Sec. Antony Blinken Delivers Remarks At The NATO Women, Peace, And Security Reception
Sec. Antony Blinken delivered remarks on Tuesday at the NATO Women, Peace, and Security reception.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Well, good morning, everyone.
00:09Welcome to the State Department.
00:11It is wonderful to have everyone in this room on this day for this occasion.
00:19Seventy-six years ago, a year before the treaty that created NATO was signed, President Truman
00:26signed into law two other documents that proved foundational for America's lasting security.
00:35The first, on June the 12th, 1948, allowed women to serve as regular members of the United
00:42States military.
00:44The second, just six weeks later, banned segregation in our armed forces.
00:50Both reforms faced resistance and skepticism in the United States.
00:57Congress held hearings to debate the merits of permitting women to serve in the same capacity
01:01as men.
01:03The very first witness called was General Dwight E. Eisenhower.
01:08Asked why he supported the reform, his answer was simple – we need them.
01:16The same is true today for virtually every one of NATO's strategic objectives.
01:21To achieve them, we have to meaningfully include women at every level.
01:27As we know, the evidence shows that when women enjoy greater physical security, when their
01:32rights are respected, when societies have higher levels of gender equality, entire countries
01:39are more stable, they're more prosperous, they're more peaceful.
01:43And when women are meaningfully involved in making and keeping the peace, it is more
01:48likely to endure.
01:51This is not just a women's issue.
01:53It's a national security issue, an economic issue, and yes, a moral issue as well – including
02:01for NATO, which was built on a shared commitment to defend liberty, to defend democracy, to
02:07defend the rule of law.
02:10Moving up to that commitment is also vital to the strength and well-being of our nations
02:15and our citizens.
02:16That's why one of the very first actions that President Biden took was to form a commission
02:22to develop America's first-ever national strategy on gender equity and equality – a
02:27strategy that we put out in 2021 and that we've been working to implement every day
02:31since.
02:32It's why we released an updated strategy and a national action plan on women, peace,
02:37and security just last year.
02:40And it's why Advancing Women, Peace, and Security has enjoyed long, longstanding support
02:46in our Congress.
02:47We're so grateful to have a true champion of that issue here today, Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
02:53Thank you, Jeanne, for your remarkable leadership.
02:58And yet, despite the overwhelming evidence of the benefits of ensuring that women have
03:08a leading role in making and keeping peace, despite the real progress that we've made
03:14on this issue over the last few years, we've still got our work cut out for us.
03:19So today, I'd like to briefly focus on three areas where NATO's enduring effectiveness
03:23demands that we do more.
03:26First, we have to continue to improve the meaningful participation of women and girls
03:31in all of their diversity.
03:34If we let obstacles and biases stand in the way of their full participation, we're simply
03:39not building the strongest alliance that we can.
03:44Consider that of the 32 Allies, six have women who are permanent representatives.
03:51One of the six happens to be our Ambassador to NATO, Julie Smith.
03:57As some of you might have taken note of yesterday, Julie's also the new announcer for the Washington
04:06Nationals, as she opened the game and Secretary General Stoltenberg throughout the first pitch.
04:13But Ambassador Smith represents the United States and NATO not because she's the best
04:18woman for the job, but because she's the best person for the job.
04:24Those are two of her two predecessors, Troia Newland and Kay Bailey Hutchison.
04:28But how many women like Julie are out there in every NATO country who have been held back
04:35from reaching their full potential?
04:39And how much of our nations, how much has our alliance lost as a result?
04:46Second, we need to fully integrate strategic thinking about women, peace, and security
04:51across all of our efforts, particularly in addressing some of the 21st century challenges
04:56like those posed by digital technology.
05:00This technology has, of course, immense potential to amplify the voices of women and girls,
05:05but it's also increasingly being exploited to enable online harassment, to enable online
05:10abuse.
05:11Women, girls, LGBTQI plus people, particularly those in public life – political, civil
05:20society leaders – are especially vulnerable to this violence.
05:26Such attacks not only harm their victims, they have a chilling effect on the participation
05:30of women and girls and other underrepresented groups.
05:34This is a threat to the health of our democracies, and we're taking steps to push back.
05:40In 2022, we launched the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment
05:46and Abuse to help us better understand, better prevent, better counter these attacks.
05:53Fifteen nations have partnered with the United States in this effort, including five of our
05:57NATO allies.
05:58And I strongly encourage others to join in this effort.
06:02Third, we need to share best practices in women, peace, and security beyond our alliance.
06:10That will make our partners stronger.
06:12It will make them more stable.
06:14It will help prevent and diminish drivers of instability in other parts of the world,
06:18which increasingly affect our own security.
06:21And just to give you a couple of quick examples, this year the U.S. launched Women, Peace,
06:25and Security Regional Centers in Colombia and Kosovo.
06:29We're grateful to have President Osmani here with us today.
06:34President Osmani was instrumental in the launch of this initiative.
06:41It's already demonstrating the way these centers can serve as hubs for ideas and for innovation.
06:47In the months ahead, we'll launch a third center in the Philippines.
06:50And these hubs bring together government, civil society, academia, the private sector,
06:56to collaborate on tackling the challenges that we're talking about here today.
07:02Last year, the U.S. military launched its first-ever Women, Peace, and Security Cooperation
07:06Initiative in the Indo-Pacific.
07:08Together with Australia and New Zealand, we've held trainings to help the militaries
07:12in 11 partner nations integrate the gender dimension of threats into their own planning,
07:18into their own operations, such as how to draw on the leadership of women and girls
07:22in responding to natural disasters, including their knowledge of the most vulnerable populations
07:28and how most effectively to reach them and support them.
07:31We're training and empowering women's civil society groups and peacebuilders so
07:35that they can play a leading role in building peace and building free and open societies
07:40and negotiating the end to conflicts, even – and maybe even especially – in places
07:46where those in power ruthlessly repress the rights of women and girls like Afghanistan.
07:53For even as the Taliban denies them the right to go to school, to go to work, to move freely
07:57and participate in public life, women and girls continue to fight for their right to
08:02build a brighter future for themselves and for their country.
08:06As they do, we're working every day to support their efforts – working with governments,
08:11with NGOs, with the private sector, with academia – to help Afghan women and girls keep studying,
08:17to build their skills, to build their connections, to work remotely.
08:23We also continue to rally global pressure on the Taliban to reverse these repressive
08:27policies which are hurting all Afghans.
08:31And we continue to partner with women in places where we see ongoing fighting, like
08:37Sudan and like Ukraine.
08:40From the moment that Putin launched his full-scale invasion, Ukrainian women have stepped up
08:47in every conceivable way to defend their country, to defend their communities, to defend their
08:52families – including in combat.
08:56Right now, there are thousands of Ukrainian women who are serving on the front lines – literally
09:01as snipers, as machine gunners, as medevac pilots, commanding tank units and artillery
09:07batteries.
09:09Every day, they prove that valor has no gender.
09:14But too often, Ukrainian women fighters don't have the equipment that they need to meet
09:19their unique needs, forcing many to buy and even design their own kits.
09:24Today, we're taking a step to fix that by announcing that NATO allies will provide more
09:28than $7 million to purchase equipment for women in Ukraine's armed forces, including
09:34more than 10,000 bulletproof vests, uniforms, boots.
09:39We applaud every ally that's come forward to help in this initiative.
09:43It's just one small part of our effort to ensure that Ukraine can not only defend itself
09:47today, but also get to the place where it can stand strongly on its own feet – militarily,
09:54economically, democratically.
09:58That is the mark of success for Ukraine.
10:00That will be the strongest possible rebuke to Vladimir Putin.
10:05Here's the reality.
10:08Ukraine cannot do that.
10:09It can't succeed in achieving that ultimate success without the full and equal participation
10:16of all of its people.
10:18For Ukraine's economy to not only survive but thrive, Ukraine needs women.
10:23Last year, 37,000 new businesses registered in Ukraine, more than in the year leading
10:29up to the war.
10:30The majority were founded by women.
10:35For Ukraine to realize its democratic aspirations and build and strengthen its independent institutions,
10:41Ukraine needs women.
10:43We see that in the Ukrainian women working as anti-corruption and human rights activists,
10:47independent judges and prosecutors, reporters in the country's free press.
10:52Ukraine's resilience, the path to success, is built in large part on the shoulders and
10:59in the hearts of the women of Ukraine.
11:02What's true for Ukraine is true for so much of what we have to achieve in our alliance.
11:09And so we thought it was fitting as we kick off this summit, this 75th anniversary summit
11:15– a summit that looks not only to the achievements of the past, but looks especially to what
11:20the alliance has to do and has to do together to ensure our security, to defend our democracies
11:26going forward – we thought it was very appropriate to kick things off with this event, with this
11:31focus on women, peace, and security, and a commitment to bring our focus to empowering
11:36women's full, meaningful, and equal participation – not just to this forum, but to each and
11:43every issue that we have to tackle together.
11:46Our success and, yes, our security depends on it.
11:52I thank you very, very much for joining us today, but not just today, for the work that
11:57pretty much everyone in this room is doing every day to advance this agenda.
12:01We know that when we come together for a summit, for one day of meetings and discussion, it's
12:07important, it puts a spotlight on issues, but what really matters is the next 364 days
12:12and the work that you are going to be doing, we're going to be doing every day.
12:15With that, and with that in mind, it's my honor to introduce someone who has dedicated
12:20much of her career to empowering women in peacebuilding, the NATO Secretary General's
12:24Special Representative for Women, Peace, and Security, Irene Fallin.
12:27Irene, the floor is yours.
12:29UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL FALLIN, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY, IRENE FALLIN
12:36Distinguished Ministers, Excellencies, dear friends, it is a true honor and an utmost
12:44pleasure for me to have the opportunity to address you today on the occasion of the Women,
12:49Peace, and Security reception.
12:51My special thank you goes to you, Secretary Blinken, for hosting us here at the State
12:56Department and for being on the front line for the implementation of this important agenda.
13:01I'm truly impressed by the remarkable initiatives that you just described as part of the U.S.-WPS
13:07strategy you are leading by example.
13:11In its 75 years of history, NATO has demonstrated to be an incredible, adaptive alliance capable
13:18of transforming itself whenever needed while sticking to its core values.
13:24Our attachment to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda is a distinctive feature of the transatlantic
13:29alliance.
13:31Standing up for and helping advance the rights and participation of women in defense and
13:36security is very much at the heart of who we are and what we do as individual nations
13:42and collectively as an alliance.
13:46We know that setbacks in global peace and security go hand in hand with setbacks in
13:50gender equality.
13:52Globally, women increasingly face threats to their political and social rights and their
13:57personal security as well as barriers to their full participation in peace and security processes.
14:05As an alliance based on democratic values, this matters for NATO.
14:10As Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine continues, with devastating impact on civilians,
14:16as we just saw yesterday, our work to understand the gender dimension of this conflict is of
14:22vital importance to inform us how we can better support Ukraine.
14:27It is clear that the principles of UNSCR 1325, adopted almost 25 years ago, are not only
14:34yet to be fully implemented, but are indeed increasingly challenged.
14:39In line with this recognition, at the 2023 Vilnius Summit, NATO allies resolved to update
14:45the NATO WPS policy, and after a year of work, this new policy is now ready to be endorsed
14:51tomorrow by heads of state and government at this Washington summit.
14:56Let me now share with you some reflection on this new policy.
14:59It is an important part of the implementation of NATO's 2022 Strategic Concept.
15:07Within the context of deterrence and defense, for example, NATO commits for the first time
15:12to advance work on challenges and threats like gender disinformation and technology-facilitated
15:17gender-based violence.
15:20This can include cyber harassment, hate speech, or video and image-based abuse.
15:25They carry not only health and safety consequences, but also political consequences as they silence
15:31women in online spaces, ultimately diminishing their engagement in public life and democratic
15:37processes.
15:39When we look at the opportunities and challenges of technologies, from drone-related warfare,
15:45cyber-attacks, and generative AI, we will ensure that we are looking at how this impacts
15:50diverse segments of the population, and we'll focus on our efforts on mitigating any exacerbation
15:57of gender inequality in the work we do.
16:00While the Women, Peace, and Security agenda is relevant to deterrence and defense, it
16:05is also an essential partnership tool.
16:08In fact, to be successful in integrating WPS in all that we do, collaboration and engagement
16:15with diverse actors as part of NATO's cooperative security efforts is key.
16:21We will continue to work closely with our partners, some of whom are with us here today.
16:27NATO partnerships represent a privileged mechanism throughout which we can learn from one another,
16:33and this is particularly relevant when it comes to Ukraine defending itself against
16:37Russia's war of aggression.
16:40In this context, as Secretary Blinken just mentioned, an unprecedented number of women
16:44joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in order to defend their own country, challenging societal
16:50norms and stereotypes.
16:52And in fact, the service women found themselves fighting on different fronts, some more obvious
16:57than others.
16:59And one of them is the lack of appropriate equipment, namely body armor and uniform,
17:04fit for them.
17:06So I would like to join the announcement just made by Secretary Blinken that throughout
17:10NATO's comprehensive assistance package for Ukraine, we will fund its initial production
17:15of body armor, winter uniform, and combat boots for service women of the Armed Forces
17:21of Ukraine.
17:22And allow me to personally thank you, Mr. Secretary, for strongly supporting our project,
17:27as well as our allies Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, North
17:33Macedonia, and Norway, for their important financial contribution.
17:38Just before we joined the reception, other allies came to me to say they want to join
17:42this initiative and fund more support for Ukraine.
17:46So I'm sure that we will have other projects and continued support to the service women
17:52of Ukraine.
17:53And I'm looking at Deputy Prime Minister Auguste Stefanis.
17:55I was leading the work with the comprehensive assistance package, and we will continue our
18:00joint efforts in the coming months.
18:04Partnership is not only among nations.
18:05It is with civil society organizations as well.
18:09And I recognize many civil society representatives present in this room today.
18:14I want to reassure you that strengthened engagement with women civil society actors, including
18:20throughout the NATO civil society advisory panel, is and will remain a priority, as it
18:26helps us stay connected to the foundations of the WPS agenda.
18:32Distinguished guests, the road ahead requires unwavering commitment and collective efforts
18:37at all levels.
18:39It demands that we, from the political and military leaders to the civilian and military
18:44staff, continue to champion gender equality in our sphere.
18:49As part of this new policy, I strongly advocate for a more gender-responsive and accountable
18:55leadership.
18:56This means that leaders, men and women alike, are called to lead by example and commit to
19:02fully advance the women peace and security agenda at NATO and beyond.
19:08I therefore call on you today to be part of the cultural change that is still needed.
19:13Together, we can create a future where every individual, regardless of their gender, can
19:19contribute to and benefit from peace and security.
19:23Thank you.
19:25FOREIGN MINISTER GILFADOTTIR, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ICELAND, ISLANDS AND EUROPE
19:32I would like now to pass the floor to Ms. Hordis Gilfadottir, Minister of Foreign Affairs
19:38of Iceland.
19:39FOREIGN MINISTER GILFADOTTIR, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ICELAND, ISLANDS AND EUROPE
19:46Thank you, Secretary of State Blinken, Special Representative Fellin, and other distinguished
19:52guests, for providing an important opportunity for us, allies and partners, right at the
19:58start of the summit to reaffirm our commitment to advancing the women peace and security
20:02agenda.
20:03Gathering in the wake of Russia's brutal attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, our
20:09support and solidarity is unwavering.
20:13Tomorrow we will endorse NATO's very impressive, and I would say progressive, WPS policy.
20:20Thanks to everyone involved at the headquarters in Brussels, in their respective capitals,
20:25and from civil society, for your solid work.
20:29Iceland has for years been a strong proponent for the women, peace, and security agenda
20:34at NATO, globally and at home.
20:37Even as we face mounting challenges on the global stage, or perhaps particularly because
20:42of that, we cannot lose sight of this important agenda.
20:47At critical times when so much is at stake, it is vital to mobilize all available human
20:53capital, both men and women.
20:55This is equally important for economic growth, as well as deterrence and defense.
21:01And here we have a lot to learn from our Ukrainian friends.
21:06Ukrainian women are at the front lines of the war, assuming increasingly crucial roles.
21:11They are making a significant contribution to the defense of Ukraine today and tomorrow,
21:16and building the resilience for Ukraine to prevail.
21:19They are leading humanitarian relief efforts, taking up key positions in the administration,
21:25and playing a vocal role in Ukraine's civil society.
21:29We need to listen attentively to the voices of Ukrainian women and support them on their
21:34terms.
21:36I am therefore pleased to announce Iceland's contribution of 500,000 euros to the CAP Trust
21:42Fund to provide Ukrainian women with critical body armors, uniforms, and boots.
21:47Providing them with the appropriate equipment is both essential for their protection on
21:51the battlefield, as well as an important step in modernizing Ukraine's future force.
21:58And this last point is key.
22:01Bringing women on board is not only a women's rights issue.
22:04It brings benefits to the whole of society and to our collective security.
22:10As we in Iceland know, the Ukrainian society also knows, it's not about waiting for the
22:17time when you can afford on focusing on women, peace, and security – or gender equality,
22:22for that matter, or empowering women.
22:24You become stronger because you focus on those points, not when you afford them.
22:30Cheers to that.
22:33Distinguished guests, the WPS agenda is a reflection of our values.
22:39When women's rights are faced with a backlash around the world, it is especially important
22:44to continue promoting gender equality and inclusivity.
22:49The endorsement of NATO's new WPS policy tomorrow comes timely and is essential in
22:54the context of the current security environment we are facing at NATO.
22:59NATO, as our leading security organization, has a unique role to play in advancing the
23:04WPS agenda across all three core tasks integrated in our strategic concept.
23:10We have taken important steps at NATO in recent years, recognizing that gender perspectives
23:15should be at the center of our efforts and not of a secondary importance.
23:21The new WPS policy provides a strong foundation, however it is implementation of the policy
23:26and the upcoming action plan that will matter the most.
23:30We need to put the issue at the top of our agenda as a leadership issue, both at NATO
23:35and back home, with focus on sustainable resources, meaningful representation, gender mainstreaming,
23:42and strong accountability.
23:44So let's move forward with ambition on women, peace, and security, both for us as an alliance
23:49and for Ukraine, and for the whole world.
23:52Now is the opportunity to demonstrate that NATO can be a real champion of women, peace,
23:58and security.
23:59Thank you.
24:00UNDER SECRETARY NOVELLI Good morning, everyone.
24:09Welcome to all of you who are here from outside of the United States to the 75th NATO Summit.
24:15We're delighted to have you here.
24:16We wish it were a little cooler in Washington.
24:21Now I know all of you are saying, I understand why Secretary Blinken's here, we understand
24:26why the NATO representative for WPS is here, we understand why the foreign minister from
24:30Iceland is here, but why is that senator from New Hampshire here?
24:35For those of you who don't know where New Hampshire is, it's up north, where it's cooler.
24:41But I'm here because I had the good fortune to pick up the legislation when Barbara Boxer
24:47left the Senate to sponsor the women, peace, and security legislation for the United States.
24:54We were the first and remain the only country to have legislatively passed the WPS agenda,
25:00and I'm very proud of that.
25:01I'm very proud to be with all of you participating in this summit and talking about why it matters
25:08to have women part of the agenda for NATO and in all other aspects of our governments.
25:16It's been 24 years since the United Nations Security Council formally acknowledged the
25:21role that women must play in preventing and resolving conflict and preserving peace with
25:26the passage of Resolution 1325.
25:30And for the last two and a half decades, the United States, NATO, and our allies have stepped
25:36up to put into action the core values that underline WPS.
25:41The gathering here demonstrates today this partnership's enduring commitment to advancing
25:47the WPS agenda within our own countries and as an alliance that is committed to democracy
25:54and freedom.
25:55So fundamentally, WPS acknowledges the disproportionate impact that conflict has on women, but also
26:03the essential role that women play in preventing violence, resolving conflict, and ensuring
26:09peace.
26:10And I'm sure that most of you here are familiar with the often-cited statistic, but I think
26:16it's worth repeating that women's involvement in peace negotiations increases the probability
26:22of a peace agreement lasting 15 years by 35 percent.
26:28It makes a difference.
26:30This is a measurable impact that we can't afford to ignore.
26:35NATO is a military alliance, but it's also a values-based alliance, joined together by
26:40our common commitment that to advance our collective security, everyone needs a seat
26:46at the table.
26:48It's a privilege to have sponsored that legislation, and bipartisan, bicameral support has never
26:55been more important than it is today.
26:58At a time when it feels like national security has never been more subject to the change
27:02of administrations, Congress has reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to our NATO alliance
27:09and our WPS agenda.
27:12I've been honored to work with many of you here today to advance that agenda within the
27:16United States and abroad.
27:19This summit is an important opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to Ukraine also, as
27:25they defend their country against an unprovoked Russian invasion.
27:30Ukrainian women, as everyone here has said, have been central to the war effort since
27:34day one.
27:35They've served on the front lines, they've represented their country abroad, they've
27:39led efforts to preserve democracy at home and ensure the safety of the Ukrainian people.
27:46It is necessary that this summit send the powerful message that we stand with Ukrainian
27:52women who are leading the on-the-ground response.
27:57You can clap for that, folks, wake up, come on.
28:04Ukraine's fight is our fight, and WPS is central to the better future all Ukrainians
28:13are fighting for, for themselves at home, but for democracies around the world.
28:19This summit is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to advancing that agenda.
28:24And thank you to everyone here today for your commitment to WPS, for your commitment to
28:30NATO, Secretary Blinken.
28:32Thank you for prioritizing WPS within the Department of State and ensuring that our
28:37diplomatic core reflects our diverse nation and pursues policies that prioritize women's
28:43equality and equity.
28:44And to Ambassador Gupta, thank you for your leadership within the State Department to
28:49advance the WPS agenda.
28:51Thank you all very much.
28:53AMBASSADOR GUPTA Thank you again, everyone.
28:59So great to have you here today, great to have you at the summit, and great to have
29:01you in this effort together.
29:04Enjoy the rest of the day.
29:05Thank you.