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China Sees Women's Big Role in Maintaining World Peace
China stressed Tuesday that the United Nations Security Council's work of maintaining world peace and security cannot be fruitful and lasting without women's participation.
Addressing the open debate of the council on women and armed conflicts, Chinese Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.N. Shen Guofang said there is a very popular saying in China that is women can hold up half of the sky.
"However, we should point out that women are more often than not the direct victims of wars or armed conflicts," Shen said.
For an organ whose main responsibility is to maintain world peace and security, the open debate held here can contribute to the better fulfillment of the mandate of the council entrusted to it by the Charter of the United Nations, Shen said.
China condemns all the violent acts against women in armed conflicts and urges all parties to the conflicts to strictly abide by international humanitarian and human rights laws, he noted.
"We called upon all the governments in the world to investigate and punish those who committed crimes against women. We also hope that the international community can intensify efforts to protect and assist those who are affected by the conflicts and help them to return to their original homelands and resume their normal life," he said.
"At the same time, we encourage women to actively participate in conflict prevention, settlement and post-conflict reconstruction," he added.
The open debate, sponsored by Namibia, which is presiding over the council this month, marks the first time in history that the Security Council has devoted a session entirely to women's experiences in conflict and post-conflict situation.
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