Welcome to the United Nations

Secretary-General's launch of "Call to Action" following Roundtable Discussion on Women, Peace and Security in Peacekeeping Contexts [as delivered]

8 Oct 2020

Indeed I wanted to launch a call to action, and to call on Governments, on the United Nations system - because it starts by us all and the way we behave - on Regional Organizations, African Union, European Union, many others, Civil Society Organizations, academia, and the wider international community to take bold actions to translate commitments into reality. 

To prioritize women’s leadership.

To invest in community-based women’s networks as equal partners. 

To embrace evidence-based decision-making through a gender data revolution. 

And to adopt a feminist approach to accelerate women’s full, equal and meaningful participation.

Today, let’s be clear, women’s leadership is a cause. We must make it a norm.  

That is how we will transform international peace and security.

And that is how we will build a peaceful and equal future, which has proven so elusive in all the efforts that we are making namely, to implement a global ceasefire.

That is, I think, our shared duty, our common path. Day after day, year after year, we are paying a price because of our own biases and because of discrimination that exists.

And we need to be able to do better. And it depends on us for that to happen.

I thank you very much, I thank particularly the four very distinguished guests that have given so important contributions to our discussion. I heard their appeals for our own capacity to change in the UN to better be able to support your cause. 

Thank you very, very much, and all the best.