“Ensuring access to Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Conflict, Post-conflict and Humanitarian Settings”

(25 March 2022, 1000 hrs EST / 1930 hrs IST)

Thank you Ambassador.

We thank Mexico for organizing this Arria meeting. We also thank all the briefers for sharing their valuable insights.

2. Through decades the Security Council has dedicated itself to maintenance of international peace and security and to ensure that the devastating effects of armed conflicts on civilians are minimized to the extent possible. However, their consequences are far too complex, affecting not just physical but also the psychological well-being of people across generations.

3. Conflicts do not discriminate; they profoundly impact all parties in some way or the other. It is indeed disconcerting that civilians, particularly women and children, bear the brunt disproportionately. Conflicts leave scars of physical violence, as well as ones of terror and horror. The invisibility of the latter often leaves victims under psychological distress with no mental health support.

4. The sheer magnitude of pressure on our healthcare systems brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated this psychological distress. It is therefore necessary that the international community also factors in mental health issues in its global response mechanisms for effectively mitigating the impact of the pandemic.

Mr. Chair

5. Our response mechanisms to conflict and post conflict situations need to address their multidimensional nature as well. Women and children are often at the most brutal receiving end of a protracted conflict. As victims of sexual violence or as refugees or as hostages in conflicts, they not only need a victim-centric approach but also a gender and age-centric approach for addressing such psychological impacts of conflicts in their totality.

6. While our approach to mental health needs a reset, attitudes towards mental health also need to change. One of the biggest challenges is the stigma attached to mental health and low levels of awareness across society. Civilians affected by armed conflicts often never receive psychological assistance. The treatment gap is further widened due to accessibility, availability and affordability of mental health care delivery systems. The need of the hour is to reduce this treatment deficit by scaling up both horizontally and vertically. This would mean making more mental health care services available at affordable costs to more civilians in conflict regions. In addition, it would necessitate mainstreaming of this issue across societal levels including political, legal, budgetary, medical and educational domains.

7. Both technical expertise and funding in the field of mental health are in deficit, particularly among developing countries. When national authorities in conflict ridden zones approach the international community for such specific assistance, the UN and its specialized agencies need to step in to assist them.

8. In this context, we would like to highlight the transformative effect of yoga in peacebuilding efforts in conflict-ridden societies. Initiatives like Project Air, endorsed by the UN, have helped women and girls, in the Great Lakes region to overcome from psychological wounds of sexual violence, trauma, among others. Such endeavours that holistically impact the body and mind together, deserve scaling up in conflict zones. As a major troop contributing country, we also welcome ongoing efforts to develop a mental health strategy for uniformed peacekeepers.

Mr. Chair

9. To conclude, my delegation will continue to support all efforts that actively contribute to effectively addressing the multidimensional impact of armed conflicts on civilians, including on their mental and psychological health, in their totality. Today’s meeting acknowledging the impact of armed conflicts on mental health is an important positive step in the right direction. I thank you.

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