The ۱۱th international seminar on the occasion of preventing the exploitation of the environment in war and armed conflict was held at the Museum of Islamic Revolution and Holy Defence with emphasis on the nexus between environment, war, migration.
The event took place on November ۱۲, ۲۰۱۹ in the Persian Gulf Hall in collaboration with the Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs, the Center for Peace and Environment, the Society for Agricultural Ecology, and the United Nations Department.
Among the speakers at this event were Massoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, Salah Zawawi, H.E Ambassador of Palestine, and Ugochi Daniels, UN Human Settlements Program Coordinator.
In her speech, Massoumeh Ebtekar welcomed all the guests at the event that had participated, acknowledging the fact that in ۲۰۰۱, the United Nations General Assembly designated November ۶th of each year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict to draw global public attention to this matter.
Ebtekar stated, “This event can also serve to highlight the role of women in peace building as well as mitigating the consequences of war such as homelessness and forced migration of women and families.”
“It is undeniable that during the last half of the ۲۰th century, and early ۲۱st, we have borne witness for many conflicts and wars. Even more evident and horrific than the devastating side-effects of wars, insecurity and conflicts has been the human costs measured in deaths and injuries, mass uprooting and homelessness on an unprecedented scale both domestically, across borders and even huge human spillovers measured in the millions, into other continents,” the vice president added.
She continued, “In the wake of this comes, poverty, unemployment, political unrest in the receiving countries and often a widening gap in cross-cultural misunderstandings by the states so affected. In the midst of this tsunami of negatives, the environment and natural resources of the world are the silent victims and their degradation invariably aggravates these disasters.”
Ebtekar pointed out that the unanimous conclusion of the body of research on the environmental impacts arising from wars and conflicts is that, “the effect of using military equipment in short and medium term conflict and denying long-term care to repair the declining state of the environment, has resulted in costly and irreversible consequences that even peace can never compensate.”
The vice president spoke of an advance towards peace and solace, declaring that, “Public awareness about environmental conservation and use of alternative sources of production and energy consumption, synchronizing the interaction among economic development, social and environmental outcomes and reaching the goals of sustainable development is the essential and core basis of peace and security that can be achieved through respect, maintaining national laws, and commitment to accepted regional multilateral agreements and international law.”
She held, “The role of women as both victims and major actors in this regard must be comprehensively addressed. Women and children are the most negatively impacted sectors of society in war and conflict.”
Furthermore, she added, “This not only leads to loss of life and undermining of families but also forced migration and destruction of natural resources which has devastated their livelihoods.”
The vice president for women and family affairs stated that, “Iran alone has annually hosted more than three million refugees for the past four decades, imposing high social and economic costs on the national economy.” She continued, “These invaluable services have not been recognized by the international community and now the situation is worsened by unilateral coercive measures and sanctions against the Iranian nation.”
Ebtekar addressed the collaborating centers, saying, “The UN is expected to commit more effort into fulfilling its purpose which is maintenance and promotion of just peace around the world; since guaranteeing peace and security are the first steps toward the growth and excellence of communities and environmental conservation in every country.”
She went on to say, “The Center for Peace and Environment and the Society for Agricultural Ecology in collaboration with the Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs will convene an international event on the occasion of ۶th November to delineate the importance of observation of international law, rapid conflict resolution and of post conflict assessment for evaluation of long term effects of environmental degradation on migration and women refugees and families.”
Vice President for Women and Family Affairs