Michèle Alliot-Marie – Former French Defense and Interior Minister
And it is precisely because I have to tell you, wom¬en are the first victims of the war, their values, their reason for living, lead them to be the first to act. And we must support them.
The terrible images we have seen from Camp Liberty remind us that if we are here today, we are at the heart of a peaceful country, in many other countries of the world, men and women are the first victims of wars, inter-ethnic tensions, authoritarian regimes, fundamentalism, economic crises.
Military actions come from airplanes, helicopters, armored vehicles, rocket attacks, as we have seen on Camp Liberty, where soldiers are not in the first line but civilians are victim, often women first. Civilians, women do not enjoy, them, no protection, no individual – they do not have bulletproof vests, they do not have heavy helmets – or collective protection, we have seen this especially in the camp, and what is unacceptable is a camp that is not protected by armored walls that prevent such attacks.
And in my role as Minister of Defense, where many times I went to conflict zones, I have always found that reality. Whether in eastern Congo where women were again the first to be victims, whether in Afghanistan, whether in Kosovo, whether in Ivory Coast during the events, whether the limit of Sudan and Chad.
Even beyond these physical violence, women also experience the worst consequences of the economic and social crises, political crises, embargoes, destruction.
And again, in Afghanistan, when I arrived in Kabul in 2002, so soon after the war, it is one of the things I’ve seen with NGOs present. The first concern, the first priority for NGOs was to give all these widows or women, often alone with children, the means of their livelihood.
This is what I saw including Afghanistan, also a country where the mortality rate of women at the birth of their children reached more than 40%. And it is clear that the situation of war have exacerbated the situation.
All countries that devalue women, excluding them, and I think naturally fundamentalism, are countries which have a direct effect on female mortality, insofar as it denies them access to medical care.
Finally, in all authoritarian regimes and in all fundamentalists systems, women are also penalized by restrictions in their civic rights. And of course, this is particularly true of theocratic states and this is particularly the case in Iran.
So, yes faced with this situation, the democratic women who have democracy at the heart must be the first to act. They must be the first in the fight against all systems and all situations that tend to devalue their place, which also tend to encourage or allow it to develop control situations between men.
We are in charge of life in the world. It behooves us to do so, this is what you do and this is why I am here with you today.
So, ladies and gentlemen, yes today, Iran is a major source of concern for the international community because of its desire to acquire nuclear weapons, and also, together with its political system. The current policy of Iran can only lead to increase international tensions and strengthen risk of war.
And it is precisely because I have to tell you, women are the first victims of the war, their values, their reason for living, lead them to be the first to act. And we must support them. Those of us in the comfort of our lives in countries at peace, we must all be at their side to tell them that we understand and tell them that we support their struggle.
Yes, my dear Maryam, I think your work is exemplary. This means that it must serve as an example, both to those who are at the heart of the difficulties, but also to all those who can help further being but also acting.
By doing what? Because we are not here just to talk as a number of UN diplomats. But we are also here to try to act together and take concrete action.
Today, the regime in Tehran plays with national pride of Iranians, a legitimate pride. But they use this pride by using nuclear weapons program as an argument. Without the ability to bring economic. Yes, we say, and I must say that Iran is a great country, its geography, its history, its culture, must play a prominent role within nations. But if Iran acquires the bomb, it will encourage the proliferation, because all the other countries around it, because they will be afraid or because they want too to seek, to build the bomb.
So, yes, it is important to act, and act better than the international community has until today. The international community, the UN failed to find the answers today.
Since 2002, there has been no real progress, and we often feel that the diplomatic discussions are for the regime in Tehran an opportunity to save time. The path of sanctions did not deter the Iranian government, and we saw the construction of a rocket it a little over a month that the Iranian government has demonstrated its ability to use long-range missile with a nuclear warhead if Iran acquires nuclear military.
Iran needs to be the great Iran to be democratic and secular. A democratic regime, it is an obvious requirement for a large country to play an important role at the international level. Democracy is a prerequisite to play that role. And the conditions of democracy is the separation of powers, it is the distinction between the political and the religious, it is equal rights. Equal rights for all citizens, regardless of their sex.
We believe that honor, we think that the mission of human nature, is to use all skills equally. These values are those of the international community, they are values that guarantee peace, and that is why the UN has a special responsibility in their applications. It is time for the UN to act and act effectively regarding Liberty as in all conflict zones. We can not simply watch the missiles, counting points and then make a report in New York.
The action is a political action, it is the will. And responsibility, whether it is the UN, it is also that of each women. We must never give up when facing injustice. Each of us have a responsibility to say, each of us have a responsibility to encourage those on the ground, those who, like Maryam, have the courage to move forward, to mobilize the courage.
I know hesitations. I know that politics are sometimes difficult. I know that politics requires courage, especially when you are in countries and situations like yours. But I mean to each, especially the younger ones, since there are many young people here, is that to be human, to be a woman, you should always say what you want, you can. The desire is to move things. Then, have the will to act, then never forget this beautiful motto “Who dares, wins. “Well, now dare.”
Yes, my dear Maryam, I think your work is exemplary. This means that it must serve as an example, both to those who are at the heart of the difficulties, but also to all those who can help further being but also acting.
