Discurso de la Directora general de la UNESCO, Irina

Discurso de la Directora general de la UNESCO
Irina Bokova
con el motivo de la primera Conferencia Internacional de Diplomacia
Preventiva en el Mediterráneo “Prevención de Conflictos y la Agenda de la
ONU”
Panel “La Agenda de las mujeres, la Paz, la Seguridad en el Mediterráneo”
Alicante, 30 de mayo de 2016
Excelentísimo Señor Don José Manuel García-Margallo, Ministro de Asuntos
Exteriores y de Cooperación,
Excelentísimo Señor Don Ximo Puig, Presidente de la Diputación de Valencia,
Honorable Señor Gabriel Echávarri, Alcalde de Alicante,
D. Miguel Oliveros, director de Casa Mediterráneo,
Señoras y señores,
Doy las gracias a Su Excelencia Don José Manuel García-Margallo por esta iniciativa.
No hay mejor lugar para esta conferencia que la Casa Mediterráneo, en Alicante.
Este inmueble encarna la historia de la diversidad de España y el Mediterráneo.
A unos treinta minutos se encuentra el Palmeral de Elche, inscrito en la Lista del
Patrimonio Mundial, que data del siglo 10, como un ejemplo único de las técnicas
agrícolas árabes en Europa, pero cuyo origen parece remontar a más lejos, a la época
de los fenicios y los romanos.
Alicante es un lugar de diálogo, un lugar para unir fuerzas y encontrar soluciones
comunes a los desafíos que enfrentamos.
DG/2016/089 - Original: Español
El tema de este panel sobre mujeres, paz y seguridad resuena en la misión de la
UNESCO - la búsqueda de maneras de construir una paz duradera, de entender los
factores clave de la sostenibilidad, a través en particular de la igualdad de género, que
es una de nuestras dos prioridades globales.
Hace poco celebramos los 15 años de la Resolución 1325 del Consejo de Seguridad
de las Naciones Unidas, adoptada en el año 2000, que pide una mayor participación
de las mujeres en la prevención, las negociaciones y la construcción de la paz.
Esta visión de un papel más importante para las mujeres fue parte de una reflexión
más amplia encabezada por el Sr. Lakhdar Brahimi en su informe decisivo sobre las
Operaciones de Paz de las Naciones Unidas.
Estos documentos van de la mano como una sola agenda para las operaciones de
paz. Esta agenda debe ser fortalecida hoy, con nuevas herramientas adaptadas para
hacer frente a las necesidades de nuestro tiempo, con el surgimiento de nuevas formas
de conflictos, la crisis prolongada, y el extremismo violento.
Este es el espíritu de la Resolución 2242 adoptada durante la Presidencia española
del Consejo de Seguridad, que busca dar un nuevo impulso a la Resolución 1325.
Quisiera felicitar la España por su liderazgo en la configuración de una red mundial
informal de mujeres que trabajan en la prevención de conflictos, la paz y la seguridad,
incluyendo la acción preventiva para compartir buenas prácticas y controlar el impacto
de la acción de las Naciones Unidas en este contexto.
Este espíritu también guió la creación en 2015 de tres grupos de alto nivel para evaluar
y examinar las Operaciones de Paz, la Consolidación de la Paz, y las Mujeres, la Paz
y la Agenda de Seguridad.
Women are on the frontline of modern conflicts.
We see sexual violence used as a tactic of war, to destroy the fabric of societies over
the very long term.
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We see sexual violence towards women in refugee camps – the places where they are
most vulnerable – and that was among the key issues raised at the recent World
Humanitrarian Summit in Istanbul.
We see U.N. peacekeeping forces – those who have the mandate to rescue and to heal
- perpetrating sexual abuse, betraying their duty to protect.
This calls for a radical change in our tools to uphold women’s rights and enhance their
role in preventive diplomacy and peacebuilding.
I see three levels of action.
It begins with impunity for sexual crimes.
This was at the heart of the two high level conferences UNESCO organized on
International Women’s Day, on Women and Peacekeeping in 2007 and most recently
on Violent Extremism.
The UN Secretary General has appointed Ms Jane Holl Lute as Special Coordinator on
strengthening the United Nations’ response to sexual exploitation and abuse.
The UN High Level Committee on Management has also decided to make this issue a
priority.
Secondly, stronger measures call for better data and a more systematic integration of
Gender analysis into all prevention approaches.
This is the spirit of UNESCO’s cooperation with Koc University in Istanbul, bringing
together researchers to foster women’s empowerment and I am pleased that today,
May 30, marks the official opening of the Koc University UNESCO chair on Gender
Equality.
This spirit guides also our work accross the Mediterranean through the Women and
Media Global Alliance, to study and share information on violence and discrimination
in Egyptian universities for instance, as well as to assess the impact of conflict on
DG/2016/089 - Page 3
women, as we do at the Research and Documentation Centre on Women and Peace
Building in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Thirdly, this calls for more capacity building to ensure the full participation of women in
mediation and negocation processes.
It is not because they are women, or because they would be “naturally” more peaceful,
or wiser than men – it is to ensure that peace agreements are supported and sustained
by nations as a whole.
There is no lasting peace when half of a society is excluded.
It is a gender equality issue. It is a matter of efficiency.
More female peacekeepers are a decisive asset in conflicts where child soldiers and
rape are used weapons of war.
20 years ago, women made up 1% of deployed uniformed personnel.
In 2014, out of 125,000 peacekeepers, 3% of military personnel and 10% of police
personnel were women. Why so little progress?
Evidence shows the positive impact of women in peacekeeping operations – providing
a greater sense of security to women and children, making peacekeepers more
approachable to women.
We have seen the importance of women’s empowerment to foster social dialogue, in
Tunisia for instance, where the role of the Quartet, which received the Nobel Peace
Prize, has been critical in the democratic transition. I wish to commend the Union
tunisienne de l’industrie, du commerce et de l’artisanat, chaired by Ms Ouided
Bouchamaoui in this regard.
This is the goal of UNESCO’s Networks of Mediterranean Youth Project, supported by
the European Union, in 10 countries across the Mediterranean, to nurture civic
engagement, with a focus on women.
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We see growing global attention to this issue, but real difference in the day-to-day lives
of far too many women and girls are slow in coming.
We need to raise awareness on the different roles and perceptions of women and men
in a context of violent extremism and radicalization.
We must identify and support women’s experiences and capacities as agents of
change.
Just a few days ago, from 18 to 20 May 2016, UNESCO co-organized the Global
Women Leaders Forum in Sofia, Bulgaria, which adopted the Sofia declaration, putting
women at the forefront of peacebuilding.
This political will must be translated into effective measures, and I am confident that
this first ever International Conference on Preventive Diplomacy in the Mediterranean
will bring together all the forces we need to make this commitment a reality for all men
and women.
Thank you.
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