Ulaanbaatar, 29 June 2023 (dpa/MIA) - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called for more women to be involved in resolving international crises and conflicts at a meeting centered on feminist foreign policy in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbatar.

"No society on Earth can be successful if you exclude half of your population," Germany's top diplomat said on Thursday.

The meeting of women foreign ministers from Asia, Africa and Europe focused on the role of women in promoting peace and security.

"We should organize more strongly to cooperate, but also to learn from each other," Baerbock said.

"Women are important peacemakers and peacekeepers when they are involved in humanitarian work."

She announced that Germany would provide at least an additional 1 million ($1.09 million) in the current budget year to support a UN fund for the advancement of women who are engaged in conflict prevention and resolution as well as humanitarian aid.

Talking about universal human rights, Baerbock said, also means talking about women's rights, which is "in line with three Rs - rights, representation and resources. And as long these three Rs are not being fulfilled as they are fulfilled for men, something is wrong in society."

Within the framework of a feminist foreign policy, Baerbock plans to involve women more often in conflict resolution mechanisms for international crises.

Baerbock's staff distributed English-language versions of the German Foreign Office's 80-page guideline for a feminist foreign policy among conference participants.

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor also stressed the importance of including women in peace and diplomacy efforts.

"When you have women in the room, they change the focus of the negotiations to a more inclusive discussion," Pandor said. If women are absent, the focus is on power and structures, she said.

"But when women are there, suddenly equality is discussed," Pandor added. Socio-economic rights are also addressed - so there is a broader discussion, she said.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna was also in attendance and said: "The fight for gender equality goes hand in hand with the fight for peace and freedom."

The Russian war in Ukraine, she said, was also a war against women and girls, given reports of forced evictions, rape as a weapon of war and human trafficking.

The International Criminal Court and the Ukrainian judiciary must be supported so that investigations in this regard can be carried out thoroughly and victims are supported, she added.

Photo: DPA