Photo by Gary Raynaldo /  Germany Federal Minister of Defense  Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen  chaired UN Security Council Debate on Women In  Peacekeeping,   Apr. 11, 2019

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC TIMES

UNITED NATIONS   NEW YORK  – Women’s rights, voices and participation must be at “the centre of peacekeeping decision-making”,  United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Thursday. The UN Security Council held an open debate on increasing women’s participation in peacekeeping.  The meeting was chaired by Ursula von der Leyen, the German Federal Minister of Defence;  Secretary-General Guterres;  Major General Kristin Lund, the Head of Mission and Chief of Staff of UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO); and a civil society representative briefed the UN Security Council.  The goal of the debate is to provide member states with the chance to exchange views on how the Council and the wider membership can best support and strengthen efforts to increase the number of women in peacekeeping.   citing evidence that more women peacekeepers lead to more credible protection responses that meet the needs of all.  During the debate,  Secretary-General Guterres pointed to evidence that more women peacekeepers lead to more credible protection responses that meet the needs of all.

 “This is not just a question of numbers, but also of our effectiveness in fulfilling our mandates”,

-Secretary-General Guterres,  UN Security Council debate Apr. 11, 2019. 

According to the UN Secretary General  in patrol units in particular,   women can better access intelligence to provide a holistic view of security challenges, and at checkpoints they promote a less confrontational atmosphere.  Prior to the Thursday’s Security Council debate,  Guterres submitted a letter summarising the gender parity strategy for uniformed personnel in peace operations that responds to Resolution 2242 of 13 October 2015, which called on the Secretary-General “to initiate, in collaboration with Member States, a revised strategy, within existing resources, to double the numbers of women in military and police contingents of UN peacekeeping operations over the next five years”.  The key findings of the gender parity strategy for uniformed personnel in peace operations may form an important part of the Secretary-General’s remarks, according to a Security Council report.  The strategy sets a target of 15% women among contingent troops by 2028. It further establishes a goal of 20% women in formed police units and 30% as individual police officers by 2028.

Our Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy 2018-2028 sets targets for military, police, justice & corrections personnel. Our objective is to ⬆️numbers of qualified women serving in peace operations, including senior command, to improve the efficiency of our operations. #A4P #WPS #UNSC pic.twitter.com/stc5Z1aA1F

— UN Peacekeeping (@UNPeacekeeping) April 11, 2019

Diversity is a strength In UN Peacekeeping:  German Foreign Minister  Defense von der Leyen 

Photo credit:  UN Photo Manuel Elias /  Ursula von der Leyen, Federal Minister of Defense of Germany and President of the Security Council for the month of April, chairs the Security Council meeting on United Nations peacekeeping operations and women in peacekeeping.  At left is Secretary-General António Guterres. April 11, 2019.

“Women are no better peacekeepers than men, but they are different. And this diversity is a strength,”

-German  Minister of Defense, Ursula von der Leyen, chair of Security Council Meeting. 

Von der Leyen noted  that Resolution 1325 has been in effect for almost 20 years,  however,  she contends  that it is “still far from full, effective and meaningful participation of women in peace operations”. The German minister of defense suggested, among other things, to address this,   is to have successful female mentors to share their stories to younger women; have more women in national forces for deployment to international peacekeeping missions; and assess national barriers that keeps more women from joining peace operations.

“The peacekeeper’s blue helmet symbolizes protection and security”, she said. “Let us make this helmet be worn by more women. For the sake of peace”. 

-German federal foreign minister of defense von der Leyen. 

VIDEO by Gary Raynaldo  /    Germany Federal Minister of Defense  Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen  at UN Security Council press conference after Women In Peacekeeping debate  UN World Headquarters New York,  Apr. 11, 2019.

VIDEO by Gary Raynaldo  /    Germany Federal Minister of Defense  Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen  UN Security Council press conference  New York,  Apr. 11, 2019.

Von der Leyen  Is Germany’s First Female  Defence  Minister

Minister of Defense  von der Leyen greets German troops. 

Photos by Gary Raynaldo /  Germany Federal Minister of Defense  Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen  at UN Security press conference Apr. 11, 2019.