Viet Nam and United Nations convenes global conference to accelerate action on global commitments on women, peace and security

(New York, Ha Noi, 7 December 2020) – As part of the continuing commemoration of 25 years of the Beijing Platform for Action on Women’s Empowerment and the 20^th anniversary of landmark UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, high-level dignitaries, diplomats, political leaders, women's organizations and peacebuilding practitioners from around the world unite in a global event. 

Viet Nam, a non-permanent UN Security Council member (2020 – 2021), will host a International Conference on Women, Peace and Security entitled Strengthening Women’s Role in Building and Sustaining Peace: from Commitments to Results on 7-9 December 2020. The conference is organized by the Government of Viet Nam in partnership with the United Nations, led by UN Women and UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Viet Nam and supporting Member States.

Viet Nam’s leadership in drafting UN Security Council resolution 1889 (2009) calling for mainstreaming gender perspectives in all decision-making processes, especially in the early stages of recovery and peacebuilding, has been a critical foundation for furthering support women participation in peacebuilding on the ground. Women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and rights must be put at the core of all approaches to conflict prevention, resolution, and post-conflict recovery efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and impacted the work of women peacebuilding practitioners, who have been taking on new roles to safeguard peacebuilding gains and contribute to longer-term post-pandemic recovery.

The conference will reinforce the key messages of the report of the UN Secretary-General to the UN Security Council during annual Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security on 29 October 2020, which commemorated the 20^th anniversary of its landmark resolution 1325. The report provides a review of the progress of the last20 years of implementation of the women, peace and security agenda and outlines five goals to realize inclusive and sustainable peace in the next decade. These five goals will provide a key feature for the discussions during the conference, which seeks to contribute to creating a clear pathway forward in furthering implementation of the women, peace and security agenda.