Major Groups: Women, and Children and Youth
ONE$PAGE(STATEMENT(ON(THEMATIC(POINTS!
Co$Chairs,!Members!of!the!Open!Working!Group,!
I!am!Harriette!Williams!Bright!of!Femmes!Africa!Solidarité!speaking!here!on!
behalf!of!the!Women!and!Children!and!Youth!Major!Groups!to!respond!to!the!
Focus(Area(19:(Peaceful(and(non$violent(societies,(capable(institutions.!
It!is! critical! that! the! Post$2015! SDG! agenda! address! root! causes! of! violence!
and! conflict! and! builds! on! existing! commitments! to! promote! sustainable!
development!and!peace.!!
First,( the( SDGs( should( strengthen( investment( in( peace( rather( than(
current(investments(in(violence(and(conflict.(We!call!for!targets!to!reduce!
spending!on!militaries!and!armaments,!eliminating!stockpiles!and!production!
of! anti$personnel! landmines! and! cluster! munitions,! and! demilitarizing! the!
lands,!territories,!waters!and!oceans!particularly!of!Indigenous!Peoples.!
Second,(the(SDGs( should( strengthen( support( for( inclusive(and( gender(
equitable(participation.!We! call! for! a! separate!focus! area! on! governance,!
which! includes! a! clear! mandate! and! mechanisms! for! how! civil! society! and!
marginalized! groups,! including! children,! youth,! women! and! indigenous!
people,! can! influence! government! at! the! national! and! international! levels.!
This!should!include! the!establishment!of!platforms! for!participation!and!co$
creation,!and!public!access!to!information,!in!which!civil!society!could!play!a!
role!in!data!gathering!and!monitoring.!!
Third,(we( demand( state( and( non$state( actors(take( action( to( eliminate(
and( implement( protective( measures( against( human( rights( abuses!
including!child,!early!and! forced!marriage,! female!genital!mutilation,!honour!
killings,! and! other! harmful! traditional! practices,! and! violence! committed! on!
the! basis! of! sexual! orientation! and! gender! identity.! We! ask! that! the! SDGs!
recognize!the! critical! contribution! of! women’s! participation! and! rights! to!
conflict!prevention!and!peacebuilding.!
Finally,(the(SDGs( should(ensure( the( rule( of( law( to( address( impunity(–(
particularly(regarding(sexual(and(other(forms(of(gender$based(violence.(
We! call! for! strengthened! accountability! mechanisms! at! the! international,!
regional! and! national! levels,! including! for! police! and! private! military!
corporations,! to! prevent! human! trafficking,! arms! smuggling,! and! the!
proliferation! of!drug! cartels.! Mechanisms! should!include! strategic! response!
plans!to!control!and!prevent!endemic!community!violence!from!groups!such!
as!urban!gangs,!vigilante!organizations,!and/or!ethnic!militias.!
We!thank!you!for!this!opportunity.!
Co$Chairs,!Members!of!the!Open!Working!Group,!
I!am!Harriette!Williams!Bright!of!Femmes!Africa!Solidarité!speaking!here!on!
behalf!of!the!Women!and!Children!and!Youth!Major!Groups!to!respond!to!the!
Focus(Area(19:(Peaceful(and(non$violent(societies,(capable(institutions.!
It!is! critical! that! the! Post$2015! SDG! agenda! address! root! causes! of! violence!
and! conflict! and! builds! on! existing! commitments! to! promote! sustainable!
development!and!peace.!!
First,( the( SDGs( should( strengthen( investment( in( peace( rather( than(
current(investments(in(violence(and(conflict.(We!call!for!targets!to!reduce!
spending!on!militaries!and!armaments,!eliminating!stockpiles!and!production!
of! anti$personnel! landmines! and! cluster! munitions,! and! demilitarizing! the!
lands,!territories,!waters!and!oceans!particularly!of!Indigenous!Peoples.!
Second,(the(SDGs( should( strengthen( support( for( inclusive(and( gender(
equitable(participation.!We! call! for! a! separate!focus! area! on! governance,!
which! includes! a! clear! mandate! and! mechanisms! for! how! civil! society! and!
marginalized! groups,! including! children,! youth,! women! and! indigenous!
people,! can! influence! government! at! the! national! and! international! levels.!
This!should!include! the!establishment!of!platforms! for!participation!and!co$
creation,!and!public!access!to!information,!in!which!civil!society!could!play!a!
role!in!data!gathering!and!monitoring.!!
Third,(we( demand( state( and( non$state( actors(take( action( to( eliminate(
and( implement( protective( measures( against( human( rights( abuses!
including!child,!early!and! forced!marriage,! female!genital!mutilation,!honour!
killings,! and! other! harmful! traditional! practices,! and! violence! committed! on!
the! basis! of! sexual! orientation! and! gender! identity.! We! ask! that! the! SDGs!
recognize!the! critical! contribution! of! women’s! participation! and! rights! to!
conflict!prevention!and!peacebuilding.!
Finally,(the(SDGs( should(ensure( the( rule( of( law( to( address( impunity(–(
particularly(regarding(sexual(and(other(forms(of(gender$based(violence.(
We! call! for! strengthened! accountability! mechanisms! at! the! international,!
regional! and! national! levels,! including! for! police! and! private! military!
corporations,! to! prevent! human! trafficking,! arms! smuggling,! and! the!
proliferation! of!drug! cartels.! Mechanisms! should!include! strategic! response!
plans!to!control!and!prevent!endemic!community!violence!from!groups!such!
as!urban!gangs,!vigilante!organizations,!and/or!ethnic!militias.!
We!thank!you!for!this!opportunity.!