THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
Government News
VN places importance on women’s role in settling conflicts and peace-building
VGP – Under the theme “Women, peace and security”, the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Friday had an open debate to discuss the first report of the Secretary-General on the realization of the UNSC’s Resolution 1820 on sex violence in armed conflicts.
August 08, 2009 4:21 PM GMT+7
At the debate, representative of Việt Nam, Ambassador Bùi Thế Giang noted that, the approval of Resolution 1820 one year ago has considerably improved the awareness of the issue in the entire UN system, the international community and the areas where armed conflicts are occurring. He added that the recent ratification of Resolution 1882 on children and armed conflicts once again shows the determination to stop violations in this field.
Mr. Giang stated that, to prevent and deal with sex violence in armed conflicts, it is necessary to strengthen women’s power and promote their participation in the peace process, especially in settling conflicts and peace-building. Measures to protect women and girls from sex violence should be taken in the frame of a larger strategy for socio-economic issues and development, he said.
The Vietnamese diplomat urged the UN and donors to help countries work out gender programs to provide victims with legal assistance, ensure healthcare, economic and social security for them, and engage them into decision-making process.
Underlining the State’s role in protecting citizens from all kinds of violence, Ambassador Giang confirmed that Việt Nam backs the UN agencies to prevent and cope with sex violence in armed conflicts and proactively encourage women’s participation in peace negotiations, political missions and peace keeping forces, considering it an effective way to assist local victims and increase women’s power in the countries just stepping out conflicts.
He assured that Việt Nam is determined to strictly observe international laws and the UN’s related resolutions in order to stop sex violence and guarantee women’s status in the world.
By Nguyên Hồ