Hanoi workshop seeks to integrate women, peace, security agenda into ASEAN Community pillars

Addressing the event, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu highlighted the importance of United Nations (UN)’s Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security (WPS) in 2000, which has yet to receive adequate attention in all pillars of the ASEAN Community.

He said he hopes through the workshop, the ASEAN will seek next steps to strengthen discussions about the WPS among the relevant agencies of the ASEAN and all the three pillars, thus forming WPS norms and integrating the agenda into the ASEAN Community Post-2025 Vision, heading to the building of a Regional Action Plan (RAP) on the WPS with specific targets and activities.

Vu held that the ASEAN can integrate gender agenda and relevant matters into ASEAN Community pillars as well as analysis on peace, traditional and non-traditional security policies in the region through gender responsive frameworks such as the “One ASEAN, Once Response” framework.

Vicky Ford, Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK, said that gender equality is the only way to the building of an equal and prosperous society. The UK commits to supporting Vietnam in building its national action plan on the WPS, while cooperating with the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR) to organise training programmes on the WPS, she said, lauding ASEAN’s commitments and achievements in building RAP on the WPS.

At the event, leading experts from the UN, the ASEAN Secretariat, the AIPR and countries that are strong in the WPS gave their ideas on various issues, including efforts by the ASEAN and international community in promoting the WPS agenda.

Major Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong, the first Vietnamese Military Officer sent to UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, shared the experience and recommendations of Vietnam in promoting the role of women in peacekeeping operations.

The workshop was the continuance of Vietnam’s efforts to form and realise measures to ensure women’s rights, creating favourable conditions for women to engage in the process of decision-making and promoting the role of women in dealing with risks and challenges threatening sustainable peace in the region.