By Bénédicte Santoire
The second day was entirely dedicated to the annual Open Debate of the UN Security Council on WPS, where 95 speakers (Council Members, Member States, representatives of UN Women and the International Committee of the Red Cross) delivered speeches. This year’s civil society briefer was Hala Al-Karib (Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa), who delivered a bone-chilling speech.
Ms. Hala Al-Karib – whom we later met informally with Ambassador O’Neill, Niemat Ahmadi, and other members of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security – briefed the Council on the disastrous situation happening in Sudan. “We are being treated as collateral damage rather than as agents of our own lives,” she said. Mass atrocities against civilians, state repression, gang rapes and other forms of gender-based violence, she used the experience of her country to illustrate the consequences of failing to address women’s rights and needs during conflicts, but also the failure to bring the perpetrators of systemic violence to accountability.
Glivânia Maria de Oliveira, a Brazilian diplomat and Director of the Branco Institute, brought words of hope to the Council, recounting her experience in the negotiations between the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN), showcasing how Colombia can be a positive example in terms of inclusive peace processes for Latin America and the whole word.
A clear message from this Open Debate, however, is that not only is there a need to match rhetoric with reality regarding the implementation of the WPS agenda, but “concrete progress is slow, stagnant or even going backwards,” said António Guterres in his remarks to the Security Council. Telling numbers are, for example, that more than 600 million women and girls are living in conflict-affected areas and out of 18 peace agreements reached in the last year, only one was signed by a woman.
Particularly telling of the tense atmosphere we were in was that the Open Debate was interrupted by a Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where two competing draft resolutions were discussed (one submitted by the United States and the other by the Russian Federation; both were vetoed). Particularly disheartening for me was the weak geopolitical framing and the use of vague language to avoid denouncing the aggressor – Israel – and the refusal to acknowledge the disproportionate power imbalance and genocide the Palestinians are living through today.
As WILPF points out, the years go by, and the messages are often the same: not enough women in decision-making and conflict resolution, progress is too slow… But above all, there is a failure to address head-on the issues of long-term conflict prevention, militarism and disarmament. Cynicism is inevitable when it comes to hearing what the permanent members of the Security Council have to say about the WPS agenda, the same States that themselves contribute to the global insecurity and instability in which we find ourselves.
Canada’s WPS Ambassador delivered two statements during the Open Debate, one on behalf of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security and one as a national remark. Canada’s statement highlighted the enduring relevance of past statements addressing threats against women peacebuilders. Despite the continuity in language over the years, Canada’s statement mentioned that the current moment felt unique – given the multiple threats challenging the agenda today – and that prioritizing women’s meaningful participation, fostering new partnerships, addressing financial gaps, and reflecting on actions to uphold the agenda’s promise were essential to Canada’s leadership in that regards.
Day 3
My third day started with the ‘Invest-In-Women Global Summit’ organized by the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). In this interactive dialogue bringing together women activists, UN entities, philanthropists and various NGOs, the theme of resourcing women-led initiatives and ambitious financial commitments were at the forefront. Guests heard from the experience of civil society leaders from Burundi (Marie Concessa Barubike), DRC (Nelly Mbangu Madieka), Ukraine (Oksana Nechyporenko), Colombia (Bibiana del Carmen Peñaranda Sepulveda), Sudan (Elsadik Salwa Abdulah) and Syria (Rubby Haji Naif). Women civil society leaders possess the necessary access, expertise, partnerships, and authority to reshape power dynamics and tackle dire needs in conflict- and post-conflict contexts. However, they always lack sufficient resources and funds to put that into practice.
The last event of the day was a discussion on WPS since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Organized by the Permanent Missions of Italy, Canada, Tunisia, Greece and the UK to the UN, WIIS Italy and UN Women. Hearing from several experts on the critical situation of Afghan women’s rights under Taliban rule, this discussion provided essential insights on the failure of the international community, frameworks and law to act effectively and deliver timely aid in such a context of gender apartheid. If the future of women in Afghanistan is uncertain yet, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini (ICAN) reminded us that what happens in Afghanistan affects us all.
Conclusion – On the importance of civil society and hope
Under our collective watch, catastrophic situations are happening worldwide today, and humanity fails to see the interconnectedness between all of them. I will not lie; it is challenging to have faith in the WPS agenda in those current times.
Observing these discussions set in elitist diplomatic spaces that the vast majority cannot access made me disillusioned. Yet, at the same time, I was energized to witness the boundless energy, work and courage of women human rights defenders from all over the world. I believe that – even in these moments – powerful narratives can change how we look at things. If there is one thing I have faith in, it is women.
Despite the immense institutional limitations that constrain the full realization of this agenda 23 years after its adoption, the feminist dialogues and networks I’ve observed this week suggest that we must not give up; as feminists, we must continue to disrupt, organize and work both inside and outside these institutions. Small revolutions lead to change, certainly slow but heartfelt.
Canada must continue supporting initiatives that ensure women’s safety, dignity and economic empowerment in fragile and conflict-affected settings through vocal, sustained advocacy in multilateral spaces, even when it is not easy to do. Ambassador O’Neill’s sensitivity, listening skills and sincere links with women civil society leaders worldwide are a testament to the importance of women’s place in decision-making and diplomatic bodies. I’d like to reiterate my thanks to the WPS Ambassador Jacqui O’Neill and the Canadian delegation to the UN, notably Mary Pierre-Wade, Virginie Tardif and Lynn Wallace.
The views in this blog are those of the author only and do not necessarily represent those of the WPSN-C or its membership.
Bénédicte Santoire is a Ph.D Candidate and Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Ottawa. Her research focuses on the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the post-Soviet space, where she has conducted more than 80 interviews with Ukrainian, Moldovan, Georgian and Armenian women. She sits on the Steering Committee of the WPSN-C.
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