Angola reaffirmed its support in New York for the initiative of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, considering the involvement of women in all phases of conflict resolution a strategic imperative to ensure the sustainability of peace processes. This support was emphasized on Friday by Angola’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Francisco José da Cruz, who also highlighted the importance of community engagement as a key element for long-term stability.
Speaking at a side event on the “Common Commitment to the Full, Equal, and Meaningful Participation of Women in Peace Processes,” co-chaired by Angola and Switzerland, the diplomat praised the occasion, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) and the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
According to the ambassador, the role of women in peacebuilding is undeniable, and their involvement is essential due to their relevance in community dynamics, their direct experience with the impact of conflicts, and their ability to foster dialogue and reconciliation.
He stated that Angola’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security has increased women’s participation in decision-making processes and their full involvement in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and stability in the country and across Africa.
“Our experience with national reconciliation after a long internal conflict has taught us the importance of involving women at every stage of peace processes,” he emphasized.
The ambassador also recalled that in October 2024, Angola hosted the High-Level Women’s Forum of the Great Lakes Region to discuss ways to strengthen women’s participation, their dialogue power, collaboration, and firm determination to build a more peaceful and prosperous future for the African continent.
Francisco José da Cruz noted that, as the current chair of the African Union (AU), Angola considers women’s role in conflict resolution fundamental and encourages Member States to ensure more equal representation of women in all aspects of peace processes, including the design and implementation stages.
Throughout his address, he outlined four key actions to guide the strengthening of full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in all peace and mediation processes, namely: renewing political will to effectively implement the normative framework on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) at the national, regional, and international levels; expanding training programs to improve women’s skills in mediation processes and participation in peacekeeping missions.
He also stressed the need to accelerate gender equality integration in leadership roles in conflict prevention, management, and resolution, and to increase funding for the full implementation of the WPS agenda globally.
In line with the landmark Resolution 1325 (2000), UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched the “Common Commitment to the Full, Equal, and Meaningful Participation of Women in Peace Processes” on October 24, 2024, to reinforce the role of women in peace processes, calling on Member States, UN entities, Regional Organizations, and Civil Society to move from commitment to action.
Joint Interactive Dialogue on the 2025 Review
Speaking at the Joint Interactive Dialogue on the 2025 Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture, held on Friday, Angola’s Permanent Representative to the UN advocated for strengthening the role of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) to enhance the credibility of its work, including by increasing the capacity of the Peacebuilding Support Office to better fulfill its role and responsibilities.
Francisco José da Cruz stressed the need to expand coordination and alignment of the PBC with key deliberative bodies to strengthen its political and advisory role, particularly with regard to the Security Council, especially concerning the links between peacekeeping mandates and peacebuilding tasks.
Source: Jornal de Angola
