Uttalelser til pressen om møtet med Kaavya Asoka

Good afternoon,

It has been an honor to chair the first formal Security Council meeting on threats and reprisals against women peacebuilders and human rights defenders.

I would like to thank the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, and civil society representatives miss Yaftali from Afghanistan and miss Asoka for briefing the Council today.

Women around the world who participate in society and in politics - risk threats.

Not only for what we say, but for who we are.

Women peace builders and human rights defenders risk even more. As violence and even target killings is all too common.

Totally unacceptable.

And an obstacle to progress, to peace and to security.

In conflicts around the world, women are taking great risk to contribute to peace and security for the people of their country.

Because they know, that to end conflict - to work effectively towards peace - women must be part of the process.

Not because women bring with them some magical solution to end all wars.

But because women bring different perspectives. And the more gender divided society is, the more different those perspectives are.  

We simply cannot afford to keep women out.

The price is too high.

We see it in Afghanistan, in Yemen, Sudan and Myanmar.

Where women peace builders and human rights defenders too often risk reprisals.

Norway’s aim with today’s meeting, is to put this issue squarely on the agenda of the Security Council.

So that we can move forward on our collective promise to let women participate without fear of reprisals.  

I would like to thank the members of the Security Council, for engaging on this topic. And I would like to thank you, miss Asoka, for sharing your recommendations to this Council, on how we better can protect women in conflict.

The floor is yours.