Encouraging member states’ commitment to protect women in armed conflict (Afghanistan)

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Encouraging member states’ commitment to protect women in armed conflict (Afghanistan)

The Honorable Robert Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative Designate of Canada to the United Nations

Civil society continues to look for possibilities to bring to the attention of those within the UN system that have the capacity to act. The open letter from Canadian parliamentarians and civil society organizations we recently shared demonstrates the kind of global responsibility all world citizens might manifest in this and other crises.

Below is another example of one civil society attempt to move the world body to action. Please read the proposal put forth in this letter to the Canadian Ambassador to the UN and copied to the Irish ambassador. If you agree, please sign to indicate your support. The additional signatures will be forwarded to the Canadian and Irish UN missions.

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Global Campaign for Peace Education

To: The Honorable Robert Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative Designate of Canada to the United Nations
From: [Your Name]

The Honorable Robert Rae
Ambassador and Permanent Representative Designate of Canada to the United Nations
Canadian Mission, 466 Lexington Avenue, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10027

August 15, 2021

Regarding protection of Afghan Women

Dear Ambassador Rae.

We are writing as representatives of a growing international civil society movement, including many from Canada, to persuade the world organization to carry through member states’ commitment to protect women in armed conflict, undertaken with the adoption of UN 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. It is our hope that on the basis of this commitment, the international community will take action to protect women left, vulnerable in the fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban, consequent to the NATO and the United States withdrawal their forces. Given current conditions, now that even diplomatic representation has been evacuated, the situation is dire and urgent. The lives and wellbeing of women are without assurance of any kind. Surely the international community must devise a way to prevent outright femicide in Afghanistan.

We believe that Canada, as Chair of Friends of 1325 and Chair of Friends of Afghanistan, is uniquely positioned to initiate discussion of the use of UNSCR 1325 to protect women, and to review all possibilities for UN action toward the requisite protection.

We respectfully request that at the earliest opportunity, you convene a joint meeting of both “Friends” groups to explore possible actions that might be undertaken by the Security Council, General Assembly (perhaps invoking R2P and or “Uniting for Peace”) and other relevant UN bodies to end the violence in Afghanistan. We suggest that such a meeting might be coordinated with Ambassador Nason of Ireland who has announced that during Ireland’s September presidency of the Security Council, discussion of responses to the unfolding tragedy of Afghanistan will be addressed.

We urge you and all UN representatives to consider every possibility to undertake the action that is the common responsibility of the international community.

With sincere thanks for your consideration of these proposals,

Rev. Chloe Breyer
Dr. Ellen Chesler
Dr. Betty Reardon

Copy: Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations