YouSaid · the spoken record

Jovel Polanco

lines on the record
22
first
2017-10-27
most recent
2019-10-29
sittings or episodes
3
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

  1. “We believe that the Organization must go back to its original purpose: the defence of human beings and their dignity, as this represents the bedrock of fundamental rights. In recent years the Organization has given less importance to those values, focusing on other issues that not only divide but also polarize our societies. This has also included attempts to impose initiatives that run counter to our own legislative frameworks.”

    2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649Resumption1 (2019) · source

  2. “In that context, my delegation prioritizes the full involvement of women in participatory processes at all levels, taking into account the fact that women play a Vital role in the promotion ofjustice and reconciliation and in providing support for disarmament and social reintegration processes. On this nineteenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), Guatemala stresses that efforts must be redoubled to continue to achieve concrete results in the implementation of the commitments of the global agenda. This will make it possible for States and the United Nations jointly to work to ensure the full participation of women in peace processes. I urge the Council to continue deploying efforts on an inclusive agenda that will allow us to strengthen our role as promoters of peace.”

    2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649Resumption1 (2019) · source

  3. “To that end, we need to recognize that as women we are agents of Change. We are aware that the challenge of sustaining peace requires the creation of strategic alliances among the United Nations, Governments and civil society in order to complement efforts to strengthen the role of women in decision-making processes. Experience has shown that women working in missions on the ground have been able to transform their environment. The State of Guatemala recognizes that all human beings are free and equal in dignity and in rights. Men and women have equal opportunities and responsibilities.”

    2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649Resumption1 (2019) · source

  4. “At the international level, we have participated in various meetings and forums at which the Women, Peace and Security National Focal Points Network has been very successful. The leadership and participation of women in conflict prevention and resolution is crucial. All countries must take steps to boost the representation of women at all decision-making levels in the various relevant institutions and mechanisms. We have seen first-hand that discrimination against women represents a stumbling block for our development. Gender equality is a fundamental right and means providing opportunities for both women and men in order to ensure their full human potential and true sustainable development. The Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.”

    2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649Resumption1 (2019) · source

  5. “Guatemala has its own national action plan for the implementation of the resolution - PAN 1325 - which was developed with the participation of all Government institutions representing the rights of women. We are now in the second year of implementing PAN 1325. We can say with satisfaction that we have contributed to strengthening national legislation, women's mechanisms and institutional initiatives that generated internal change in public administration. An initial report on progress made during the year 2018 was therefore drafted, which identifies key results from more than 80 training processes on women's issues. Guatemala is currently drafting the report for 2019, which will be issued in 2020.”

    2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649Resumption1 (2019) · source

  6. “In that regard, we have worked towards the implementation of mechanisms, programmes and plans for the advancement of women, including our policy agenda for the period 2017 to 2026, which are in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We have in place coordination advisory entities that guarantee public policies integral to the promotion of development for Guatemalan women and the development of a culture of democracy, one that is a product of women's demands, based on the commitment undertaken by the country by virtue of the adoption and ratification of international instruments. My delegation wishes to reiterate that the proper implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) requires the unwavering willingness of all the relevant bodies in all States.”

    2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649Resumption1 (2019) · source

  7. “Almost 20 years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), it is important that every Member of the Organization evaluate the actions they will continue to take so as to further the implementation of such an important resolution. We must review and identify the ongoing gaps in order to improve and achieve the commitments we have undertaken, nationally, regionally and internationally. After signing the 1996 Guatemalan Peace Accords, Guatemala acquired a series of commitments under the global agenda for the human rights of women - 28 concrete commitments for advancing the rights of women, who constitute 51.5 per cent of our country's population.”

    2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649Resumption1 (2019) · source

  8. “It is regrettable that, in this day and age, women continue to be denigrated simply for being women, especially in the media. One could agree or disagree with certain policies, but it is unacceptable for women to continue to be vilified based on their physical appearance, their beliefs, their wardrobe or their personality. I call upon the United Nations to seriously and resoundingly emphasize the human rights of women to put an end to actions of that nature, which incite violence. We are concerned that we continue to see inequality, double standards and social injustices even in the twenty-first century, largely because of the erroneous interpretation of the freedom of thought.”

    2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649Resumption1 (2019) · source

  9. “Undoubtedly, being the leader of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala demonstrates Guatemala's increasing commitment on this issue. Over the years, we have seen that the significant participation of women quantifiably strengthens protection efforts, accelerates economic recovery and deepens the consolidation efforts for peace and sustainability. That is why every year the Council has been charting a path towards reducing vulnerability among women and girls under the framework of the key resolution 1325 (2000) and its subsequent resolutions. This clearly demonstrates once again that there can be no lasting peace without including women and girls, and today's valuable debate aims to ensure the full implementation of the agenda for peace and security.”

    2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649Resumption1 (2019) · source

  10. “Ms. Jovel Polanco (Guatemala) (spoke in Spanish): First, I would like to congratulate the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa for convening this important debate and for the concept note prepared for this meeting (8/2019/801, annex). It was a great honour for me to have visited Pretoria last week for the opening of the Guatemalan Embassy in that beautiful country. I thank the Secretary-General and the Executive Director of UN-Women for their introductory words. I would also like to thank the African Union Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security and the representatives of civil society. As the second woman to serve as Foreign Minister in the history of the Republic of Guatemala, it is an honour to address the members of the Security Council on this subject.”

    2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649Resumption1 (2019) · source

  11. “We are at a critical juncture where it is the responsibility of every world leader to conserve ecosystems, as we are not only talking about sustainable development but also maintaining international peace and security for future generations. We are therefore all called upon not only to support the decisions adopted in important forums, such as the Security Council and the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, but also to implement their basic agreements.”

    2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source

  12. “However, due to its location and geographic circumstances, Guatemala is highly vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change, despite being one of the countries that emits the least amount of greenhouse gases. Those conditions endanger and limit development owing to the loss of infrastructure, the increase in food insecurity, the reduction in the availability and quality of water, the transmission of disease and soil degradation. Climate change also leads to forced migration whereby the populations of our countries are forced to seek better living conditions, which makes the issue all the more relevant. As such, it requires comprehensive solutions that take into account the migration cycle.”

    2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source

  13. “Similarly, we have strengthened the office of the national coordinator for disaster reduction, which is the institution in charge of carrying out inter-institutional coordination immediately and efficiently. We have establishedanationalroundtable fordialogue onnational climate change and its environmental impact, whose work focuses on reversing environmental degradation indicators. We are also increasing investment in reforestation and the restoration of forests, given that 33 per cent of our territory is protected, 70 per cent of our energy matrix comes from renewable energy and the country's agricultural profile is in forestry.”

    2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source

  14. “Those all showed the unequivocal level of exposure and vulnerability to which my country, as well as the region, was subjected, which resulted in the irreparable loss of lives and the consequent negative impact on the economy and development opportunities. As a result, my country has identified and defined strategic actions for the recovery, conservation and sustainable management of natural resources, as well as adaptation and mitigation of climate change. Those include strengthening our institutions and national legislation. To that end, we have a law, a policy and an action plan on climate change. Moreover, territorial planning is linked to development planning and gives special attention to rural areas, risk reduction and orderly urban growth.”

    2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source

  15. “It must also be taken into account that countries like my own are more vulnerable, where people's living conditions have worsened, especially those living poverty and extreme poverty, not only because of the lack of institutional resources to have a rapid response system to mitigate damage and adapt to new conditions, but because of human displacement and the sad vicissitudes that afflict the victims of those anthropogenic events. We suffered the ravages caused by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, Hurricane Stan in 2005, Tropical Storm Agatha in 2010 and droughts in 2008 and 2009, 2014 and 2015, among other events.”

    2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source

  16. “Indeed, this Organization was created to maintain international peace and security, which is why Guatemala believes that the United Nations owes it to its Member States to respond in their best interest, without selectivity or vested interests and in respect of their sovereignty. Over the past 20 years, Guatemala has been one of the countries that has been most affected by greenhouse gases, and we are therefore aware of the serious reality of climate change. That is why we must not ignore the impacts of natural phenomena, especially if they are caused by climate change, with a view to making more effective and efficient decisions to prevent them.”

    2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source

  17. “Ms. Jovel Polanco (Guatemala) (spoke in Spanish): Guatemala congratulates the Dominican Republic on its election to the Security Council, which is a historic event of great consequence when we recall that, as a founding member of our Organization, this is the first time it forms part of the Security Council, and it is doing so as the President. The region's leadership is therefore strengthened by the Dominican Republic creating space for critical dialogue on climate change and its implications for international security and the vulnerability of developing nations to the negative effects of that phenomenon. I thank the briefers, who provided us with a broader view of the scope of climate change and its impact on issues such as migration, conflicts and international security overall.”

    2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source

  18. “Another important aspect is the role that women play in peacekeeping operations. Guatemala participates by deploying contingents in areas of armed conflicts, and therefore acknowledges the contribution of resolution 1325 (2000) in laying the foundations to incorporate a gender perspective into field missions. Finally, my delegation believes it is necessary that joint efforts continue among States and the United Nations to support measures that increase the participation of women in peace processes, including in the contexts of peacekeeping and peace consolidation at all levels. Nowadays, inclusive processes should be the rule, not the exception.”

    2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source

  19. “Together with the other seven resolutions that have been adopted by the Security Council on women and peace, they constitute powerful tools for the full exercise of women's rights, their access to justice and their equal participation in all decision-making, both in conflict and post-conflict situations and peaceful scenarios, which has led to substantive changes for consolidating the rule of law. National action plans for implementing resolution 1325 (2000) constitute a powerful tool for advancing women's rights. In order to initiate, monitor and comply with international commitments for the search of international peace and security in gender issues, Guatemala has had a national action plan in place since July, which is one more achievement for the country in protecting the rights of women in conflict and post- conflict situations.”

    2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source

  20. “We cannot allow it to be used to generate income through trafficking and sexual slavery, much less allow women and girls to be used as objects. We therefore strongly condemn all of those heinous acts, because, apart from constituting a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law, it is a denial of human dignity. For that reason, we believe that it is of paramount importance to make progress in the fight against impunity, improve women's access to justice and strengthen the institutions of the justice system in the light ofthose atrocious crimes, both at the national and international levels. Resolution 1325 (2000) has brought about important changes in the world, which has allowed us to recognize that the equality and empowerment of women and girls are critical for international peace and security.”

    2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source

  21. “All of that is based on the core premise of resolution 1325 (2000), which once again convinces us that, without security for women and girls, we cannot achieve lasting peace. Today, through this debate, we are providing added value to ensure the full implementation of the women and peace and security agenda. Guatemala fully supports the importance that the Secretary-General assigns to conflict prevention and early warning, which is the stage to which we must pay particular attention in order to prevent human rights violations of the most vulnerable - women, girls, children and adolescents. Ofparticular concern is the fact that sexual violence continues to be used as an instrument of war to terrorize populations.”

    2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source

  22. “Ms. Jovel Polanco (Guatemala) (spoke in Spanish): It is a privilege to participate as Minister for Foreign Affairs in today's debate on such an important topic, and it is a happy coincidence that I am here today. I am the second woman to have been Minister for Foreign Affairs in the history of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which illustrates how things are changing in Guatemala. In recent years, we have seen that the significant participation of women quantifiably strengthens protection efforts, accelerates economic recovery, furthers peacebuilding efforts and leads to sustainable peace. That is why, every year, the Security Council continues to pave the way for reducing the vulnerability of women and girls.”

    2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source