President,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the MIKTA countries – Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, the Republic of Korea, and Australia.

Gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls are priorities for MIKTA. This prioritisation calls for the full and effective implementation of the women, peace, and security agenda. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights, safety and dignity of women and girls are goals in themselves, and essential for the achievement of sustainable peace.

Recent events in Afghanistan highlighted the critical importance of the WPS agenda. Delivering life-saving and empowering outcomes for peace and security is a collective endeavour for governments, civil society, women's rights organizations and women peacebuilders. We must ensure that all women and girls, in all conflicts and crises, are party to resolution efforts, have their basic needs met and recourse to justice where their rights are violated, and continue to access essential services, such as quality education, employment and health care, including sexual and reproductive health services and mental and psychosocial support.

The full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace processes, including at all levels of decision-making and leadership, is central to our National Action Plans and policies. Mainstreaming gender equality and gender analysis, as acknowledged in our National Action Plans and policies and the Security Council's WPS resolutions, is also essential.

We will be successful in implementing the WPS agenda if we address the root causes of gender inequality and promote and defend the human rights of women and girls. We recognise that the violence inflicted on all women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence, reprisals, harmful practices and trafficking, is particularly pernicious and thus a priority for action. A survivor-centred approach is key to restoring safety and dignity, ensuring access to justice and accountability, and ending impunity.

MIKTA appreciates this year's Secretary-General's report on women and peace and security. COVID-19 has disproportionately negatively impacted the lives of women and girls, especially in conflict-affected States. COVID-19 has also highlighted the continued exclusion of women from decision-making processes and leadership, as well as greater rates of violence. As a matter of human rights, and for international peace and security, the Secretary-General rightly stresses the significance of women's participation and leadership in peace processes, peace operations, political transitions and the security sector, as well as gender provisions in ceasefires and peace agreements.

In this regard, “investing in women in peacekeeping and peacebuilding”, the theme of this year's Debate, is timely. MIKTA strongly supports the meaningful engagement and leadership of women of all backgrounds in all aspects of peace processes. This includes, for example, investments in the Elsie Initiative Fund, deployment of women to UN peace operations, efforts to increase women's representation in the security sector, support to grassroots networks of women peacemakers, and support for the Secretary-General's Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy, as clearly reflected in the Resolution 2538 (2020).

Women and girls everywhere have the right to lives of safety, security, and dignity. MIKTA recommits to promoting and protecting the human rights of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict situations. We will meet our obligations under the WPS agenda.

We look forward to working with other Member States as we progress our common goal of achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, for international peace and security, and sustainable development.

We extend our appreciation to Kenya for convening today's Security Council Open Debate on WPS.

Thank you.

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