Statement by Dan Juvan, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities at the Security Council Arria-Formula meeting on “Tools for Action: Leveraging the Synergies between the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Women, Peace and Security Framework”

Thank you, Madame Chair,

I would like to thank Switzerland for organizing today’s Arria formula meeting and this timely debate on the Synergies between the CEDAW Convention and the Women, Peace and Security Framework.

The UN Security Council consistently reiterates that peace and security are indeed, linked to gender equality and empowerment of women. However, achieving the full potential of the Women, Peace and Security framework requires more than mere political dedication; it demands concrete implementation at the national level.

The CEDAW Convention’s main objective is to protect women’s rights at all times, including before, during and after conflict. Thus, it can significantly contribute to enhancing the implementation of the WPS framework, as also shown through General Recommendation number 30.

In this respect, allow me to make the following points on what Slovenia considers to be the main synergies between the WPS Agenda and CEDAW:

First, the CEDAW Convention offers a comprehensive reporting framework, which leads to the adoption of concluding observations that include the recommendations and areas of concern for each state party. This guides and motivates them in protecting women’s human rights at all times, in peace and in all stages of armed conflict. The Security Council and in particular its Informal Expert Group on WPS should utilize these concluding observations in their deliberations.

Second, the CEDAW Committee’s general recommendations are an authoritative guidance for States parties to ensure full compliance with the Convention. General Recommendation number 30, which focuses on women in conflict prevention and conflict and post-conflict situations, advises states to incorporate implementation of WPS resolutions in their reports. This is particularly important for situations on the agenda of the Security Council and in this respect merits our strong support.

Madame Chair,

Given its near-universal ratification, the CEDAW Convention is a powerful tool to advance the WPS agenda. The application of General Recommendation number 30 complements the implementation of WPS resolutions. It further contributes towards promoting and achieving accountability for violations and abuses of women’s rights in conflict settings. We advocate for enhancing synergies between CEDAW and WPS. They need to be explored and further strengthened in the work of the Security Council.

I thank you, Madame Chair.  

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