Statement by: Rebecca Bryant, Australia's Deputy Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations
As delivered

Australia thanks the Special Rapporteur for their report and notes that despite positive efforts to include women with disabilities in the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, women and girls with disabilities have not been systematically involved.

Peacebuilding, with women mediators, negotiators and signatories are associated with durable peace. Women and girls with disabilities face specific challenges and offer unique perspectives that are important to peacebuilding processes.

Increased diversity of peace negotiators, including the intentional inclusion of women with disabilities, can strengthen the impacts of peace agreements.

The Special Rapporteur's report highlights that persons with disabilities have successfully catalysed and led peacebuilding programmes. Persons with disabilities have a right to engage, and a critical contribution to make in ensuring a disability perspective in peace processes.

The report recommends using Security Council resolution 2475 as a basis to better mainstream and address the intersectional nature of disability with other personal characteristics, within the women, peace and security, and the youth, peace and security agendas.

Australia asks: what would the successful implementation of this recommendation look like in practice?