GOVPH

Keynote Address by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo for the International Conference on Women, Peace, And Security

PICC, Manila, 28 October 2024

First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos

United Nations Deputy-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed

Fellow members of Cabinet

Excellencies

Distinguished delegates

Esteemed co-organizers of this conference,

Participants from UN agencies, civil society, and the academe,

Ladies and gentlemen, 

The Filipino nation has long recognized women and men as equal partners in nation-building. Philippine pre-colonial societies were gender-equal. Our languages, which are not gendered, are a living thread of this.

To the Philippines, women in peace and security is not a new idea, but an affirmative extension of long-held values of our people.  Our history bears witness to women who have possessed the strength to bear the responsibilities of resolving conflicts, building peace and governing for sustainable peace.

It is an honor for the Philippines to gather delegates from over 80 countries in this International Conference on Women, Peace and Security. 

As we are proud to share our rich tradition with fellow nations, we are equally eager to listen, and learn from, the depth and diversity of experience and perspectives that you all bring to this Conference.

Together, we profess in this Conference an unrelenting faith in women’s integral role in building lasting peace, across nations, across regions and across generations.

In solidarity, and with the wealth of experience and ideas we each bring to this Conference, we can collectively drive the Women, Peace, and Security agenda forward.

Momentum is working for us.  Following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, 108 UN Member States have adopted a 1325 National Action Plan. Thirteen (13) regions and sub-regional organizations have launched plans and strategies.

And while this demonstrates a growing body of accomplishments for the 1325 agenda in many corners of the world, there are headwinds confronting us.  

In his 2024 report on Women, Peace, and Security, the UN Secretary-General paints a stark picture of the regressions in women’s rights due to global conflict, escalating violence, and a growing backlash against gender equality. He warns that advances made in recent decades hang in the balance, and generational gains are now at risk of being undone.[1]

Women and girls live in harrowing conditions in conflict zones. They are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence, restricted from accessing critical services, and often denied participation in decision-making processes. In 2023, 50% more cases of conflict-related sexual violence were reported, while the number of women and girls affected by grave violations in armed conflicts increased by 35%. Even as I speak, conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan add a greater sense of urgency to implementing the Women Peace and Security agenda effectively.

These figures remind us this global agenda is profoundly relevant, but it is under stress.  These figures call for reinforcing this agenda and making it a reality on the ground, in times of peace and conflict and in the transition towards peace.

We must uphold women as agents of change and leaders in shaping conditions for lasting peace. Their under-representation in peace processes does not do justice to this. Data collected by UN Women in 2023 shows that, on average, women comprised only 9.6% of negotiators, 13.7% of mediators, and 26.6% of signatories to peace agreements globally.[2] These figures are far too low.

We must do more. It is possible. And necessary, in light of evidence that when women are involved in peace processes, agreements are more likely to be reached, implemented, and sustained.

Climate Security and Gender Equality

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Beyond conflict, women around the globe face compounded challenges arising from climate change, economic vulnerability, and rising militarization. That there is a significant relationship between climate security and gender equality is more apparent. Environmental changes often impact women in conflict-regions more severely.

The Philippines is deeply aware of these realities, having seen how disasters can heighten vulnerabilities for women, especially most recently with the typhoons that hit the Philippines. In many conflict zones, women bear a larger share of the burden when it comes to food insecurity, displacement, and resource shortages.

Yet, their resilience and leadership are critical in overcoming these challenges.  We must shift approaches, seeing women – not as victims to assist -- but as agents of resilience, sources of rooted and robust solutions, and stewards of lasting peace.

At the 2024 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction that the Philippines hosted just two weeks ago, it was acknowledged that advancing climate security and empowering women are mutually reinforcing goals that must be prioritized in our peace and security strategies.

Financing the Future of WPS

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Financing provides the lifeline for all efforts to advance the Women, Peace, and Security agenda worldwide. Despite international commitments, financial support for women’s organizations and gender equality initiatives remains insufficient, particularly in conflict-affected regions. In 2021–2022, only 5% of bilateral aid to conflict zones was dedicated to gender equality as a principal objective, far below the UN’s target of 15%.[3]

Innovative financing mechanisms can bridge this gap and support the successful implementation of National Action Plans in over 100 countries.

For the Philippines, it has been clear that financing gender-responsive peacebuilding efforts is critical to the success of peace and development programs. Our Fourth National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security focuses on financing strategies.

Ultimately, resourcing plans are key to sustaining gains, localizing initiatives and fostering a vibrant environment for communities of private and public partners to collaborate on the WPS agenda, including through regional and global platforms.   

Global Leadership and the Path Forward

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of UNSCR 1325 next year, this conference offers a platform to reflect on the future direction of the WPS agenda.

Over the past two decades, this agenda has thrived and triumphed in many places, in diverse cultural contexts, in circumstances of peace and conflict. In this Conference, we will hear and applaud these stories. 

Having taken root in our collective consciousness, it must flourish and prevail now, most especially in the settings of uncertainty, peril and conflict in parts of our world.

In this Conference, we will share visions and directions on how to turn difficulties into possibilities, challenge into opportunity, barriers into bridges.

This Conference is an invitation to meaningful conversations towards forging stronger partnerships and renewing our sense of common purpose.  

The Philippines is deeply honored that you all have accepted our invitation to join us and work together in unlocking the power of present and future generations of girls and women worldwide in creating just and peaceful societies.

Thank you, and Mabuhay!

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[1] Paragraphs 2 and 3 of doc. S/2024/671 "Report of the UN Secretary General on Women, Peace, and Security"

[2] Paragraph 22 of doc. S/2024/671 "Report of the UN Secretary General on Women, Peace, and Security"

[3] Paragraph 8 of doc. S/2024/671 "Report of the UN Secretary General on Women, Peace, and Security"