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No peace without women: Minister of State Müntefering in New York
On October 25, German Minister of State Müntefering took part in the open debate on women, peace and security – a topic that will be a focus of Germany’s upcoming membership of the UN Security Council.
The likelihood that a peace agreement will last longer than 15 years increases by 35 percent if women are involved in the peacemaking process. Involving women in peacebuilding, post conflict reconstruction and transformation of societies is therefore a key factor for success in establishing peace.
Ensuring that women are involved even more often and more intensively is a central element of the Security Council’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Before speaking in the open debate in the Security Council in New York, Minister of State Müntefering stressed once again how important this subject is for Germany: “The unanimous adoption of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security on October 31, 2000 was a milestone in the UN Security Council. Implementing this resolution is a priority for Germany in the United Nations. We cannot afford to talk about women, peace and security in the 21st century without women sitting at the table as equal partners. They must be actors and shapers of peace and security.”
Women, peace and security: What is Germany doing for this in the Security Council?
In 2019 and 2020, Germany will be a non permanent member of the UN Security Council. Promoting the Women, Peace and Security Agenda will be one of its priorities. Germany is committed to ensuring even more political participation for women, to improved prevention of sexual violence in conflicts and, generally, to protecting women and girls.
Furthermore, Germany will take over from Sweden as co chair of the Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security along with Peru. This group analyses the situation in individual countries and makes recommendations as to how Resolution 1325 might be even better implemented in each case. Germany wants to help get the group a better hearing in the Security Council and give it a public profile. In addition, Germany is particularly keen to put the prevention and elimination of conflict-related sexual violence higher on the agenda.