UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) — A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called for efforts to protect women in conflict and to promote women's role in peace processes.

Protecting women in armed conflict and promoting their participation in political and peace processes is an important part of the Security Council's women, peace and security agenda. To achieve these goals, the council should stick to the right direction and stay on the right course, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

Women affected by armed conflict are all entitled to security and protection, regardless of whether they are part of the peace process or not. They should be treated equally without exception, he told a Security Council open debate on women, peace and security.

"To protect them requires a comprehensive approach and collective efforts. Parties to conflict should fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law and renounce all violence against women, including sexual violence," he said.

China supports relevant UN organizations in actively carrying out their work in accordance with their respective mandates in this regard. The international community should intensify relief efforts in line with the UN guiding principles for humanitarian assistance and meet the basic living needs of women affected by conflict. Countries with historical responsibilities for hot-spot issues are duty-bound to provide more financial and in-kind support, said Zhang.

He stressed the importance of addressing both the symptoms and root causes of violence and conflict.

In conflict situations, the risks of violence, displacement, poverty and famine often rise exponentially among women. There is a need to be tough on violence against women. Yet nothing can provide more basic protection for women than a holistic approach to conflict prevention and resolution, he said.

Peace and stability can only be restored through dialogue and consultation between parties concerned. Civil society can play a constructive role by advocating a culture of peace. As an important force for peace, women should be given equal opportunities to participate in peace negotiations. All parties should remove undue hindrances and practice gender equality in political processes, he said.

The Security Council bears the primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. It must work harder to eliminate the root causes of conflict, pursue political solutions to hot-spot issues, and unremittingly seek the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue, mediation and consultation, so that all women and girls can enjoy peace and live in tranquility, said Zhang.

He also stressed the need to unswervingly support women's empowerment and development.

Security Council Resolution 1325, as a milestone on women, peace and security, redefines the nexus between women and peace. Supporting women's empowerment and development and amplifying women's initiative, participation and power to change in the field of peace and security can help ensure the steady and far-reaching impact of the women, peace and security agenda, he said.

"We should strive to fill the development gap faced by women in conflict areas, prioritize development in UN's work, and seek early harvest in women-related goals of the 2030 Agenda," said Zhang. "We should effectively protect women's economic and social rights, and guarantee their right to education, because knowledge can change life. We should help more women get employed, emerge from poverty, achieve economic autonomy, thereby creating conditions conducive to their effective participation in peace processes."

As the host country of the Fourth World Conference on Women, China always advocates gender equality and women's empowerment, promotes women's development globally, and follows the women, peace and security agenda with concrete actions, said Zhang.

Over the past three decades, more than 1,000 Chinese women have served in UN peacekeeping operations, making important contributions toward peace. In recent years, China has actively worked with other countries, especially developing ones. China helped developing countries implement 100 maternal and child health projects and train 130,000 female professionals, lending strong support to women's empowerment in these countries. China also partnered with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in setting up a prize for girls' and women's education to galvanize action for this worthy cause, he said.

The Global Development Initiative put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping aims to advance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and global development, which will lend strong impetus to equal rights for women and the global cause of women's development, he said.

"As is often said in China, women hold up half the sky. We are ready to work with the international community to promote women's empowerment and development, support women's role of holding up half the sky in international peace and security, and build a peaceful and beautiful future together," said Zhang.

(Source: Xinhua)