Thank you, Madam President.
Like my colleagues, I would like to thank the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom and her team for their excellent work in November. I would also like to congratulate you on taking the helm again in December. We will have had three Presidencies led by women. In this way, we hope to contribute to today's debate by inspiring many young women to take on more responsibility around the world and at all levels.
Thank you also for giving us one last opportunity to reflect on our contribution to this issue over the past two years. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the speakers, Under-Secretary-General Dicarlo and Ms. Ali, for their valuable comments.
You've asked us three questions. Let me answer them and draw some conclusions for the future:
First, how can the Council promote an intergenerational partnership for peace?
As co-chairs of the Informal Expert Group, we have organised 16 meetings - eight this year with our partners in Sierra Leone. The aim of these meetings is to bring gender issues to the fore at key moments, such as the renewal of the mandate of a peace mission or in emergency situations. It is important to strengthen the expertise of the Council before it takes decisions, as was the case in the meetings on Somalia, Libya or in the context of conflict-related sexual violence.
To strengthen the expertise and legitimacy of the Council, it is essential to interact with women on the ground. We have tried to promote this through a trip by members of the expert group to South Sudan and during this year's Council trip to Colombia.
Then, during our Presidency, we invited 20 civil society representatives, aged between 27 and 81. The aim was to add the expertise of those on the ground contributing to the transition to peace. Among the youngest speakers were Sarah Kyabu Ntambwe from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Hanna Eltigani from Sudan. They stressed the urgent need for visibility, financial support, access to decision-making, trust and resources for intergenerational dialogue.
In summary, this Council must
a. understand the situations it is dealing with in terms of women, peace and security
b. strengthen its expertise by travelling to the field; and
c. listen to the agents of change by inviting them here.
All this, of course, to make decisions and improve them.
Second question, what role can we, the Member States, play?
In March, we organised an informal meeting of the Council to understand the links between the normative framework of CEDAW and that of resolutions 1325 and beyond. The Council has a solid normative framework with about ten resolutions - now it's a matter of implementing them vigorously and holding accountable those who violate international law. This is particularly urgent in contexts such as Afghanistan, the world's biggest women's rights crisis. Women in all emergencies must be able to count on our attention and support.
In July, we invited networks of women mediators to a retreat to inform our annual October debate. These networks of young women mediators are intergenerational learning spaces and therefore an essential tool for women's inclusion. The networks draw on technical expertise and diverse perspectives. Mentoring and sharing experiences are also at the heart of the book "Letters to a young mediator" published by Switzerland. It creates links through literature.
For his part, during the October debate, the Secretary-General called for pledges to increase the number of women in peace processes at all levels. Let's respond to his call!
In conclusion, we must
a. use the normative instruments at our disposal
b. and, in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the resolution, commit ourselves to increasing the number of women mediators and contributors.
It's an effort both at the level of member states and at the level of individuals - whether through women's initiatives such as the FabFive at the Council, or through men's initiatives such as the Barber Shop, or even through joint initiatives such as the International Gender Champions.
And finally, what role can the UN itself play?
If we've done our homework on the above points, the UN's role will benefit. There will be references to gender in this Council resolutions, such as those on Colombia, Sudan, Haiti, Libya, Somalia and Afghanistan, or the resolution proposed by Switzerland on the protection of humanitarian and UN personnel. They must be vigorously implemented, for example through reporting that systematically takes into account the gender dimension, through gender advisors in peace operations, and through a UN presence that can ensure the safety of these women.
Ultimately, the transformative power - and there is enormous potential as we approach the 25th anniversary of this agenda - lies in the combination of all levels: the UN, the Council, Member States and ourselves.
That is why, when the Peace and Security Council of the African Union visited us in October, we facilitated a joint dialogue between the young peace ambassadors of the African Union and the ambassadors of the two Security Councils, the UN and the African Union. In response to the question, "What do you need from us to carry on the torch? "Mpule Kgetsi of the African Youth Ambassadors for Peace Southern African Region replied:
"We would like our leadership to hear us more. And in order for that to happen, we need to be where important conversations are happening. At the same time, we need you guys by our side so that when we are getting to the opportunity where we are taking up the mantle, we know what to do."
Switzerland will continue to work to ensure that these young leaders are heard and included in our efforts. We remain available to offer our expertise and wish our successors energy and courage for this important work!
Thank you.