Watch the video on webtv.un.org: I am honoured to welcome you to New York. Thank you for your commitment to UN peacekeeping.
Our partnership has never been more important. Across the globe, armed conflict scars countless civilians and destabilizes entire regions.
UN blue helmets brave danger so others can enjoy safety. The men and women serving in peacekeeping deserve our gratitude.
I welcome your focus on gender – with a view to increasing the number of female peacekeepers, and integrating a gender perspective into our peace and security actions.
When we have greater gender balance in our forces, we boost our protection outreach – and we reduce the chances of sexual exploitation and abuse. I urge actions to deploy more women – and to help integrate a gender-sensitive perspective in fostering peace.
Chiefs of Defence are critical to ensuring that peacekeeping remains modern and efficient.
In that spirit, I wish you great success.
Thank you.