CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY

THE HONOURABLE REY PAGTAKHAN,

SECRETARY OF STATE (ASIA PACIFIC),

AT THE CANADIAN LAUNCH OF

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS PROJECT,

"WOMEN FACING WAR"

OTTAWA, Ontario

January 14, 2002

The international community knows that women and girls are profoundly affected by armed conflict, whether they are caught up in its midst, in flight or in camps, or in dealing with its aftermath and the reconstruction of families, homes and communities.

Thus, it is an honour and privilege to welcome you, on behalf of Foreign Minister Manley, on the special occasion of the launch of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) project, "Women Facing War." I congratulate the ICRC for undertaking this important initiative.

I would particularly congratulate Ms. Charlotte Lindsey, the author of this ICRC study, for her well-referenced and comprehensive examination of the many obstacles and challenges faced by women in situations of armed conflict.

The Government of Canada is committed to the full and equal participation of women in peacebuilding, peace processes and post-conflict reconstruction. But in order to encourage their effective participation, we need to learn more about how to consider the needs of women in situations of armed conflict.

The ICRC study "Women Facing War" provides a great step forward in this regard. This focus comes at a critical moment when considerable momentum has developed on the issue of women facing war.

In October 2000, the United Nations Security Council landmark Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security set out an agenda to integrate a gender perspective in peace support operations. To commemorate the anniversary of that resolution, the Security Council issued a Presidential Statement reiterating its earlier commitments.

Last summer, at the G8 Foreign Minister's Meeting in Rome, Minister Manley and his G8 colleagues adopted the initiative, "Strengthening the Role of Women in Conflict Prevention," which focuses on women's positive roles in conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction.

As the "Women Facing War" project shows us, conflict can profoundly change women's roles and impose new burdens. Humanitarian assistance that takes women's needs into account can mitigate the negative impact of conflict on women and girls, in particular when it accounts for changes as a result of crisis. These include new responsibilities as heads of households or communities, physical insecurities as a result of camp layout and design, or uneven distribution or food and other resources.

Attention must be focused on integrating representative women in the planning, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all humanitarian assistance and transition activities.

For more effective peace support operations, we must ensure that staff are properly trained and equipped to understand the impact of their actions on local situations -- in particular, on women. Canada and the United Kingdom have developed a gender and peacekeeping course for military and civilian personnel involved in peace support operations. The gender and peacekeeping site will be on-line for all to use by the end of this month.

In addition to integrating a gender perspective in programming, it is also critical to enhance the participation of women in the senior ranks of organizations and institutions involved in peacekeeping and peacebuilding, including in the UN system.

Strides have been made in this area, but we must all work toward achieving the full and equal participation of women at all levels. In particular we would highlight the need to identify more female Special Representatives to the UN Secretary-General, more senior women at the negotiating table of peace agreements and peace implementation, and more women leaders and politicians to rebuild societies torn apart by war.

Indeed, this ICRC study by Ms. Lindsey is a landmark.

It draws attention to the critical role women play not only in identifying the impact of armed conflict in all its aspects on women and girls, but also in delineating the needed prescription in all its aspects to address the serious impact identified.

Let me close by saying that we all assume responsibility for the promotion of the full and equal participation of women in all aspects of peacebuilding and reconstruction to ensure that all -- men, women, girls and boys -- are active citizens in the rebuilding of societies torn apart by war and armed conflict.

Thank you.