Page 399 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

Bringing the Concept to Life

missions, peace settlements and at the negotiating table still remains. While war
and militarism have traditionally been viewed as having patriarchal roots, peace
has never been thought of as a purely masculine enterprise and is very often
quiet to the contrary. The fundamental role that women play as driving forces
for peace in post-conflict and reconstruction circumstances is often overlooked
when the formal peace negotiations begin. This must change as durable peace
can only be built upon a foundation of justice which necessarily includes all the
members of society. As the Secretary-General reminded us in his address
today: “The Beijing Platform called for women to play a bigger part in the
decision-making process to resolve conflict, and for more conflicts to be
resolved in non-violent ways. ln short, it summons all of us to pave the way for a
culture of peace.”

The Secretary-General also expressed his belief that the time had come for
this culture to take hold, “because in today's world what affects one nation
affects us all. What defines us as human beings is not race, creed or geography.
What gives our lives purpose and content is the hope that our children and
grandchildren will be able to live a decent life. free from fear and free from
want. Surely, that is something we all share.”

I would also like to welcome and commend the organizers and participants
of the “World March of Women 2000”. More than 3,500 groups front 145
countries have participated in this march and come together in Geneva to
commemorate International Women's Day and to raise consciousness to
improve women’s living conditions - particularly in relation to poverty and
violence against women. I congratulate you on your efforts! It is precisely
initiatives such as this which are so crucially needed if we are to truly effectuate
global change.

Lastly, today I would like to recognize the UNOG Library's publication of
our first major Bibliography on women: “Women. A Selective Bibliographv,
1988-1999" This will undoubtedly throw some light on the debate on the
status of women which has taken place over the last 10 years. In this regard, l
would like to extend my congratulations to Pierre Pelou, our Chief Librarian
and to Britt Kjolstad for a job well done!

In conclusion, on this first International Women's Day of the New
Millennium, let us recall that all human beings have the right to live with
dignity. Actions, implementation and investment are needed on the pan of the
international community and all of us. We have heard enough rhetoric, now is

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