On the fringes of the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), President Amherd took part in an informal meeting of the UN Security Council in "Arria format" on "Women, Peace and Security". Switzerland organized the meeting. "For Switzerland, there is no doubt: peace is inseparable from gender equality and women's rights," the President of the Confederation emphasized in New York. Their participation in peace processes, conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction is essential.
Within the framework of its priority "Promoting sustainable peace", Switzerland pursues the goal of strengthening the equal participation of women in international peace and security efforts. Given the current global political situation, this is no easy task. The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is today the most important normative framework for the rights of women and girls worldwide. "It must be respected and implemented, especially in the context of our discussions in the Security Council," the President emphasized. Another instrument is UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the nine successive resolutions on "Women, Peace and Security". Switzerland was one of the first countries to adopt a national action plan to implement these resolutions. In order to guarantee the rights of women and girls at all times, in times of peace as well as in times of conflict, Viola Amherd requested at today's Council meeting that the synergies between CEDAW and the "Women, Peace and Security" agenda be strengthened. In this way, Switzerland would also like to strengthen the links between Geneva, the seat of the UN human rights organizations, and New York, the seat of the Security Council.
