Keynote address delivered by Ms. Angelina (UNHCR Special Envoy) to Member States the event UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2019.

Delivering a keynote address to the General Assembly ministerial meeting on United Nations peacekeeping, actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian, Angelina Jolie, today (29 Mar) asked for the perspective of women to be taken into consideration in peace negotiations.

Jolie, who is a Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the co-founder of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), said, “women and girls are still the majority of the victims of war. They are over half of all refugees, and the vast majority of the victims of rape and other sexual and gender-based violence.”

Jolie highlighted the importance of protection of civilians and called upon member states to increase the participation of women in peacekeeping operations.

She said, “fearing abuse at the hands of a peacekeeper is not protection. Living with the fear your daughter might be raped by armed combatants, is not safety. Knowing that if your children are harmed, no one will be held accountable, is not a basis for peace and security. Denying half a population representation in peace negotiations or in government is not the route to long-term stability.”

Jolie told government ministers from around the world gathered at the General Assembly Hall that “women are already contributing to peace in theatres of war across the world without recognition or glory, because it comes naturally to them. It’s important to them.”

She said, “think how much more we could achieve with women’s equal participation in all aspects of society: not at the expense of men, but alongside men. Because we are all partners in this life.”

The meeting, UN Peacekeeping Ministerial: Uniformed capabilities, performance and protection, aims to reaffirm member states’ commitment to UN Peacekeeping and discuss concrete ways to work towards strengthening performance and protecting civilians in the coming year.

It provides an opportunity for delegates to collectively generate the specialized capabilities necessary for contemporary United Nations peacekeeping as requested in the United Nations Peacekeeping Uniformed Capability Requirements Paper, with a specific focus on increasing the role of women in peacekeeping.