1. Peru welcomes the present Japanese initiative that gives us the opportunity to consider different national perspectives on the current challenges facing the international community. This in a context of reform of the United Nations Organization that can make an important difference for the Member States.
2. We also thank the Secretary General for his presentation on this important topic.
3. It is broadly accepted that new challenges have been added to the traditional threats to international peace and security; challenges of increasingly complex global scope that affect the security of our citizens, erode the social fabric, undermine and delegitimize institutionalism, and exacerbate conflict.
4. Challenges like the impact of climate change, which lately has been frequently felt in different parts of the world, in the generation of natural disasters, as well as in the scarcity of essential resources, such as water; these challenges carry the potential to generate conflicts and subsequent humanitarian crises. These new challenges appeared due to different factors, such as migration, food insecurity and overpopulation in certain territories.
5. Another new challenge is the transnational organized crime, in its many facets: the illicit trafficking of arms, drugs and cultural goods; illegal mining and logging; trafficking in persons; cyber-attacks, among other crimes, many of them linked to terrorist groups.
6. In that context, there is no other solution than to strengthen our commitment to multilateralism, and to rethink the best ways to face these new threats.
7. Addressing the traditional causes of violence required a broad consensus on the need to sustain peace in economic growth, respect for human rights, the rule of law, access to justice, and policies addressing social inclusion and reconciliation. And we are aware of the constant need to prevent the resilience of conflict in innovative ways.
8. It is clear that the action to be taken against these threats should not be one of denial instead we should adopt a new approach, a multidimensional, participatory, cooperative and integrated one, that identifies them, explores their influence in a given conflict and attacks them from different fronts, the Security Council being a fundamental one.
9. We support in this regard the reforms that Secretary General António Guterres has been promoting with a view to having a more coherent, effective, efficient and coordinated Organization that responds flexibly to the security and development needs of the States.
10. Reforms that promote prevention as a central element, which is a primary responsibility determined by the Charter of the Organization, based on adequate tools to generate timely action. But this must be complemented by coordination among the various agencies and programs throughout the system to make the organization's response more efficient, and with cooperation aimed at strengthening greater capacities and a solid institutional structure of the States.
11. I conclude, Mister President, by noting that Peru will assign a high priority to the due attention to these challenges in its next capacity as a non-permanent member of the Security Council during the 2018-2019 biennium.
Thank you.
Mr. President,
• I would like to thank you for convening a new open debate on "Trafficking in people in conflict settings," which gives us the opportunity to keep this issue alive on the agenda of this Council and continue to share perspectives and experiences to combat this terrible crime that is empowered by situations where the vulnerability of people becomes more acute.
• I would also like to thank the Secretary General for his presentation and his report that despite the advances and commitment in the fight against trafficking, it shows that there are still many challenges to face and efforts to redouble.
• We also appreciate the clear presentations by Mr. Yuri Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), of Ms. Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and Mrs. Roseline Eguabor, Cultural Mediator of the International Organization of Migration.
Mr. President,
• Human trafficking is a phenomenon as complex as the horrors that it generates, in which the individual, besides being coerced in his freedom, is deprived of his humanity: exploited as a commodity in prostitution networks, carrying out forced labor or being a victim of the sale of his organs sold to the highest bidder.
• That is why we welcome the unanimous adoption of a new resolution to respond in a more effective, efficient, coherent and coordinated manner, in accordance with the Palermo Convention and its protocols, to this problem. In this regard, we would like to highlight some elements of this new collective effort that we consider of crucial importance.
• First, the increasingly clear and complex links between transnational organized crime, and terrorism. Indeed, terrorist groups benefit from the lucrative transnational crimes, including trafficking in persons, and use them to reinforce their power and control over individuals who are vulnerable, and these are aggravated in conflict settings.
• Second, the almost intrinsic relationship between human trafficking and the trafficking of migrants; crimes that should not be confused under any circumstance with the natural migratory processes. In search of better opportunities or fleeing from humanitarian emergencies, migrants and refugees are usually easy targets of the networks of traffickers who take advantage of this vulnerability, which is, in certain circumstances, made stronger by the lack of institutional capacities.
• Third, the adoption of a necessary differentiated approach that takes into account the specifics of the circumstances of which women and children are victims. From the identification of vulnerabilities with a view to prevention, to the assistance to the victims. Particularly, the gender perspective must be adopted from the conception to the application of the law.
Mr. President,
• Peru, respectful of Human Rights and fundamental freedoms, considers it imperative to fight against human trafficking from a complete, comprehensive and coordinated strategy that takes into account the previously mentioned elements.
• Indeed, our National Plan against Trafficking in Persons 2017-2021, the result of a process of reflection and inclusive elaboration, adopts various approaches and levels of analysis and implementation with a view to efficiently respond to this crime.
• Among others, our Plan takes into account the social, structural and institutional factors that exacerbate the vulnerability of individuals, such as insecurity, violence and the weak institutional structure of the state.
• However, due to the transnational nature of the crime, we consider essential the firm action of the international community, which actively promotes international cooperation both regionally and internationally. In this regard, we wish to emphasize the special leadership of the United Nations, in particular through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Mr. President,
• In reaffirming Peru's strong condemnation of trafficking in persons in conflict settings, and in any other circumstance, know that you may count with the strong support of my delegation.
Thank you.
Mr. President:
First of all, I would like to thank the French Presidency of the Security Council of the United Nations for convening this open debate on the topic of "Women, peace and security," which highlights the responsibility that States have to guarantee the participation and the full and significant leadership of women in all efforts to maintain peace and security, including efforts to prevent conflicts.
The Security Council has adopted eight resolutions on the subject since 2000. Despite the progress and good practices that have been developed in the last 17 years, there are still barriers to the effective implementation of this agenda.
As the next non-permanent member of the Security Council as of January 1, 2018, my country is committed to moving forward, not only in the achievement of gender equality in peacekeeping operations, but also in all areas related to the "Women, peace and security" agenda.
As part of this commitment, Peru will co-chair along with Sweden, the informal working group of the Security Council on "Women, peace and security" focused on taking concrete actions to comply with the mandates established by the relevant Security Council resolutions.
Peru is convinced that the participation of women is essential to the resolution of conflicts, and the maintenance and consolidation of peace, since women offer different perspectives that enrich peace negotiations.
In this context, the procedures of conflict resolution and peacebuilding should also be considered as an opportunity to empower women in their communities through the promotion of their active participation at all levels of these practices.
As the Secretary-General has pointed out in his latest report on this issue, improving women's access to meaningful leadership and their participation in peace efforts begins with active collaboration with civil society organizations, especially the ones directed by women.
In this line, we are pleased to see the tendency to systematically incorporate a gender perspective into the mandates of Peacekeeping Operations, as well as the incorporation of women as actors in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, and the importance of providing specialized training on the protection, special needs and human rights of women and girls in situations of conflict around the world.
For this reason, my country has been increasing the participation of female personnel in each of the 6 peacekeeping missions in which we participate, currently representing about 15 percent of our personnel deployed in the field.
Peru has also carried out other measures to implement the "Women, peace and security" agenda, such as the creation, through the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations, of the “Registry of Displaced Persons,” which has allowed the adoption of measures to protect human rights of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings.
Similarly, in 2005, the creation of the Comprehensive Reparations Plan was established for victims of violence that occurred between 1980 and 2000, including those who suffered human rights violations such as rape.
Finally, the Ministry of Defense, recognizing the importance of mainstreaming the gender approach, and responding to national regulations on the subject, has created an internal Committee for Gender Equality. This body has the objective of coordinating, articulating and monitoring the incorporation of the gender approach in the policies and institutional management of the defense sector, taking into account the aspects of planning, human resources, education, policies, strategies and communication, in all the spheres, including the peacekeeping missions where Peru participates.
Mr. President:
Peru firmly believes that the agenda of "Women, peace and security" should occupy a central place in the process of reform of peacekeeping operations undertaken by the United Nations, and we will work hard to make this possible.
Likewise, my country believes that gender equality and the empowerment of women are prerequisites for the prevention of conflicts, a powerful tool to maintain peace and are indispensable for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
In this regard, we believe that the main challenge that lies ahead of us is to expedite the implementation of measures to achieve full respect for the human rights of women and girls, in line with Security Council resolution 1325, which constitutes a historic instrument for the integration of a gender perspective in the peace and security program.
We urge the international community to join efforts to address the outstanding problems on the matter, in order to achieve a peaceful environment where all women without exception can develop a full life, free from all types of abuse, especially in contexts where there is violence and conflict and they are more vulnerable.
Thank you.
Mr. President:
1. My delegation would like to thank the interventions of Youssef Mahmoud and Gert Roshental, as well as the Egyptian delegation for organizing this debate, which allows us to continue the dialogue on the various dimensions of peace keeping; on this occasion, analyzing the contribution of peacekeeping operations.
2. Peru considers that these operations can and should contribute to achieving the general objective of sustainable peace. The Organization, including this Council, is called to foster transitions from conflict and post-conflict situations towards the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, with access to justice for all and effective and responsible institutions. This is in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and with the 2030 Agenda, in particular with SDG16, whose scope is universal.
3. From the traditional perspective of international peace and security, we seek to ensure that peacekeeping operations address the root causes of conflicts and prevent their resilience. For example, efforts to generate basic infrastructure on the ground, as the Peruvian engineering company has done in the Central African Republic, leave a legacy that transcends the work of MINUSCA. The institutionalization of these specific objectives must be systematized from the planning of peacekeeping operations, which in turn requires renewed cooperation and coordination among the many actors called to achieve those objectives, within and outside the United Nations system
4. The contribution of peacekeeping operations to sustaining peace must involve the follow-up of multidimensional processes in the field, which include military and security aspects that need to be adequately financed and supported to face new and complex challenges. The Peacebuilding Commission is called to become an entity whose advice, and within its competence, contributes to achieving more comprehensive, efficient and effective approaches.
Mr. President,
5. My delegation emphasizes the importance of generating a common political vision to allow integrated action by the various entities involved in peacekeeping operations, among others, troop contributors and regional and sub regional organizations. Above all, it is necessary to involve in the transition processes the corresponding governments and other relevant national actors, including women and young people, since ultimately they are the ones called to sustain peace in their respective countries. The principles of responsibility and national appropriation and inclusion cannot be ignored.
6. The Security Council, when establishing mandates in peacekeeping operations, must take into account said political vision, and set the priorities of the mission in realistic, concrete and measurable terms. Its temporality must be established according to the general objective of sustainable peace. The subsequent monitoring should allow the Council to reevaluate the situation in the light of up-to-date information and indicators relevant to the integrality of this objective, which will undoubtedly add value to the process, fostering greater pragmatism, integration and flexibility on the part of the missions, and will empower the actors effectively deployed in the field.
7. To conclude, Mister President, we want to state that Peru, a country that contributes to peacekeeping operations and is currently preparing to serve the international community as a non-permanent member of this Council, renews in the current context of definition of new paradigms of collective security, its commitment to the ongoing efforts to achieve more rational and effective responses from the United Nations, in accordance with the purposes and principles enshrined in its founding Charter.