MANILA – Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles on Wednesday lauded the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) adoption of Resolution 2122, a historic motion which recognizes the increasingly important role of women in the peace process.
“The Philippine government welcomes and supports the adoption of Resolution 2122 which highlights the role of women as pivotal actors and allows for their greater participation in the peace process,” she said.
UNSCR 2122 aims to strengthen the current normative framework for the participation of women in all stages of the peace process. It acknowledges the unique contributions of women in conflict and post-conflict situations both on the ground and on the negotiating table.
“This resolution reaffirms the commitments our government has made to raise the status of women from victims to invaluable agents and builders of peace, as contained in our National Action Plan to implement UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security,” added Deles.
Deles, who is a staunch advocate of women empowerment also called the new resolution “a welcome challenge for women peace advocates in the country as we continue to push the envelope of women’s political and social participation forward.”
“The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process will continue to work with all stakeholders from the government and civil society in making sure we live up to our commitments,” she stated.
On track with commitments
Recently, Deles led women peace advocates in the launch on the implementation of the Philippines’ National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security.
The NAP is the government’s policy to operationalize its commitment to the UNSCRs 1325, 1820 and 1888, three landmark international normative standards on women, peace and security. UNSCR 1325 specifically acknowledges women’s capacity to make decisions on women, peace and security issues while UNSCR 1820 recognizes sexual violence as a tactic of war and a possible war crime. On the other hand, UNSCR 1888 aims to establish leadership, deploy expertise, and improve coordination among stakeholders involved in addressing conflict-related sexual violence.
In the event, Deles relayed the efforts and achievements of the Philippine government in enhancing women’s participation in the peace process.
Not only is the Philippines the first country in Asia to adopt a NAP, the Philippines also stands apart in the number of women directly involved in the peace negotiations. This is in stark contrast to other peace negotiating teams around the world where women remain under-represented.
“We have been breaking ground in the changes we are trying to put forward,” stressed Deles. She expressed that the government’s commitment is made manifest in the important roles taken up by women in the peace negotiations.
In the peace table with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the panel is led by a woman, Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, and joined by Undersecretary Yasmin Busran-Lao. The Technical Working Groups on Normalization and Wealth-sharing, the GPH Secretariat, and the GPH Legal Team are also headed by and mostly composed of women.
Two women, Jurgette Honculada and Maria Lourdes Tison also sit at the peace negotiating table for talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front (CPP/NPA/NDF).
The significant participation of women in the peace negotiations has borne fruit in the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB). The FAB, which was signed in October 2012, has a section that promotes the rights of women to “meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violence.”
Women’s role in post-conflict reconstruction
Women’s role in post-conflict reconstruction on the other hand, was underscored in two conferences dubbed “Forum on Reintegration and Reconstruction: Imagining a ‘Post-Agreement’ Philippines” held on Sept. 23 in Mandaluyong City and Sept. 25 in Davao City.
During the forums, Deles led a discussion on a Gendered Post-Conflict Reintegration Agenda, underscoring the crucial role that women play in the recovery of their families and communities and resolution of community conflicts.
Joining Deles in the panel of experts were Nigel Roberts of World Bank and Dr. Cielito Habito of the Ateneo de Manila University who discussed topics on The Economics of Reintegration and Post-Conflict Reconstruction and The Post-Peace Agreement Economic Forecast, respectively.
The forums were in line with efforts of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process to prepare the way for the implementation of the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the Comprehensive Agreement.
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