunity to speak about gender and disarmament and recalled it had played a leading role in the United Nations Security Council to promote the role of women in the peace and security agenda. Women must be properly represented in disarmament discussions and some progress was made already. The United Kingdom highlighted the number of women who shaped its policy and contributions on disarmament and noted that it had tried to achieve a gender balance during its presidency the previous year.

Mexico said that the absence of women from disarmament forums, which were historically dominated by men, led to decisions that ignored the concerns of half of the world’s population. The Conference had to go above the patriarchal structures which dominated the world for times immemorial. While initial steps had been taken, additional efforts were needed, such as facilitating access of civil society to the work of the Conference and working closely with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research to incorporate their work on gender.

Pakistan continued to support the initiative on gender and disarmament and had organized an open plenary session on this topic during its Presidency in May 2016. Nationally, Pakistan had a proud tradition of women leaders in its Government, as Ambassadors, participants in the disarmament discourse and within the military. Despite progress, much remained to be done nationally and internationally to achieve the goals of gender equality and diversity in arms control deliberations, negotiations and outcomes, Pakistan concluded.

Iran said it had listened to delegations that had spoken about the inclusion of the gender issue into the discussions in the Conferences and possibly into the legally binding instruments and then wondered how those issues could help this body to implement its mandate. Recalling the fiftieth anniversary of the entry into force of the Non-Proliferation Treaty the previous week, Iran stressed that the mere existence of nuclear weapons constituted the greatest threat to international peace and security and the survival of the humankind. The best and the only guarantee to removing that threat was a transparent, irreversible and total elimination all nuclear weapons.

Republic of Korea thanked the President for initiating the discussion on a very important topic of gender perspectives in disarmament and reiterated its strong and continuous support for the Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament. The Republic of Korea was actively participating in the Geneva Gender Champion programme and in 2020 it had committed to contributing to the international efforts to address and prevent gender-based violence in armed conflict, including by providing financial support for the victims and survivors of violence.

Spain said it had adopted a “feminist” foreign policy which prioritized gender issues and worked to mainstream gender in diplomacy, preventive diplomacy and peacebuilding. Spain was recognized as a true gender champion, with women holding high-level positions in non-proliferation, demobilization, reintegration and security reform. Spain would continue to work to protect women in armed conflicts and to foster their participation in conflict resolution, disarmament, demobilization and peacebuilding.

Turkey noted that the adoption of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security had established a solid normative framework and was pleased to see the rise in programmes that increased the role of women in peace and security. Despite the progress, much work was still to be done. Turkey believed that it was imperative to address the root causes of conflicts and increase the number of women in high-ranking positions, and it stood ready to play its role in this process.

Indonesia agreed that gender was a cross-cutting issue with direct relevance to the implementation of broader peace and security efforts. Women contributed to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Security Council resolution 1325 and as agents of peace and tolerance, they had a role in disarmament efforts. Pursuing gender perspectives in the work of the Conference was important to strengthen the diverse and meaningful participation of women and men in all aspects of arms control.

Cuba highlighted that the importance of women in Cuba was a fact, not just a programme or a gender perspective but a state policy. Women in Cuba were emancipated not because men were generous but because their rights had been enshrined and made real since the beginning of the fight for independence. They played a decisive role in the economic, political and social life of the country. Cuba was convinced that to end the nuclear arms race, women must be present in great numbers in the Conference on Disarmament.

Venezuela said gender equality and women’s empowerment were a cross-cutting policy and vehicles that contributed to progress. The Conference on Disarmament was a vital part of the disarmament machinery that must be strengthened and its work must focus on the topics of its agenda items. It was possible to have a constructive and inclusive dialogue in the Conference, far removed from politicization and geopolitical tensions. The Conference needed to forge a path ahead and take its rightful role in fostering a multipolar international environment.

Syria noted that Syrian women participated at all political, social and economic levels and held many leading positions, side-by-side with men. Syria hoped that the Conference would find its way out of the deadlock it had been in for two decades and also hoped that future debates would help the Members reach their common objectives, without any politicization.

GERMAN EDMUNDO PROFFEN of Argentina, President of the Conference on Disarmament, at the end of the discussion on women in disarmament, urged all delegations to continue to work to prevent violence, end discrimination and promote equal opportunities. If gender issues were addressed, the state of the world, and by extension the work of the Conference, would improve, he concluded.

Other Statements

Australia, speaking as the incoming President of the Conference on Disarmament, said that it would continue to monitor the fluid situation related to COVID-19 and reiterated that for the P6, the utmost priority was the safety and wellbeing of everyone. It would continue to assess the risks and consider mitigation measures as needed.

Turning to the work of the Conference, Australia said that although a consensus on a programme of work had not been achieved, it strived to bring issues of substance before the Conference. The P6 had developed a coordinated schedule for plenary meetings for the rest of the year, covering all agenda items equally and addressing the question of improved and effective functioning of the Conference. The consultations on a programme of work should continue too. This would allow the delegations to prepare well in advance and Australia encouraged the submission of working papers and other data.

As part of the coordinated P6 schedule, Australia would hold four thematic plenaries, focusing on agenda items one to three and on improving the effective functioning of the Conference. The following week, the Conference would focus on nuclear disarmament verification, including the United Nations Group of Government Experts report. The second plenary would focus on nuclear risk reduction, the third one would explore the theme of reducing security risks in outer space and the fourth plenary would critically examine how the work of the Conference could become more efficient.

Also, Australia would propose a technical amendment to introduce gender-neutral language to the Rules of Procedure of the Conference on Disarmament.

Brazil paid a tribute to the former United Nations Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru. What the Conference could learn from him was that disarmament could only be achieved through the disarmament of minds and hearts and effective use of diplomacy.

Peru thanked Brazil for its kind words.


For use of the information media; not an official record


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