UN Human Rights Council 62: UK General Comment on the draft resolution on women in humanitarian settings

Thank you, Mr President.

We join others in taking this opportunity to pay tribute to Colombia's role as penholder in these difficult circumstances and wish to honour once again the memory of Ambassador Gustavo Gallon.

The United Kingdom is pleased to join consensus on this important resolution and thanks the Core Group for its leadership throughout the negotiations.

As humanitarian needs continue to grow in scale and complexity, women and girls remain disproportionately affected by conflict, displacement, disasters and other crises. This resolution places the protection, participation and leadership of women and girls at the centre of humanitarian responses and reinforces the need for a comprehensive, human rights-based approach.

We particularly welcome the references to preventing and responding to gender-based violence. Indeed, conflict-related sexual violence continues to have devastating consequences for survivors, families and communities. Preventing these crimes, supporting survivors, and ensuring perpetrators are held to account must remain a central part of efforts to build sustainable peace and security.

The resolution also highlights the importance of ensuring uninterrupted and non-discriminatory access to healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health services, maternal healthcare, and mental health and psychosocial support. These services are essential to safeguarding the dignity, health and wellbeing of women and girls in crisis situations.

Equally important is its emphasis on the meaningful participation and leadership of women and girls, including women-led organisations, in humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery. Women and girls must be able to shape the decisions that affect their lives and communities.

The United Kingdom is proud to support this resolution.

Thank you.