The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution on Friday renewing its commitment to promote women’s leadership and participation in all negotiations to resolve conflicts and bring peace to war-torn countries.
The council said it remains deeply concerned about the “exacerbated vulnerability” of women in armed conflict and post-conflict situations, as well as the abuses, threats and human rights violations they suffer.
It said that girls and women who become pregnant as a result of rape should have “access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health services ... without discrimination.”
The resolution stressed the need to increase women’s participation “in all discussions pertinent to the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts, the maintenance of peace and security, and post-conflict peace-building.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council that the resolution makes the point that “women’s participation in peace efforts is a matter of gender equality and universal human rights.”
The resolution was adopted 13 years after a landmark UN resolution calling for women to be included in decisionmaking positions at every level of peacemaking. It calls for a high-level review of the implementation of that resolution in 2015.
UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka told the council that women must be invited to help mediate and negotiate ceasefires and peace accords to ensure that women’s issues are addressed.
“This resolution puts the onus on all of us — the Security Council, the United Nations, regional organizations and member states — to create the space and provide seats at the table for women,” Mlambo Ngcuka said. “I know for sure that there are women who are adequately trained for these roles.”
She said a report by Ban shows that gains in women’s participation “are neither as consistent nor sustained as they should be.”
This year, three out of 10 peace agreements in UN-supported efforts included provisions for women’s political participation or protection, but seven did not, she said, adding that the number of women at senior levels in UN field missions was also relatively stagnant.
When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a vacation photo on Valentine’s Day and captioned it “Puppy Mountain,” it became a sensation in China and even created a tourist destination. Guo had gone on a hike while visiting his hometown of Yichang in central China’s Hubei Province late last month. When reviewing the photographs, he saw something he had not noticed before: A mountain shaped like a dog’s head rested on the ground next to the Yangtze River, its snout perched at the water’s edge. “It was so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it,” Guo said.
Chinese authorities said they began live-fire exercises in the Gulf of Tonkin on Monday, only days after Vietnam announced a new line marking what it considers its territory in the body of water between the nations. The Chinese Maritime Safety Administration said the exercises would be focused on the Beibu Gulf area, closer to the Chinese side of the Gulf of Tonkin, and would run until tomorrow evening. It gave no further details, but the drills follow an announcement last week by Vietnam establishing a baseline used to calculate the width of its territorial waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. State-run Vietnam News
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