Statement by H.E. Ambassador Claudia Blum
Permanent Representative of Colombia
Open Debate of the Security Council
on Women and Peace and Security
New York, 26 October 2006
Mr. President,
Allow me to congratulate you on your work as President
of the Security Council this October. I also wish to celebrate the fact
that Japan has decided to hold this open debate a few days before 31
October, when it will be six years since the approval by the Security
Council, of resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
We are thankful for the presentation of the Report, by
Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender
Issues and Advancement of Women
In this report, it is possible to see the progress in
the application of the Plan of Action for the application of resolution
1325 throughout the entire United Nations system and the difficulties
that have been detected. Among them, those relative to the analysis
of gender problems and the incorporation of a gender perspective in
the Organization. The commitment to agree to and coordinate actions
within the United Nations system, and with Member States, is essential
to achieving the goals of resolution 1325.
The resolution has Colombia's determined support, as
one of the countries that promoted it and as a member of the Group of
Friends that drives its application and dissemination. In 2004, Colombia
presented a report to the Secretary-General on the progress made in
its implementation.
Mr. President,
Aware that the main responsibility in the application
of the resolution falls on Member States, Colombia has moved ahead with
its implementation judicially and through special programs, which have
had the support and cooperation of the UN system. UNIFEM has been an
important ally since the Peace and Security Program was created in Colombia
in 2003.
Colombia, likewise, has issued laws to protect, favor
and promote the participation of women. Our legislation favors women
heads of household and guarantees women a minimum of 30% of public posts
at the decision-making levels in the different branches and organs of
public administration, which has had an incremental effect in their
participation.
The dissemination and promotion of resolution 1325 has
been a constant priority in the coordinated work of the Presidential
Advisory Office for the Equality of Women and the Ministry of Foreign
Relations.
My country participated actively in the "First Training
Course on Gender, Conflict and Construction of Peace: Andean Region",
which was held in Lima in October 2005, under the auspice of "Women
Waging Peace". A month later a similar event was held in Bogotá,
with a wide participation of the public sector, representatives from
civil society and academia, with the intention of spreading the reach
of resolution 1325, and highlighting those elements that allow the integration
of a gender perspective into the programs, projects and activities aimed
at building peace.
Mr. President,
The Democratic Security Policy applied in Colombia is
based on a comprehensive vision that involves not only the security
aspect but also the components of social equity and human development.
Within this framework, Colombia has a Social Reactivation
Policy that seeks, among other things, greater gender equity. To this
end, it has seven tools: educational revolution; social protection;
driving of a solidary economy; social management of the countryside;
social management of public services; democratization of property; and
urban quality of life. Each one of these tools has a follow-up mechanism.
Resulting from a law approved by the Congress, an Observatory for Gender
Issues, responsible for incorporating a gender perspective to the analysis
of the results achieved in the mentioned areas, was created inside the
Presidential Advisory Office for the Equality of Women.
For the implementation of resolution 1325, the National
Development Plan, in the Chapter on Social Equity, contains the mandate
to carry out a policy in favor of women, under cross-cutting gender
criteria coordinated by the Presidential Advisory Office for the Equality
of Women.
The Advisory Office, the guiding entity of governmental
policies in this area, has outlined the "Women Builders of Peace
and Development" policy, which became the starting point from which
to articulate objectives, strategies and actions to achieve the elimination
of all forms of discrimination against women.
The Advisory Office equally promoted the reaching of
a National Agreement for Equity between Women and Men. This agreement
has a special meaning in the implementation of resolution 1325, as not
only does it advance the incorporation of a gender perspective into
public policies, but it strengthens the participation of women in equality
of conditions with men, in all areas of society.
The Government of Colombia is firmly committed to the
achievement of the goals of women, the promotion and protection of their
rights, and to driving their full participation in public life. One
of the goals for the 2006-2010 period is the inclusion of a gender perspective
in the foreign policy and international cooperation agenda, with an
emphasis on social development issues.
Mr. President,
Since the year 2002, my Government, through the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and the Presidential Advisory Office for the Equality
of Women, has been coordinating efforts for the implementation of resolution
1325. Among the initiatives is the creation of a Table on Women, Peace
and Security. Finally, a common Agenda was adopted around the issue
of women and their inclusion into the main actions for peace in Colombia.
I would like to emphasize that for the Government of
Colombia, building and maintaining peace is not limited to reaching
peace accords with illegal armed groups. The Government has always had
as an objective the need to maintain and strengthen peace through social,
economic and political reforms, in order to achieve greater rates of
economic growth and job generation. This leads to greater access opportunities
to education, health and social security. We are convinced this is the
only way to build societies that are more just and democratic, and give
women the place they deserve as a factor of development and social equity.
Thank you, Mr. President.
