Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a workshop highlighting the need to enhance women, peace, and security (WPS) in ASEAN Community pillars in Hanoi on February 11.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu stressed the importance of United Nations (UN)’s Resolution 1325 on WPS in 2000, noting that despite being adopted by the UN Security Council in 2000, the resolution has yet to be fully implemented within ASEAN Community.
Vu expressed his hope that through the workshop, the ASEAN will be the next step in strengthening WPS among the relevant ASEAN agencies and institutions, in the form of three pillars.
Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu addresses the event. Photo: Thuy Chi |
Then, the ASEAN will gradually form WPS concepts and integrate the agenda into the ASEAN Community Post-2025 Vision, towards building a Regional Action Plan (RAP) on WPS with specific targets and activities, the deputy minister added.
He suggested that the ASEAN can integrate gender agenda and relevant matters into ASEAN Community pillars; analyze peace, traditional and non-traditional security policies in the region through the “One ASEAN, One Response” framework to give early warnings to prevent disasters, terrorism, and conflicts.
For her part, Vicky Ford, minister for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office of the UK, said that gender equality is the only way to build an equal and prosperous society.
The UK pledges to support Vietnam in building its national action plan on WPS and will partner with the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR) to held training programs on WPS, the minister said, lauding ASEAN’s commitments and achievements in building a RAP on WPS.
At the workshop, leading experts from the UN, the ASEAN Secretariat, the AIPR, and countries that are strong in WPS also gave their ideas on various issues, including efforts by the ASEAN and international community in boosting the WPS agenda.
Delegates attend the workshop. Photo: Thuy Chi |
Major Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong, the first female Vietnamese military officer sent to the UN Peacekeeping Operation Mission in South Sudan, shared her experience and gave recommendations in promoting the role of women in peacekeeping operations activities.
Besides, the workshop discussed Vietnam’s efforts to form and realize measures to ensure women’s rights, promote the role of women in dealing with risks and challenges threatening sustainable peace in the region.
Through presentations and discussions with experts, ASEAN and its partners will consider methods to effectively implement the UN Resolution 1325, necessary steps to set up national and regional action plans on WPS.
The UN has promoted global awareness on the important role of women in preventing and handling conflicts and building peace since the early 21st century. The effort was marked with the adoption of the UN Resolution 1325 on WPS in 2000.
Vietnam, as a country that has always attached great importance to females' role in building and boosting peace and security, has made practical contributions to enhancing a WPS agenda within ASEAN, especially when presiding over ASEAN chairmanship in 2020.
