Indian Council of World Affairs

Her Excellency, Honorable Ambassador Vijay Thakur Singh, Director-General Of The Indian Council Of World Affairs (Icwa) In New Delhi; 

His Excellency, Mr. Hitesh Rajpal, Director Of The Indian Council Of World Affairs; 

Excellencies, Ambassadors, High Commissioners And Members Of The Diplomatic Corps In India 

Namascar!

1.  It Is An Honor For Me As Viceminister For Foreign Affairs Of The Republic Of Guatemala, To Participate In The 46^th Lecture Of This Distinguished Council. I Want To Express My Gratitude To Icwa, A Widely Known And Esteemed Institution, That Has Received So Gracefully Me Today.

2.  Guatemala And India Are Countries Located Away In Terms Of Distance And Geographic Location, But Both Countries, Have A Fruitful Diplomatic Relation That Transcends Borders And That Relation Is Becoming Stronger.

3.  More Than 50 Years After The Establishment Of Diplomatic Relations, Our Common Desire For Peace And Prosperity Of Our Populations Has Solidified A Platform For Cooperation And Mutual Support Of Our Interests Worldwide.

4.  I Am Present In India Today With The Objective Of Strengthening Our Friendly And Cordial Relations To Lead The 3^rd Foreign Office Bilateral Consultations Between India And Guatemala.

5.  Fortunately, In My Diplomatic Career, I Have Seen How Strategic Partnerships Among Countries Work, Particularly When Countries That Defend Same Objectives, Can Make Real And Effective Changes.

6.  Guatemala And India Are Partners In Different Multilateral Forums Such As The Non-Aligned Movement As Well As The G77.

7.  Having Worked In The Multilateral Diplomacy For Many Years At The United Nations, I Have Important Memories On How Guatemala And India As Partners For One Of The Most Noble Tasks Of The Un, Which Is Peacekeeping, Have Made Great Progress And Efforts For The Participation And Empowerment Of Women In This Task.

8.  As A Career Diplomat, I Was Involved For Many Years In Multilateral Negotiations Promoting Equality And Women’s Participation, I Am So Pleased To Remember The Importance That Guatemala And India Gave To The Participation Of Women In Peacekeeping Operations. India Became The First Nation To Deploy An All-Female Police Unit To A Un Peacekeeping Mission As A Part Of The Un Mission In Liberia (Unmil).

9.  Guatemala Has Been Deploying Female Officers In Different Peacekeeping Operations As Well, That Have Contributed For The Transformation Of Countries Affected By Conflict And Instability. We Had Presence In The Past In Haiti (Minustah), Where Female Officers Participated In The Construction Of Schools, Nurseries, Hospitals And Helped Young People To Learn Skills For Their Life. Currently Guatemala Contributes In The Different Peacekeeping Operations, And Female Officers Are Members Of The Special Forces In Monusco, The Peacekeeping Operation In The Democratic Republic Of Congo. 

Dear Director General, Colleagues And Friends:

10.  On The Year 2000, A Pathbreaking Decision Was Agreed In The United Nations Security Council: The Adoption Of The Resolution 1325 (2000) On Women, Peace And Security. This Resolution -For The First Time - Links Gender Equality And The Maintenance Of International Peace And Security And Recognizes Women’s Participation As Key To Resolving Conflict And Securing Peace.

11.  This Historic Resolution And Its Subsequent Resolutions Reaffirm The Important Role Of Women In Conflict Prevention And Resolution, In Negotiations, Peacebuilding, As Well As Humanitarian Response And Post-Conflict Reconstruction. Women Are Agents Of Change, And Their Active Participation Shows That Even In The Most Difficult Circumstances, Important Changes Can Be Achieved In Benefit Of Different Societies.

12.  At The National Level, In Guatemala Our Constitution, The Supreme Law, Provides The Legal Framework For The Gender Equality Between Men And Women, And I Quote Article 4: “In Guatemala All Human Beings Are Free And Equal In Dignity And Rights. The Man And The Woman, Regardless Of Their Marital Status, Have Equal Opportunities And Responsibilities. No Person Can Be Subjected To Slavery Or Any Other Condition That Undermines Their Dignity. Human Beings Must Maintain Brotherly Conduct Among Themselves”.

13.  Our Legislation Marks The Way To The Equality Among Women And Men, Establishing The Foundations For The Promotion Of The Same Opportunities. Since Then, The State Of Guatemala Has Continued Developing Initiatives For Strengthening The Empowerment And Comprehensive Development Of All Women In Guatemala.

14.  On May 17, 2000, The Presidential Secretariat For Women (Seprem By Its Acronym In Spanish) Was Created As The Entity That Recommends And Coordinates Public Policies On The Promotion And Development Of Guatemalan Women. This Institution Aims To Reach A Main Objective The Achievement Of The Sustainable Development Goal Number 5, Which Is Gender Equality, As One Of The Priorities Of The State Of Guatemala In Our National Development Plan.

15.  The National Policy For The Promotion And Comprehensive Development Of Women Is The Guiding Tool To Move Forward In This Objectives A Political Instrument Through Which Guatemalan Girls; Teenagers; Adults And; Older Adults Have Real And Effective Access To Comprehensive Development Through The Principle Of Equity Between Women And Men.

16.  Here At The Presentation You Can See The Global Axes Of The National Policy.

17.  Guatemala Is Also A Country That Like India Share The Heritage Of Ancient Civilizations. Guatemala Is Recognized Worldwide As The “Heart Of The Mayan World”. A Country With A Rich History Of More Than 3 Thousand Years. We Are Proud Of The Legacy Of Our Indigenous Communities And Indigenous Women Particularly, Who Are The Ones That Hand Over The Wisdom Through Stories, Spirit And Culture To Their Families. Indigenous Women Are Custodians Of Traditional Knowledge Systems, Holding Fundamental Roles In Their Preservation And Intergenerational Transmission.

18.  One Of The Main Objectives Of The President Of Guatemala, His Excellency Alejandro Giammattei, Has Been The Empowerment Of Indigenous Women In Vulnerable Communities Through Different Actions. Last Year An Important Plan For The Empowerment Of Women Started To Form Their Own Business Or Improve The One They Have.

19.  Approximately, 51.5 Percent Of Guatemala’s Population Are Women, And They Will Be Benefited From This Program.

20.  Among Other Actions Implemented By The Government Of Guatemala, Is The Launch Of The Economic Programme For The Empowerment Of Women. This Programme Consists Of A Technical Board Made Up Of Representatives Of Governmental, Non-Governmental Entities, Academia And International Agencies Accredited In Guatemala, Focusing Its Work In The Following Areas: A) Receiving Quantitative And Qualitative Information In A Participatory Process, Where Proposals For Actions Are Prepared, Written And Implemented For The Benefit Of Women; B) Build And Promote Inter-Institutional Work To Exchange Information Voluntarily, Cooperating And Advancing The Main Objective Of Finding Opportunities For Participation And Empowerment Of Women.

21.  I Also Want To Make A Special Mention On The Participation Of Women In The Diplomat Service In Guatemala. As You Can See In The Graphic 56% Of Guatemalans Employees At Headquarters Are Woman And 46% Abroad. As Our Permanent Representative At The Un In New York Said: For Girls And Women To Have Equal Opportunities And Be Able To Fully Develop Their Capabilities Without Discrimination, The Involvement And Participation Of The Whole Society Is Necessary. 

Madame Director General And Colleagues:

22.  Before Coming To India, I Was Informed Of The Important Bill That Was Approved By The Parliament Of India: The Women’s Reservation Bill / Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, Which Is A Great Example Of India Acknowledging The Importance Of The Role Of Women In An Inclusive Society And Particularly In Politics. This Is A Significant Achievement For Women In The Largest Democracy In The World: India! Congratulations!

23.  In This Current Moment Of The World, When Division And Wars Threaten The Existence Of Humanity, It Is Important To Continue Working Together For Equality, For Peace And For The Defense Of Human Rights. We Need Empowered Women To Participate In Peace Processes To Become More Sustainable. Unfortunately, According To Statistics From The Un, More Than 600 Million Women And Girls Are Living In Conflict-Affected Countries Which Represents A 50 Percent Increase Since 2017.

24.  23 Years Have Passed Since The Adoption Of The Resolution 1325 By The Security Council Of The United Nations And Despite Some Progress Has Been Made, It Is Not Enough. It Is Paramount To Continue Working For A Gender Parity In Women’s Representation, Empowerment And Inclusion In Peace Talks.

25.  It Is Necessary To Continue Working Together For Extending The Quotas Of Participation Of Women In The World, Like It Happened Here, In This Incredible Country India, An Example For The World.

26.  Before Concluding, I Want To Quote A Piece, Of The Sacred Mayan/Quiché Book, The Popol-Vuh, Which Tells Us:

“Let Us Rise Up As One, Let No One Be Left Behind, Let There Be Neither One Nor Two Of Us, But Us All” / In Spanish:  Que Todos Se Levanten, Que Nadie Se Quede Atrás, Que No Seamos Ni Uno Ni Dos De Nosotros, Sino Todos".  Even In The Ancient Times When This Sacred Book Was Written, There Was A Clear Message Of Inclusion And Harmony. Sustainable Peace Is Impossible Withoth Women At The Table!

27.  This Quote Is A Resounding Call For Unity, Solidarity And Peace In The Very Complex World We Are Living. This Quote Has A Very Profound Analogy With The Very Wise Indian Vision Of G20: One World, One Family, One Future (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam).

28.  Thanks So Much Today For Coming And I Am So Honored To Be In This Wonderful Country, The Country Of Mahatma Gandhi, The Country Of Indira Gandhi, A Country Of Peace, A Leader In The Global South, With A Unique History To Share With The World!

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