YouSaid · the spoken record

Heyzer

lines on the record: 82
first: 2000-10-24
most recent: 2006-10-26
sittings or episodes: 6
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Literally in every conflict we have tried to bring together women across ethnicities and boundaries. What difference does it make? It makes a difference in terms of the issues that it has put onto the peace accords - issues that nobody would want to talk about because of shame, because they could not articulate them, or because there was no representation of them. These are issues of land rights, rape babies, the whole systematic violation of women and redress. There is a whole variety of issues that, unless women were present, would not be put onto the peace table. The same is also true of the participation of women in post-crisis situations.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“Therefore, it is not with the invisible elephant of scepticism but rather in efforts to change our perceptions, enlarge our experiences and immerse ourselves in the reality of the other that we tend to represent in a situation of this nature. We have been very much involved in trying to bring women from all sides together in the peace process. In fact, with regard to the discussion on the Sudan, for many years we have brought together women from the north and south and have supported the work of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). In fact, it was precisely the death of a woman from IGAD that caused many of these issues to be raised, with a lot of pressure from there. The same is true of the Burundi process; the same is true of the Congo process, and of Guatemala. I could go on.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“Ms. Heyzer: All of us have our impressions. The kinds of impressions that we make and the kinds of positions that we take come from our life experiences. The representative of Singapore has the unusual opportunity to come from a place that is relatively secure. So maybe some of these issues appear to be politically correct rather than being something very urgent that needs to be addressed. But I also know that, especially in countries in areas of conflict - and especially when I have been with the women on the ground - these are not politically correct situations. They are life-and-death situations. They are situations that can make a difference. What we decide on here to guide them will really make a difference.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“We, the international community, must support the women and girls who are rebuilding their lives and who have committed their lives to peace and security, for which they have waited too long. I want to leave the Council with the words of Agnes, a 13-year-old girl who had been kidnapped and who was speaking at the global conference on ending violence against women, coordinated by UNIFEM, linking five sites around the world. She said, "I want to go to school. I want to rebuild my life. How can you help me?"”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“For them, it is a matter of life and death. Immediate action is now needed. There cannot be justice without accountability. With few exceptions, those responsible for crimes against women have not been punished and women have not been granted redress. Accountability means being answerable to women for crimes committed against them; it means punishing those responsible and ensuring redress for victims. But accountability alone will not ensure lasting peace. Gender equality and inclusion are fundamental values on which peace- building must be based. Women's leadership in creating and sustaining peace at the community level has proved essential for nation-building.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“Many of them have testified against war criminals who still wield power and influence. They have endured the pain of telling, retelling and reliving their stories, often without privacy or security. More than 60 per cent of these women have HIV/AIDS. Women seeking justice need protection and look to the standards set by the International Criminal Court. They ask for witness protection, for counselling and for security. They ask for legal support. They ask for a separate chamber and for female judges to hear cases of women survivors of sexual violence. And they ask for sanctions against Tribunal staff who do not respect the rights of witnesses. The women of Rwanda know that the Security Council can take practical steps to make a difference. These women have survived genocide, and now they face continued intimidation and physical threats.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“The experts welcome the priority being given to women in the framework of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations. They look to women's peace organizations at the regional level to contribute to such efforts. Many of these peace organizations and networks have been supported by UNIFEM. The eighth concerns disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR). The beneficiaries of DDR programmes must not be limited to male combatants. Female combatants and the wives, widows and other dependents of ex-fighters must be included explicitly. Without gender-focused DDR, women and girls may be left with little choice but to exchange sexual favours for food, shelter, safe passage and other needs. I would like to conclude with a message entrusted to me by the women I met in Rwanda.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“They also recommend that peace operations leverage their support for women by drawing heavily on the strength of operational bodies, such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Population Fund. The sixth concerns codes of conduct. The experts were alarmed at the reports of violations committed by peacekeepers and by United Nations and other humanitarian personnel. They support the Secretary- General's call for zero tolerance for those who commit such crimes, and they recommend stronger investigative and disciplinary mechanisms. The seventh concerns regional organizations. Such organizations play an important role in protecting women and in supporting their participation in peace- building.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“Quotas have brought women into the political process. In the short run, quotas are the only way to ensure the participation of women and therefore a more democratic, representative and sustainable peace. The fifth concerns peace operations. The experts found that a gender perspective - while it is growing and improving, as we have heard - is still not sufficiently incorporated into peace operations. Rather, it is isolated in the form of a single staff person or of a small unit lacking sufficient seniority and resources. Women in a local community often still have little contact with missions nor do they believe that their needs are taken into account. The experts recommend that gender expertise inform all aspects of mission planning and operation. That must begin with the very concept of operation.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“The experts were overwhelmed by the magnitude of violence suffered by women before, during and after conflict. They heard testimony of gang rapes and of wombs punctured by guns. Impunity still prevails for these widespread crimes against women in war. The third concerns HIV/AIDS. Wherever a woman lives with conflict and upheaval, the threat of HIV/AIDS and its effects are multiplied. HIV/AIDS feasts on that deadly alliance. These are precisely the conditions in which peacekeepers can make a difference in promoting awareness and in providing support to local communities. The fourth concerns peace processes. Formal negotiations that exclude half the population from the political process have little hope of popular support or of sustainability. The whole peace process suffers when women are absent.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“In preparation, I wish to share with the Council eight principal findings and recommendations. The first concerns prevention. Information from and about women in conflict situations has not informed preventive action. We all know of the forced exclusion of Afghan women from public spaces and of the risks they took to provide schooling and medical care, and how that came to symbolize the crisis in that country. But indicators of that kind are not monitored or even systematically collected. This is as much a problem of expertise as one of organizational shortcomings. The experts will recommend ways for such information to be collected, analyzed and made available in a way that is politically meaningful. The second concerns protection. The glaring gaps in women's protection must be addressed.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“We hope that, together, these two reports will bridge operational and political actions in support of peace and security. That nexus goes to the heart of our debate today. Humanitarian and human rights concerns do not compromise military and political decision- making; rather, they are intrinsic to it. That is the human security equation. Over the past year, the independent experts, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Elisabeth Rehn, travelled to 14 conflict areas, the majority of them on the Council's agenda. The experts' complete findings and recommendations will be released in October to mark the two-year anniversary of the Council's landmark resolution. Together with the issuance of the Secretary- General's report, a comprehensive agenda for action will be proposed. Today's session lays the groundwork for that occasion.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“Making resolution 1325 (2000) work means making sure that the challenges facing women like these become a regular item on the political agenda, in thematic debates and every time a country situation is addressed. In moving this agenda forward, the Security Council invited the Secretary-General to carry out a study on women, peace and security. To complement that study, and to give women from conflict zones a vehicle for expression, I appointed two independent experts to carry out a global, field-based assessment of the impact of armed conflict on women and of women's role in peace-building. It is crucial that women's voices be heard and that their work on the ground be valued, recognized and supported. After all, it is they who bear the brunt of conflicts, and decisions should be made with them, not for them.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“Ms. Heyzer: First of all, it is an honour to address the members of the Security Council. Thank you very much, Mr. President, for convening this debate on Council resolution 1325 (2000). Two days ago, I returned from Rwanda. As I address the Council today, I am reminded of the women I met and of their achievements against the greatest odds. They won the legal rights to their land and to their inheritance. They adopted orphans and children born of rape. They risked their lives in the pursuit of justice, and they are supporting their families by confronting HIV/AIDS. Those courageous women are, at the same time, reconciling their past and rebuilding their future.”
2002-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4589 (2002) · source
“Graca Machel for a full-scale assessment of the impact of armed conflict on women and of women's role in peace-building. This is long overdue. For our part, as UNIFEM. we stand ready to support this call and any other that the Council deems necessary. We may be small but we are effective, and we can find the resources and the necessary support. Women in conflict situations have special needs and have made important contributions to peace and security. Recognizing and supporting both of these aspects with equal vigour can prevent many lifetimes of untold sorrow and pain.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“Special measures should be taken to protect women and girls from rape and other forms of sexual violence. Fifthly, the Council could ensure that the peace- building elements of an operation are gender-sensitive, particularly in designing the kind of disarmament programmes, in strengthening governance and public security institutions and in defining the role of civilian police. These are the first steps for ensuring that women are central to post-conflict development. Sixthly, the Council could ensure that any support it offers to a peace process, any investigation of disputes or any attempts at settlement make explicit the need to involve women and address the substantive concerns they bring to the table. Finally, the Council could deepen its commitment to women by supporting the study called for by Ms.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“Secondly, the Council could call for all peacekeeping personnel to be trained in their responsibilities to women and children. The in-service training should be provided as soon as a mission is assembled. This is not meant to be a substitute for what needs to be done at the national level. Thirdly, the Council could call for the elaboration of a code of conduct for peacekeeping personnel and the establishment of clear reporting on sexual violence in a peacekeeping environment. This should include enforcement and monitoring mechanisms for peacekeeping personnel, through the creation of an ombudsperson, an inspector general or an office created especially for that purpose. Fourthly, the Council could ensure that field operations protect and support humanitarian assistance for women and girls, especially those who are refugees and displaced.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“Today, I urge the leadership on both sides not to ignore women's roles and contributions in this process. I urge them to build on partnerships where they exist and which women have been able to shape. The outcome of today's debate can go a long way towards sustaining peace. If I may, with the kind of humility that is needed, I will suggest a number of ways in which the Council could improve women's protection in conflict and support their role in peace- building. First, the Council could ensure that human rights observation and verification and peacekeeping operations focus on gender-based violations and women's human rights. The security of women is the best indicator of the security of a nation. Any early warning system must take women's voices into account.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“Barely four months ago I had the privilege of leading an international group to Jerusalem to support a common women's agenda for peace in the Middle East. Far away from the limelight of formal negotiations, Palestinian and Israeli women have been struggling and engaging in dialogue ever since the 1980s, when such contact was illegal. Back in June, they were determined to tackle the thorniest issues. Their ability to make headway on almost all the moot points, including Jerusalem, was fuelled by the sense of urgency they shared about the delays in implementing signed agreements. This was leading, in their View, to a dangerous erosion of public trust in the leadership of both sides and to the potential outbreak of violence. If only their concerns had been heard.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“Unless a country's legal and electoral frameworks deal with gender equality, then no matter what happens after conflict, no matter how peaceful a transition, the entire country will never have a fair chance at development. During the transition to peace, a unique opportunity exists to put in place a gender-responsive framework for a country's development. Nowhere is this more possible than in East Timor. Last week during my visit there, I saw a country struggling to rebuild. I was inspired by the women of East Timor, together with the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, working to improve the form of legislation and to strengthen local capacity to advocate for gender-sensitive laws and policies.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“Civilian police must address the issues of trafficking and sexual violence which are associated with conflict. I name these few examples to show how the Security Council can help ensure that international and regional initiatives not only benefit women but are also strengthened by them. Fifthly, with regard to supporting gender justice in the post-conflict case, resources are depleted after conflicts, infrastructure is destroyed and social, economic and political relationships are strained. The success of development depends on the use of every available resource, including people. Women who have held social and economic fragments together represent the most precious and under-used of these resources.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“There is no acceptable reason for protecting women in some countries and not others. I believe that women's concerns will only be addressed only when women, in significant numbers, are there to represent them. But having a woman commander will not alone ensure that the mandate of the operation deals with gender. Having a woman judge will not ensure that war crimes against women are prosecuted. There is more that we have to do. Gender expertise must inform the planning of these operations from the very beginning. For example, in disarmament, reintegration must be designed to meet the special needs of women combatants, of the girls and women who have been abducted into armed groups or of the families of former soldiers who are trying to return to civilian life. Electoral systems must take women into account, as voters or as candidates.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“Fourthly, with respect to bringing a gender perspective to intergovernmental peace and security efforts, peace support operations establish the framework for international and regional action. Much attention has been given to increasing the number of women in these operations, at the helm and among the ranks. Although a few women have served at the highest levels, I think it is sobering today to point out that of the 61 current Special and Personal Representatives and Envoys of the Secretary-General serving in peace support functions, not a single one is a woman. The placement of gender advisers in Kosovo, East Timor and other countries has presented a new model if they can be adequately supported. But all such arrangements must involve women and provide gender experts in their design and implementation.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“We know that some women participate actively in conflicts, but the vast majority have held their families and communities together. From the grass roots to the peace table, we have supported the participation of women in peace- building. We try to leverage political, financial and technical support so that women can have an impact on peace efforts nationally. Guatemalan women, South African women and others have set inspiring examples of peace-building across class, clans, political affiliation and ethnicity. As you have seen on video, up until four months ago the situation of women and girls had been ignored in the Burundi process. A precedent was set in that country, and the entire peace agreement has benefited. Now, support for implementation remains a challenge.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“These women live each day choked with painful memories of their own torture and of that of their loved ones. They bleed and live with physical and emotional scars and, as if this were not enough, they are also struggling to reclaim their property, their inheritance and their land. In fact, some have also to struggle to retain their children. Protection of and humanitarian assistance for women are glaringly inadequate in the kind of examples that we have seen. We have seen the failure of political settlements to protect women's rights. This is at the very core of this debate. Thirdly, as to supporting women's leadership in peace-building, women caught up in conflicts are activists, caretakers, providers and survivors.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“As a result, every single survivor lost the chance of holding her aggressors accountable and of receiving life-saving support. Understanding the way conflict affects women and girls is crucial to ensuring their protection and to designing the policies and programmes that are necessary. Secondly, with respect to improving protection and assistance for women and girls, in my visits to war-torn countries, I have seen these gaps with painful clarity. I have heard about the unanswered fate of mothers and the thousands of children born of rape. In camps, I discovered that items as basic as sanitary towels were not considered essential humanitarian relief. In conflict after conflict, I have met the mothers of the disappeared. I have walked through valleys of widows - huge communities of women left alone to fend for themselves and their families.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“We need to examine every aspect of the consequences of conflict for women in order to guide future action. Ironically, this has happened for children, but not yet for women, their primary caretakers and among those most affected by conflict. But understanding the impact is simply not enough. We must also act with greater sensitivity. We know without question that unless there is such sensitivity, there will be severe consequences. This was the case in Kosovo last year. Thousands of displaced men, women and children had gathered together in a stadium. With a megaphone, an official made a broadcast announcement for all women who had been raped to report to a particular area. Not a single woman came forward. Not a single woman was prepared to risk the stigma or the potential effect of having identified herself publicly in this way.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“We are a small Fund and our impact is based on synergetic partnership with sister funds, such as the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Children's Fund, as well as with the women's movement. We have shaped our activities for women in conflict situations around five points. These form the core of our agenda for peace and security and relate to specific actions the Council could take to improve the protection of women and support their peace-building efforts. If we are to deal fairly with women and girls in conflict, these must be acted upon with urgency. First, as to understanding the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, no full-scale assessment has yet been undertaken. This must happen.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“The focus on human security and national security makes up the two sides of the same global coin. I would like to put it to the Council that, without international action, women caught in conflicts will have no security of any kind, whatever the definition, and that, without their participation, the peace process itself suffers, for there will be neither justice nor development. In your own words, Mr. President, women are half of every group and community. Are they therefore not half of every form of solution? How can we, in all good conscience, bring warlords to the peace table and not women? For almost 10 years, UNIFEM. has worked to provide assistance to women in crisis and supported their participation in the building of peace. I will not overstate our reach.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“Members heard the voice of Agnes from Uganda, who spoke out because nearly all girls abducted into armed groups are forced into sexual slavery. The vast majority become infected with sexually transmitted diseases and, increasingly, HIV/ AIDS. In addition, women and girls are forced into sex for safe passage, food and other kinds of protection. Women are seldom protected from these threats. Their aggressors are not punished. What kind of message does this send to the people who continue to rape, exploit, torture and mutilate? We are here today to support collective action against the most chilling consequences of this destruction of women. That is the focus of today's debate: women's protection in armed conflict and their participation in peace processes.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“The Council's actions on the themes of conflict in Africa, the protection of civilians, and children and armed conflict set the stage for this debate, but the discussion today on women and peace and security has a very specific focus. We are here today because the intertwining forces of conflict and gender inequality threaten international peace and security. We are here because women continue to be targeted in wars, because rape and sexual violence continue to be used as weapons of war, because the vast majority of all refugees and displaced people are women and children. We are here because women have played a leadership role in the cause of peace, but their efforts have not been recognized, supported or given the kind of reward that is necessary. The subject of today's debate is close to all of our hearts.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“I am honoured to participate in the Council's first debate on women and peace and security, chaired by the Foreign Minister of Namibia. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and women worldwide congratulate the presidency for its vision in convening this historic event. I want to begin by paying the kind of tribute that is necessary to the Secretary-General for his strong message and commitment, and for his presence here today. UNIFEM. shares the views of Ms. King and fully supports her work to mainstream gender in peace support operations. It is significant that this debate should be taking place on the first United Nations Day of this millennium, as many of the issues involved go to the heart of our Charter.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source