Statement by the delegation of Ukraine at the open debate of the Security Council on Women in Peacekeeping
As prepared. Check against delivery
Mdm. President,
I am pleased to join representatives of states with an outstanding peacekeeping record in expressing our sincere gratitude to you for organizing today’s important debate and for your personal dedication and support of the United Nations peacekeeping.
I would like also to echo previous speakers in wishing you every success during the German Presidency in the Security Council in the month of April.
As I am about to deliver a statement in my national capacity, I would also like to highlight that Ukraine aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union.
Mdm. President,
As we are approaching the 75th anniversary of the UN next year, we have to be honest with ourselves and our peoples: we all know very well the list of missed opportunities and the scope of unimplemented potential of this Organization. This is a luxury the world cannot really afford as year after year it continues to face a growing number of challenges to international peace and security, including those, which gave rise to the very emergence of this Organization — interstate conflicts and military aggression.
At the same time, it is also clear that the UN can be and on many occasions has been efficient in terms of safeguarding international peace and security. It has in its disposal peacekeeping operations — a reliable and commonly used instrument for curbing and preventing conflicts, ensuring sustaining peace.
Therefore, Mdm. President, we strongly support comprehensive and decisive actions aimed at improvement of the UN peacekeeping pillar’s efficiency, thus giving our Organization appropriate abilities to address contemporary challenges in the peace and security area.
It is true also that in order to secure peace and stability, our Organization must be proactive and preventive in its actions. We welcome and fully support the efforts of the Secretary-General to implement a robust UN reform aimed at strengthening its peace and security architecture. My delegation fully supported A4 P initiative at the High-level event organized by the Secretary-General on Action for Peacekeeping in September 2018.
We believe that gender parity has to remain an integral part of such action. In this regard we would like to express our gratitude and satisfaction with the information provided by the Secretary-General on practical steps taken to implement gender parity strategy for uniformed personnel in peace operations.
Mdm. President,
My country has always been a strong and reliable partner of the Organization in peacekeeping activities. Ukrainian peacekeepers, both women and men, became a part of the number of success stories in UN PKOs. The Mission in Liberia is among the latest, where the Ukrainian contingent equipped with attack and military-transport helicopters took active part from the beginning.
I should underline that Ukraine is also incorporating gender parity positive changes in developing legislation, planning and budgeting as well as integrating the subject of women, peace and security in the on-going security and defense sector reform.
The numbers speak for themselves. Over the course of last five years the number of female servicemen reached the mark of 10,6 %, which is about 25 thousand. As of today, there are about 70 women in the rank of colonel serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
With the entry into force of the Law on Gender Equality Between Men and Women During Military Service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Other Military Formations last October, women have the opportunity to enter into contract for military service and to enjoy equal access to military ranks, positions and equal responsibility during service.
Moreover, the Revised National Action Plan for implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 “Women, Peace, Security” includes important provisions, aimed at increasing women’s participation in peacebuilding processes and peacekeeping operations, conducting a gender assessment and providing gender-responsive services to people affected by conflict, ensuring human rights and protection of women’s rights.
I am sure that as a result of such reforms we will see more women from Ukraine in the UN PKOs.
Mdm. President,
Nowadays, the Ukrainian women have contributed much to the peace operations in different hotspots. But they do even more to protect their own land from the foreign aggression, including by serving in the Joint Forces Operation in the Ukrainian Donbas.
It is very symbolic that Ukraine, exactly like Ukrainian peacekeepers, has made its best for upholding international peace and security by participating in the UN PKOs. Now we expect the UN and its PKOs to do the same by putting an end to Ukraine’s people suffering in the conflict unleashed against my country.
I’d like to recall the statement of my President delivered at the mentioned A4 P high-level event that a multinational peacekeeping force under UNSC mandate, if deployed, could become a decisive factor in bringing peace to Ukraine.
Today we would like to see the United Nations’ peacekeeping potential be put to use for resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Ukraine, on its part, as a peace-loving nation will continue to be an active participant of the UN PKO endeavor, including by widening the geography of its presence in operations around the world.