Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, October 2010

Today's open debate in the Security Council marks the lOth anniversary of the adoption of the Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on "women and peace and security". I am honoured to take part in this debate.

Let us not lose the momentum which has been generated on this issue on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Resolution 1325 - a symbol of strength for women in peace and security.

Resolution 1325 (2000) was a crucial milestone, which we must duly underscore because it was with the adoption of that resolution that this topic took its place on the agenda of the Security Council and was therefore no longer to be considered a matter of secondary importance. Instead, it took on a crucial and relevant role in efforts towards international peace and security.

The scope of resolution 1325 (2000) has not been exhausted, as has often been said in this forum. On the contrary, much remains to be done to ensure the implementation of the four resolutions that have been adopted on the subject. Today we can say that we are on the right track.

Ten years ago this Council recognized that conflicts have a differing impact on the lives of women and men, and that both women and men have a valuable contribution to offer in advancing peace. In short, the Council recognized gender-equality, and the promotion and protection of women's rights, as a central issue to its mandate of maintaining international peace and security. We congratulate the Council, the United Nations, Regional Organisations and all Member States for the work done during this decade and thank you, Mr. President, for convening this Anniversary meeting.

The tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) is a propitious occasion to take stock of progress and identify the shortcomings. This resolution laid out the normative framework that has guided United Nations work on gender-mainstreaming policies across a broad spectrum of functions and projects in which the United Nations is engaged.

In conclusion, the tenth anniversary, which coincides with the launching of the African Women's Decade, provides an opportunity to reaffirm the spirit and core message of resolution 1325 (2000) that sustainable peace is achievable only with the full and effective participation of women. We must seize this opportunity to refocus international attention on the aims of the resolution and to galvanize all concerned parties to turn good intentions into concrete action and a tangible reality.

The role of women as actors in the search for peaceful settlements of today's conflicts is an indispensable requirement for sustainable peace and development for developing countries, in particular countries such as mine, which is one of the 18 among the 49 least developed countries that are emerging from conflict.

To localize resolution 1325 (2000) in small island developing States, we must look at the challenges women face on a daily basis, in particular the impact of climate change, which is now a threat multiplier.

This tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 provides an opportunity to take stock of what we have done well over the last decade and to look forward and see what more can be done, and how it can be done better.

Despite the achievements of the last decade, there is widespread recognition that much more remains to be done to realise the promise of resolution 1325. Ten years on, gaps still remain. Resolution 1325 still needs to be addressed in a comprehensive and strategic way.

Our resolve to take effective action on women, peace and security must not end with this tenth anniversary. We have not reached the end of the road. Australia looks forward to continuing discussions with others on how best to improve our collective response to this issue.

Throughout the many conflicts that Burundi has gone through, the people of Burundi have understood that the search for a viable and promising peace cannot be carried out by men alone but should also include women. Moreover, it has been well known for a long time in my country that women are the pillar of the family and therefore of society. When society is shaken by an armed conflict, its grisly effects inevitably have repercussions for women and their children. Therefore, the women of Burundi have understood that they should play a role in the search for peace. Thus, since the crisis broke out in Burundi in 1993, women's organizations have become involved in bringing together different groups of the population who were sharply divided along political and ethnic lines in collaboration with local administrations.

Estonia is committed to the implementation of resolution 1325 and its follow-up resolutions. My delegation would like to align itself with the comments and commitments to be made on behalf of the European Union and offer the following remarks in our national capacity.

We would also like to recall aspects relating to the status of women within the framework of attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. Building the capacity of developing countries and enabling them to achieve the Goals would be the most efficient way to improve the status of women, bearing in mind the Beijing Platform for Action and especially in the light of the close link between the Platform for Action and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and their impact on factors relating to progress in improving the status of women.

Ireland welcomes the opportunity to address the Security Council during this open debate which marks tenth anrtiversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace arid security. Ireland is deeply committed to the principles enshrined in this groundbreaking Resolution and will continue to strive for its full implementation - both in Ireland and internationally.

We all have a responsibility to implement resolution 1325 (2000). The development of national action plans is a key means by which Member States commit themselves to fulfilling that responsibility. I would like to report that Slovenia is about to finalize and adopt such an action plan. The goal is to interconnect existing national and international activities addressing a broader concept of women, peace and security in order to translate them into genuine political commitments, and thus accelerate the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and contribute to the empowerment and protection of women.

We all have a responsibility to implement resolution 1325 (2000). The development of national action plans is a key means by which Member States commit themselves to fulfilling that responsibility. I would like to report that Slovenia is about to finalize and adopt such an action plan. The goal is to interconnect existing national and international activities addressing a broader concept of women, peace and security in order to translate them into genuine political commitments, and thus accelerate the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and contribute to the empowerment and protection of women.

Belgium aligns itself with the statement that will be made later on behalf of the European Union (EU).

Belgium attaches great importance to the full and thorough implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), as well as of the follow-up resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009).

Today, we are commemorating the tenth anniversary of that Resolution, which has recognized the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts as well as in peacebuilding and opened a new path in the protection of women's full enjoyment of all human rights in armed conflicts and in the efforts to strengthen the participation and representation of women in peace and security processes.

The adoption by the Security Council of the resolution 1325 bears testimony to the progress made, during the last decade, in the area of Women and peace and security. This historic resolution has raised the much needed attention to the question of women's empowerment, which represents a priority for my country. While all the resoliltions on Women and peace and security are equally important, the 1325 serves as an umbrella resolution in addressing women's empowerment, their task as peace builders and their fragile position as victims of war.

I wlsh, on behalf of the Government of Jamaica to thank you Mr. President for convening this open debate on women's equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security,Resolution 1325 unanimously adopted in the Security Council ten years ago, brought to light one of history's best kept secrets, the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls. Recognized as a historic and unprecedented document, the impetus for its adoption was strong. This led to, for the first time, the Securlty Council devoting an entire session to a debate on women's experiences in conflict, post conflict situations and their contributions to peace.

SADC is delighted that today marks ten years since the passage of UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, which was unanimously adopted during the Namibian Presidency of the UN Security Council in October 2000.

The resolution sought to ensure women's full and active participation in conflict resolution, peace processes and post-conflict reconstruction. It also sought the protection of women and girls from all forms of violence in conflict and postconflict situations. It affirms that women are an integral part of peace and security.

Mr. President,
Ten years ago atrocities in Somalia, Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia made even the hardliners soft - at least softer. For the first time, they let this Council discuss and agree on key questions for sustainable peace:
What do women want?
What do women need?
How can women contribute?

Thus came Resolution 1325.
At least on paper, this resolution gives women a voice, and better protection. Mr. President, I thank you and the Council for convening this open ministerial meeting - to remind us all what a long way we still have to go, to make the good intentions of Resolution 1325 a reality.

Mr. President, Norway supports the women, peace and security agenda because we know it is the only way to sustainable peace and to free millions of women and children from the appalling suffering we see in too many current conflicts. The suffering and humiliation is a scar on humanity's face. We cannot tolerate this.

As so many before me have said today, Resolution 1325 is a landmark: recognizing the urgent need to mainstream a gender perspective in the prevention, management and resolution of armed conflicts and in all stages of the peace building processes.

And finally to promote the active participation of civil society in the implementation of 1325 resolution and the National Action Plan. As I have stressed before, Portugal remains available to engage with the UN and other international actors in sharing experiences and good practices that allow us to move forward in this decisive area.

It has been 10 years since the Security Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000), following the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Resolution 1325 (2000) reaffirms the need to implement the obligations of these instruments, aimed at addressing the situation of women in armed conflict. The adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) at the dawn of the twenty-first century and the new millennium was a significant milestone in the recognition of the role that women played and continue to play in the maintenance of international peace and security. In South Africa, women played a critical role in the struggle for liberation, the transition to democracy, and post-conflict reconstruction and development.

As we commemorate the tenth year of resolution 1325 (2000), South Africa believes that, while progress has been made in the implementation of its provisions, a lot remains to be done in achieving its objectives.
Today's meeting presents a perfect opportunity to review the impact of interventions and to assess progress in order to identify gaps and consolidate new perspectives towards streamlining and accelerating the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

The adoption of the Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), ten years ago, was a landmark in our efforts to recognize the women's contribution to the maintenance and promotion of peace and security and their specific needs and concerns during and in the aftermath of armed conflicts.

Today's debate in many ways would be an assessment of the evolution of this issue, as well as an opportunity to identify the challenges ahead. Although the devastation stemming from armed conflicts does not discriminate along gender lines, it is known that women and children, particularly girls, often experience a disproportionate share of the harm during and in the aftermath of armed conflicts.

The adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) was an important milestone in empowering women in the critical areas of peace and security, where women have often been deliberate targets and silent victims of violent conflicts. The effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is therefore a necessity. In this regard we wish to emphasize the following points.

I thank you, Mr. President, and the delegation of Uganda for convening this important high-level meeting to mark the tenth anniversary of the historic resolution 1325 (2000). We thank the Secretary-General for his report contained in document S/2010/498, on women and peace and security, as well as his report contained in document S/2010/466, on women's participation in peacebuilding, which he presented to the Council a few days ago.

As we gather to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the situation of women and girls in conflict situations remains far from satisfactory. The report of the Secretary-General on the occasion of the tenth anniversary notes that “Despite an apparent firm foundation and promise, 10 years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), significant achievements are difficult to identify or quantify. The conditions and opportunities that women and girls face in situations of armed conflict continue to be abhorrent” (S/2010/498, para. 3).

As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), it is incumbent upon us to take stock of the progress made since its adoption a decade ago and identify concrete actions to reinforce the integration of gender equality perspectives in the framework of peace and security.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the landmark Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. It was the first Security Council resolution to address women's issues in the international peace and security agenda. Member States, the United Nations system, civil society, and parties to conflict were called upon to, among others, acknowledge the role of and address the plight of women in situations of armed conflict. Resolution 1325 also sought to protect women and girls from violence, particularly sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.

On the eve of the 10th anniversary of Resolution 1325 we must not relent on our accomplishments so far. Rather we must strive to ensure that the women, peace and security agenda finally becomes central to the peace and security debate.

For the purposes of this event, we first wish to comment on the pronouncement, highlighted in the Secretary-General's report, that in the 10 years since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), its overall implementation has been slow. Undoubtedly, progress has been made, but much work remains to be done in implementing the resolution and assessing the progress of individual countries.

My delegation is grateful for the opportunity to participate in this open debate of the Security Council on the contribution of women to international peace and security. We acknowledge the visionary work of the Council and its members, aimed at enhancing the principles of resolution 1325 (2000) and the empowerment of women. We are pleased with the new gender entity, UN Women, under the leadership of a distinguished stateswoman, Michelle Bachelet. The Secretary-General has also shown an excellent example in incorporating women into the upper management of the Organization, and I reiterate our commitment to cooperation and support for all.

For reasons that have been extensively studied and debated through the ages, women and children have always been the vast majority of the innocent victims of violence and armed conflict. The irony remains that these victims, the most vulnerable and most affected, emerge from their precarious condition of fragility to provide great consolation in times of anguish, to be healers of suffering and to help mitigate the torments caused by ruthless violence in all its manifestations.

Due to the very nature of their being, women, from birth, learn to be peacemakers and negotiators in conflicts. This is the task that they carry out entirely naturally within the bosom of their families, and by virtue of their innate abilities as catalysts of agreements in the intimacy of their homes and in the most complex situations. We have seen them acting as mediators in hostilities, as bridges to overcome differences and as intermediaries in serious disputes.

Women listen with their feelings. Through the healing of the heart and the balm of emotion, they can reach the soul to cure wounds, where medicine stumbles and science fails. Sometimes relief comes more from soothing the affliction than from treatment of an actual physical injury, just as a mother puts her child to sleep with the mellifluous whisper of her voice and the soft caresses of her love, women soothe pain with only the breath of their serene words and their tranquil presence.

I come from one of those small nations, as the poet has said, where our history could be written in a teardrop, and I can vouch for this second type of heroism. For example, those self-sacrificing mothers in my homeland, bearing the cross of poverty on their shoulders, with no companionship other than their solitude and the burden of their responsibilities, support and educate their children, so that they can achieve their impossible dreams. They are heroines of peace. There are those dedicated women who, defying prejudice and defeating the inertia of inequality, climbed the mountain peak. They are heroines of peace.

When, in Central America, where I come from, we passed through the bloody polarization of the 1980s, the women who enlisted in any of these civilian trenches to aid the destitute, to care for refugees or take part in the reconstruction of their homeland were, unquestionably, heroines of peace. When, in my country, we suffered the impact of a brutal natural disaster that shattered the geography of our country into hundreds of pieces, like a jigsaw puzzle, all of those compatriots and those women who came from other parts of the world as members of volunteer missions, to help in that moment of misfortune, to repair lives, to breathe encouragement to the griefstricken — they were all heroines of peace.

The immigrants who, desperate and hopeless, leave their beloved homeland, risking everything, even their lives, to reach a destination that offers a way to provide for their kin — and who, ironically, with their remittances, help sustain the sickly economy of the country from which they fled — they are heroines of peace. There is no greater contribution than acts of solidarity, large and small, that brighten the darkness, that make coexistence easier and lighten the heavy burden of life. That woman, who is real, who exists everywhere, and whom we do not see, because we have become accustomed to her silent, daily, constant and untiring presence; that stranger who, without monument or tribute, builds peace every day, because the cry of suffering, the agony of
tribulation, has neither nationality nor borders.

At the outset, let me join others in commending you for organizing this open debate on the occasion of the anniversary of resolution 1325. We welcome the last report of the Secretary General and the recommendations contained therein as an important step in moving the Women, Peace and Security agenda from rhetoric to action. We also align ourselves with the
statement delivered by Canada on behalf of the Friends of Women, Peace and Security.

I strongly believe that the enhanced cooperation in the field of women, peace and security, and the joint commitment to foster the implementation ofthis agenda shall ensure that women fully enjoy their fundamental rights which are basic components of lasting peace and security.

India has consistently held the view that greater participation of women in the areas of conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peace keeping and post conflict reconstruction is an essential pre-requisite for lasting peace and security.

As a next step we request the Secretary-General to include the information- gathered on the basis of the indicators in his country-specific and relevant thematic reports in a systematic and comprehensive manner. Without accurate and timely information it is difficult for the Council to take appropriate action in areas that need our urgent attention, such as the prevention of sexual violence. We hope the Council will in the future also receive briefings on situations, where data gathered through the indicators suggest an outbreak of violence against women or a further deterioration of a situation. Early warning and prevention is still by far the best protection.

Through the Austrian Development Agency, Austria supports and implements projects tailored towards, the implementation of 1325, in particular in relation to violence against Women,DDR, cooperation with civil society, for conflict prevention and peacekeeping. We will continue with these efforts. The Austrian multilateral development cooperation will keep a strong focus on women and children in crisis and post conflict situations.

However, I must say, that recent events have unfortunately shown us that the capacity to respond to such acts must be greatly strengthened. As my country has stated on other occasions, a crucial consideration in addressing this problem is having information that would allow us to take preventive measures and to respond swiftly to such situations. We must explore mechanisms that allow for reliable information exchange on acts of sexual violence in order to take measures aimed at reducing and fighting this scourge. It is the view of my delegation that the capacity for such information exchange among United Nations agencies, the various committees of the Security Council and the Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict should be substantially strengthened.

The indicators that have been presented form, in this respect, the basis for a comprehensive consideration of the progress made by the United Nations system and Member States in the priority areas of prevention, participation, protection, relief and recovery. These clearly reflect the complementary nature of resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009). We also agree with the Secretary-General that UN Women could serve as the coordinating body for the follow-up on these indicators.

Finland believes that conflict prevention, mediation, and peaceful settlement of disputes should occupy a more central place in the peace and security agenda of the United Nations. Equal and effective participation of women at all stages and at all levels of peace processes is an integral part of our policies. For example, Finland supports the African Union in strengthening its mediation capacities. We recently carried out a very successful training in the participation of women in preventive diplomacy and mediation.

The challenges faced by my country in implementing resolution 1325 (2000) include the establishment of a gender early warning system. However, it was project-driven, and the initiative slowed when the project ended. It is important that, whatever gender-related activities are carried out, it is done on a sustainable way and established within existing gender institutions, in particular faith-based women's groups that are rural-based, community-focused and meet frequently.

Solomon Islands has adopted various conflict-prevention mechanisms in an effort to prevent the country from sliding back into conflict. The South African model of a truth and reconciliation commission is operating, allowing victims to seek justice and offenders forgiveness. The Government is looking at the notion of complementing that with a forgiveness bill to bring about a process for former militants who seek reconciliation with society.

I would like to share with you some activities that we will carry out in implementing Canada's Action Plan. We will:
• ensure that our non-governmental partners delivering Canadian humanitarian assistance have codes of conduct related to sexual exploitation and abuse;
• develop training modules which address prevention and protection issues from the women, peace and security agenda for Government of Canada personnel being deployed to peace operations, fragile states or conflict affected situations; and
• identify Canadian specialists with expertise in women, peace and security issues, who may be called upon to support future peace operations, including peace processes.

The topics promoted through these pillars are primarily participation, conflict prevention, protection against violence against women and children and community recovery. In terms of the latter, projects have already been carried out through the peacebuilding programme in the western part of our country, but, given the enormous needs in post-conflict reconstruction, gender-based projects need to be encouraged and established throughout the country.

The situation of women in armed conflict has always been part of dealing comprehensively with the root causes of conflict. Therefore, we endorse the report's reference to a work plan covering the underlying causes of conflict, such as poverty, socio-economic and gender inequalities, endemic underdevelopment, weak or non-existent institutions and the absence of effective governance. This approach is based on the fact that war is war. Wherever war breaks out, its negative impact affects the vulnerable parts of society: women and children. Accordingly, we affirm that a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement of conflicts is the mother of all solutions for all issues pertaining to the situation of women in armed conflict.

Another central idea arising from the cross-learning initiative was the need to engage with men. Women, peace and security is not just a "women's issue." In order to achieve true gender equality, men and women must work side by side. We had several male gender champions involved in the initiative and their contribution to the process was invaluable. 1325 permeates all facets of conflict prevention, resolution and post-conflict reconstruction and men involved in these processes must be convinced of the relevance of 1325 to their work. Given the patriarchal nature of many societies, men can and should become positive role models to younger boys and in this way, 1325 will become a global, normative issue as opposed to a "women's issue." Peace is not sustainable, nor can it be sustained, without the support of all members of society.

Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security acknowledged that women are not just victims of armed conflict and that their equal and full participation is of vital importance in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery.

Today, we are commemorating the tenth anniversary of that Resolution, which has recognized the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts as well as in peacebuilding and opened a new path in the protection of women's full enjoyment of all human rights in armed conflicts and in the efforts to strengthen the participation and representation of women in peace and security processes.

I am pleased to say that Croatia has taken steps to integrate the gender perspective into the national security policy through its National Strategy for the Promotion of Gender Equality as and is currently developing its National Action Plan on the implementation of the resolution 1325, which is expected to be adopted by 2011. Under the leadership of its fIrst female Prime Minister, Her Excellency Ms Jadranka Kosar, Croatia will continue to give its firm support to all areas of the women, peace and security agenda. We see it as a "gender-based peace agenda", which involves addressing the disproportionate effect of conflict on women and combating sexual violence. It is also abollt securing a full, equal and effective participation of women at all stages of the peace process, giving them an equal role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as well as in peace-building. The realization of these goals is a basis for safeguarding basic human rights and achieving human security and lasting peace.

Resolution 1325 reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building.We acknowledge that in some parts of the world women have become increasingly effective participants at the peace table and have continued to assist in creating an enabling environment for conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peace building and post-conflict construction. However, progress in these areas has not been consistent.

Since we believe that effective peace building starts from the national and subregional, to the international level, it is of vital importance that the UN works closely together with regional groups, such as SADC, as we believe. To that end, the United Nations and SADC signed an agreement on 21 September 2010, to work together on issues vital to peace and security such as conflict prevention, mediation and elections.

As so many before me have said today, Resolution 1325 is a landmark: recognizing the urgent need to mainstream a gender perspective in the prevention, management and resolution of armed conflicts and in all stages of the peace building processes.

As an equal component of any society, women should have equal and active participation in formulating political, economic and social policies. Equally, as victims of exclusion, as vulnerable targets in conflicts and as mothers and breadwinners, women have high stakes in conflict prevention and resolution, and in all issues related to peace and security. Yet, in the name of tradition, in the name of culture and sometimes even in the name of security, women have continued to be excluded, and too often they have been set aside while men brokered peace agreements. We are encouraged, therefore, that more and more women are challenging this viewpoint and are increasingly demanding involvement as stakeholders in their communities. Their potential as peacebuilders must now be harnessed.

We have to make concerted efforts to support and strengthen the capacities of women and their networks to actively participate in all processes of conflict prevention and management, as well as in peacebuilding and peace consolidation. In this regard, we commend the efforts that have been undertaken by various stakeholders, in particular the United Nations system, civil society and various national political leaders, in promoting the participation of women in peacebuilding and peace consolidation processes.

Thirdly, women's political and economic empowerment and the promotion and protection of women's and girls' rights are critical for promoting women's participation in conflict prevention, post-conflict activities and gender mainstreaming in post-conflict strategies. More funds should now be provided in this regard, including to ensure that women have access to quality education, to capacity building through entrepreneurship and to economic opportunity.

We particularly commend the adoption early this year of the three-year Joint Strategy on Gender and Mediation initiated by the Department of Political Affairs and UNIFEM, and the proposed seven-point action plan, which contains actions needed to enhance women's participation in peacebuilding — a fundamental factor to prevent war and empower women. In this connection, we sincerely hope that the newly established UN Women, once it has completed its transitional arrangements, will become a stronger entity and take the lead in the women and peace and security agenda. At the national level, among other things, the national action plans being designed, adopted and put in place represent a meaningful contribution. We hope that adequate resources will be made available to ensure the full implementation of these plans.

In maintenance of intemational peace and security, we take pride for our modest contribution of troops and police to the UN Peacekeeping missions. Recruitment of women in police and military amply delineates our commitment towards women empowerment nationally as well as in international arena. We are pleased that we could deploy a Full Contingent of All- Female Fonned Police Unit or FPU to Haiti following the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

I am pleased to inform that our all men troop contingent are fully briefed on the gender issue. We hope sufficient further training will be arranged for them for reinforcing their understanding. We are aware that we need to ensure a gender perspective into all conflict prevention activities and strategies, develop effective gender sensitive early warning mechanisms and institutions, and strengthen efforts to prevent violence against women, including various forms of gender-based violence.

I am pleased to say that this year, on 25 March 2010, the Philippines became the first Asian country to adopt a national action plan on women and peace and security, implementing Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008). Our plan envisions enhancing and strengthening women's role in peacebuilding processes.
Our plan has four major goals: first, to ensure the protection and prevention of violence of women's human rights in armed conflict and post-conflict situations; secondly, to empower women and ensure their active and meaningful participation in areas of peacebuilding, peacekeeping and conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction; thirdly, to promote and mainstream a gender perspective in all aspect of conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding; and fourthly, to institutionalize a monitoring and reporting system to monitor, evaluate and report to enhance accountability for the successful implementation of the Philippine National Action Plan and the achievement of its goals.

At the regional level, through the African Union, East African Community, and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region, Uganda is committed to strengthening collaboration on enhancing women's participation and empowerment in conflict prevention, mediation, and resolution. We are convinced that women have an important role to play in ensuring durable peace, security, and development.

Among recent developments, I would like to mention that, as recognition of the particular needs of women and with a view to ensuring a life free of violence, in December 2008 we adopted law No. 1257 of 2008. That law sets out standards of awareness, prevention and punishment for forms of violence and discrimination against women. It extends the concept of violence against women to any act or omission that causes death, injury or physical, sexual, psychological, economic or patrimonial injury because of gender, as well as threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether in the public or private spheres. In addition, under decree No. 164, of 25 January 2010, the national Government set up the Inter-Agency Group to Eradicate Violence against Women, a body that will facilitate comprehensive, targeted, accessible and quality care to women who are victims of violence and will act as a forum to coordinate and organize the various entities engaged in that task.

In peacebuilding, State bodies work together in joint efforts to guarantee the protection of women from risks that affect them in areas where there are illegal armed groups. Furthermore, ensuring inclusion of the gender perspective and the full participation of women in the prevention of violence is being promoted. In that regard, with the support of the European Union and citizen participation, the Peace Laboratories programme is being promoted in areas affected by violence. That initiative explores paths of dialogue and coexistence, peaceful mechanisms for resistance and protection of the civilian population. Women are beneficiaries and/or agents of projects that promote peace in those areas.

The Government of El Salvador acknowledges and values the progress made thus far, both by the international community as a whole and by Member States in particular, in reaffirming the important role of women in conflict prevention and resolution and in peacebuilding. These efforts also reaffirm the need for women to participate on an equal footing and to be fully involved in all initiatives aimed at maintaining and promoting peace and security, as well as the importance of increasing their participation in decision-making processes for conflict prevention and resolution.

El Salvador welcomes the evolution of this historic resolution and the subsequent adoption by the Council of resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1882 (2009) on the prevention and response to sexual violence in conflicts an resolution 1888 (2009) on the participation of women in peacebuilding. We see those resolutions as crucial elements for confronting the challenges and obstacles to the full participation of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts as well as in public life after conflict.

To conclude, allow me to share the following thoughts with Council members. In our view, the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) presents a valuable opportunity to establish a bridge between the Security Council and the General Assembly in terms of the participation and inclusion of women in conflict prevention and resolution and in peacebuilding. It is now time for comprehensive cooperation between these main bodies of the United Nations on this question, for the benefit of women, girls and all the peoples of the world.

Besides action being undertaken by member states, the United Nations as a whole has an important role to play in the implementation of resolution 1325.We are of the opinion that partnerships between member states and between member states and the United Nations are crucial. To give but one example: The "UN Police Standardized Training Curriculum on Investigating and Preventing Sexual and Gender-based Violence", organized by DPKO and funded by my country. In several seminars women police officers from all parts of the world can come together, share their experiences and work out a concept on how to better prevent abhorrent crimes of this nature from happening in the future.

When the Security Council adopted the landmark resolution 1325 on 31 October 2000, it acknowledged the negative impact of armed conflicts on women and highlighted their decisive role in conflict prevention and in consolidating peace. Ten years later, however, the plight of women and girls in armed conflicts goes on unabated. The implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda remains slow and uneven at best. Recent incidents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have once again confirmed that sexual violence is used as a method of warfare to achieve military and strategic ends. Women are still excluded from decision-making processes in peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction.

I am very pleased to represent the Government of the Republic of Hungary at this meeting and commemorate with all of you the 10th anniversary of this groundbreaking resolution. The adoption by consensus of Security Council Resolution 1325 ten years ago was an important step to advance gender equality through incorporating the gender perspective into peacekeeping operations and promotion of the participation of women at decision-making levels for the prevention, management, and resolution ofarmed conflicts.

The importance of women's participation in confiict prevention, conflict resolution and reconstruction is clearly addressed in landmark Security Council resolutions 1325 and 1820, on women, peace and security. I would go as far as to say that "1325" is one of the best-known resolutions the Security Council has adopted. More so, it should also be one of the mostly widely implemented resolutions. Because it certainly is among the least complicated resolutions to implement. Basically, we need to:

• Talk to women - to obtain a better understanding and resolution of a conflict;

• Protect women - to keep them and their families safe from violence, to keep their communities stable;

• Involve women - to build back a more secure and economically viable society;

Through the Austrian Development Agency, Austria supports and implements projects tailored towards, the implementation of 1325, in particular in relation to violence against Women,DDR, cooperation with civil society, for conflict prevention and peacekeeping. We will continue with these efforts. The Austrian multilateral development cooperation will keep a strong focus on women and children in crisis and post conflict situations.

Solomon Islands has adopted various conflict-prevention mechanisms in an effort to prevent the country from sliding back into conflict. The South African model of a truth and reconciliation commission is operating, allowing victims to seek justice and offenders forgiveness. The Government is looking at the notion of complementing that with a forgiveness bill to bring about a process for former militants who seek reconciliation with society.

Turning to peacekeeping, it is important to emphasize that, at this time, the idea of having women in the police and army is socially accepted, even if their numbers have not reached those of women in other institutions. In our policy with regard to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants, women have been included and benefit equally from this policy. Their specific needs are taken into account, be it through the assistance that has been granted, in the past, to former male combatants or through the integration of women into the national defence forces.

Many specialized centres have also been founded at the central and provincial levels in order to coordinate women's efforts in the fields of peace and development and to offer women-oriented guidance and consultations on bolstering the concept of gender equality and dealing with the status of women in areas afflicted by war, be it in the southern parts of the country or in Darfur. It is worth noting here that disarmament, demobilization, resettlement and reintegration programmes have given special priority to the situation of women, in close coordination with relevant United Nations agencies, including the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

In conclusion, SADC has devoted a lot of efforts in empowering and advancing women. However, women still remain largely underrepresented from key decisionmaking structures and in peacemaking and peacebuilding processes. The region believes that given the opportunity, women are active agents of change and play a critical role in the recovery and reintegration of families after conflict. Women are also instrumental in bringing about reconciliation and democracy in post-conflict societies.

With the defeat of terrorism in May 2009, through a massive humanitarian rescue mission, the Government took concerted action to rehabilitate and reintegrate all former child combatants. Among them, 351 were girls. Knowing that these children had been forced to take up guns instead of school books, the Government of Sri Lanka adopted a prudent, practical and compassionate approach towards their reintegration. Such an approach was based on the principles of women empowerment, livelihood training, psycho-social support, and above all, restorative justice. For those who missed the opportunity of experiencing a childhood and a formal education, arrangements have been made through the “ catch up schools” to enable them to complete the General Certificate of Education examinations, irrespective of their current age. The state and society view them as victims and not as perpetrators. The lessons learnt and the good practices adopted by Sri Lanka in the arduous process of rapidly restoring the future of these children, deserve appreciation. Ours is a success story that has no parallel elsewhere.

With regard to former adult LTTE cadres, the Government has placed a high priority on their social and economic reintegration. In recognition of this priority, a vocational/technical/language training programme under the “Accelerated Skills Acquisition Programme,” (IT, heavy machinery operation, electrical, mechanical, the specific apparel sector, etc.) has been developed. This is intended to enable their gainful participation in the various employment opportunities that are being created with the ongoing massive infrastructure and other development projects in the North and the East.

Further, with a view to harnessing the potential of social integration and social development of these former combatants, the Ministry in charge of rehabilitation, in collaboration with the Hindu Congress and the Commissioner General for Rehabilitation, organized a wedding ceremony for 53 couples who wished to get married. 53 houses were constructed for the newly weds to complete their rehabilitation programme as husband and wife.

We believe that the proliferation of small arms increases the risk of interpersonal violence, including domestic and societal violence, which often continue after conflicts. Hence, curbing the spread of small arms would be a step in the right direction in minimizing gender based violence. As Resolution 1325 extensively focuses on the women's role in peacekeeping and peace building, Sri Lanka stands ready to extend its support to achieve gender parity in UN Peacekeeping activities and in carrying our the gender related mandates of the Peacekeeping Missions. Necessary background, including, pre-deployment training, has been completed to deploy an all female battalion comprising 855 personnel and 28 female officers, at any given time. Sri Lanka is also willing to share its experiences in this area with other countries in need of such assistance through relevant UN agencies.

Women, being not merely victims, but rather agents of change, should be able to involve themselves more in peace talks to better reflect their priorities in the text of peace agreements. Moreover, having emerged from many destructive wars, we in Viet Nam are convinced that women can play an active role in peacebuilding and reconstruction if and when they are empowered economically, financially, politically and institutionally, and when their special needs, including health and education, are properly addressed. With this in mind, we hope that the seven commitments listed in the Secretary-General's report contained in document S/2010/466 can be fully honoured so as to ensure women's equal involvement as participants and beneficiaries in local development, employment creation, income generation, front-line service delivery, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes in post-conflict situations.

Moreover, guidelines for the displaced population are being drawn up with a targeted gender approach. Their goal is to provide effective care that responds to the specific needs and impact that displacement has on women. The guidelines are based on three guiding aspects: participation, a focus on law, and a genderperspective approach. The national policy for the socio-economic reintegration of people demobilized from illegal armed groups seeks full inclusion of the gender perspective approach in institutional actions. Likewise, there is a programme for the prevention of domestic violence in families with reintegrated persons.

Protection of women and their participation in all parts of society are two sides of the same medal. Resolution 1325 clearly stipulates that women must be seen as active players whose contributions in all aspects of peace-building and peace-keeping processes are absolutely essential for the (re-) construction of societies and in achieving sustainable peace and development. Empowering of women is important in security sector reform as well as in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes Germany therefore also welcomes the action plan contained in the Secretary General's report on resolution 1889, including the call for increased financing for gender equality and women's empowerment in countries emerging from conflict.

It is time to move towards more concrete action. What can member states and the United Nations as a whole do?The German Government will shortly present it's third implementation report on resolution 1325 to Parliament. While striving for the full and timely implementation of the entire resolution, and looking ahead, priority will be given to: 1) Increased participation of women in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms, particularly in higher positions 2) Financial and technical support to UN gender awareness-raising campaigns 3) A gender perspective during and after the negotiation of peace agreements 4) The special needs of women combatants in demobilisation and reintegration
processes

Having had the resolution in operational mode for a decade, we need to redouble our efforts to increase women's participation at all stages and all levels of the peace processes and peacebuilding efforts.

In Sikhism, women are considered to have the same souls as men and an equal right to grow spiritually. They are allowed to lead religious congregations, take part in the Akhand Path (the continuous recitation of the Holy Scriptures), perform Kirtan (congregational singing of hymns), work as a Granthi, and participate in all religious, cultural, social, and secular activities.

The imperative of political empowennent of women cannot be overemphasized. India took a historic initiative of empowering women by reserving one third of the seats in more than 300,000 institutions of local self-government to women. As a result, today, out of the some 3.2 million elected representatives in these local bodies, there are 1.2 million women, about 86,000 of whom serve as chairpersons or vice chairpersons of their respective units.

We are taking further steps towards increasing the participation of women to 50 % in these institutions, which will take the number of elected women to 1.6 to 1.8 million. Presently, a Bill for the same is under the consideration of the Parliament of India. There are, perhaps, more democratically elected women in India alone than in the rest of the world put together. This political empowerment of women is an unprecedented feat in the entire history ofthe world.

Resolution 1325 highlighted the impact of anned conflict on women and the need for effective institutional arrangements to guarantee their protection and full participation in peace processes.

We can reach lasting peace and security in any country only when women are represented at the negotiating table or in talks on post-conflict reconstruction. In the same vein, let me add that the three pillars of lasting peace name,ly, economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy, cannot be achieved without active engagement engagement of women.

India has consistently held the view that greater participation of women in the areas of conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peace keeping and post conflict reconstruction is an essential pre-requisite for lasting peace and security.

Let me also add my voice to other speakers who had called for greater deployment of female military and police personnel to United Nations peacekeeping operations, and to provide all military and police personnel with adequate training to carry out their responsibilities. In this regard, we encourage, especiallly those who champion the importance of participation of women peacekeepers and also have the inclination and capacity, to do so.

Over the past decade, progress in the implementation has been slow and uneven. The resolution's real impact remains to be felt on the ground in many areas. All too often women do not make it to the tables where decisions are taken in peace processes or post-conflict reconstruction that have a direct impact on their lives. There are no issues that are not also women's issues. Every month hundreds of women and children fall victims· to sexual violence under the eyes of their governments and the international community. Women and girls with disabilities remain even more vulnerable. Ten years on, our focus must therefore lie on how we can ensure better and more coherent implementation of the objectives enshrined in these resolutions and make a real difference for women in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Austria commits to contextualize education, and pre-deployment training of its armed forces personnel in order to address specific operational realities in regions of deployment, including the impact of conflict on gender relations and the role and participation of women (on the basis of relevant UN Guidelines).

Resolution 1325 (2000) was the starting point for subsequent developments in the Security Council related to this topic, aimed at ensuring the participation of women in peacekeeping, peacebuilding and the fight against sexual violence against women and girls. For this reason, that resolution, together with resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009), has provided the international community with a framework for addressing the needs of women in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Ten years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we reiterate that the participation of women must be an integral part of peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts. This is the view of my country, which currently has a number of female military observers. However, we wish to broaden the participation of women, and Peru is therefore training female personnel, who we hope will be ready for deployment in the second half of 2011.

As indicated by the Secretary-General in his report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466), women are decisive agents in the three pillars of lasting peace: economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy. In that regard, we agree with the Secretary-General that the participation of women in peace processes allows for the integration of a gender perspective in post-conflict planning, which is essential to ensuring the participation of women in long-term peacebuilding.

As indicated by the Secretary-General in his report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466), women are decisive agents in the three pillars of lasting peace: economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy. In that regard, we agree with the Secretary-General that the participation of women in peace processes allows for the integration of a gender perspective in post-conflict planning, which is essential to ensuring the participation of women in long-term peacebuilding.

As indicated by the Secretary-General in his report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466), women are decisive agents in the three pillars of lasting peace: economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy. In that regard, we agree with the Secretary-General that the participation of women in peace processes allows for the integration of a gender perspective in post-conflict planning, which is essential to ensuring the participation of women in long-term peacebuilding.

The indicators that have been presented form, in this respect, the basis for a comprehensive consideration of the progress made by the United Nations system and Member States in the priority areas of prevention, participation, protection, relief and recovery. These clearly reflect the complementary nature of resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009). We also agree with the Secretary-General that UN Women could serve as the coordinating body for the follow-up on these indicators.

As stated in the Secretary-General's report, resolution 1325 (2000) has played an important role in facilitating the participation of non-governmental organizations, including women's organizations, in promoting women's participation in peace processes.

We have made progress in recognizing the importance of the participation of women in peace and security. However, there are many challenges that we have yet to tackle, given that this is a matter of changing the lives of women and girls, who have the right to live free from fear and violence, enjoying respect and equal opportunities.

Ten years ago, when it adopted resolution 1325 (2000), the Council acknowledged that women and girls suffered disproportionately from the effects of armed conflicts and were frequently the specific and deliberate victims of various forms of violence. The Security Council took an important step in incorporating the agenda of women and peace and security into its work and in recognizing the importance of the participation of women in all stages of armed conflict, post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding.

Women are part of the solution to the structural problems of conflict and one of the driving forces behind reconstruction. However, unless we provide effective tools and mechanisms to ensure their participation, we are perpetuating inequality, maintaining the spiral of violence and delaying the very solution of these conflicts.

The number of women appointed as Special Representatives or to other senior positions has increased since 2000, and gender advisors have been deployed in almost half of the political and peacekeeping missions. Furthermore, we have seen an increase in the participation of women in decisionmaking, as well as in the operational functions in peacekeeping operations.

Furthermore, as we know that women must take part in all aspects of public life, we have promoted the legislative changes necessary to ensure their equal inclusion in decision-making processes in the areas of public security and the prevention of violence.

Mexico believes that this joint discussion is bringing us closer to the goal of eliminating the effect of conflict on women and ensuring their involvement on an equal footing in all aspects of international peace and security. The decisions that we have adopted to protect women's rights and to ensure their participation will be our best investment in a future of peace and stability. Today we have this opportunity, as well as the responsibility that goes with it towards the women and girls of the world.

Finland aligns itself with the statement of the European Union to be delivered later today. In addition, I wish to offer some insights into what Finland has done and learnt during the past decade, and commit ourselves to future action with regard to: Participation of Women at all stages and all levels of peace processes, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and
post-conflict recovery; National Action Plans; and Work against impunity, including due attention to victims.

Finland believes that conflict prevention, mediation, and peaceful settlement of disputes should occupy a more central place in the peace and security agenda of the United Nations. Equal and effective participation of women at all stages and at all levels of peace processes is an integral part of our policies. For example, Finland supports the African Union in strengthening its mediation capacities. We recently carried out a very successful training in the participation of women in preventive diplomacy and mediation.

As We mentioned in this chamber a few weeks ago speaking on peacebuilding, even if outside actors can't dictate the composition of the negotiating delegations, there is a lot that can be done. Peace mediators and their supporting teams can always ensure that sufficient gender-expertise is provided to the parties, and organise parallel consultations with women's groups if they do not have a seat at the table. These measures should help us change the currently dismal record of women's participation in peace processes.

Participation of both women and men in peacekeeping, peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction is crucial for the sustainability of their ultimate objective: peace. Let me be clear: full and equal participation is important for the delivery of the mandates that this Council has provided. Recent study from Afghanistan showed that women's participation in Provincial Reconstruction Teams benefitted their operational effectiveness. This is why one goals of Finland's National Action Plan has been to increase the numbers of women in both military and positions in peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations.

Increasing the amount of women also in the highest positions can wait no longer. The United Nations regional organisations have a responsibility to set examples and promote gender-equality, while Member states have a responsibility to provide and support female candidates. Accordingly, Finland commits to increasingly
nominating female candidates.

Tunisia's interest in this subject arises from its long-standing commitment to advancing gender equality and women's empowerment, a strategic choice made by my country upon gaining its independence in 1956 and which has become an integral part of its national development policy. The advanced status enjoyed today by Tunisian women, who hold 30 per cent of decision-making and responsibility positions, is one of the most prominent results of that choice. My country firmly believes that peace, development and democracy cannot be achieved and cannot be sustained without the active involvement of women in public life and in decision-making.

It should be recognized that today there is greater awareness of sexual violence in conflict, as well as an increased focus on addressing it. It has become widely accepted that women have a critically important contribution to make regarding how peace can beachieved and maintained, and therefore women's views are more and more taken into account in the planning and execution of peace processes, peacekeeping operations and post-conflict recovery.

Moreover, women still have little access to decision-making positions. Their participation in peace and security processes remains far below desired levels, and the gender composition of peacekeeping missions is still unbalanced. In short, major gaps in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) remain to be addressed.

It should be recognized, however, that national ownership of the resolution is the key approach to ensuring its effective implementation. The prime responsibility to combat the use of rape as a tool of war rests with Member States, as does the responsibility to increase the participation of women in peace operations and peace talks, to protect and promote the rights of women and girls, and to integrate the gender perspective in different policy areas.

In conclusion, the tenth anniversary, which coincides with the launching of the African Women's Decade, provides an opportunity to reaffirm the spirit and core message of resolution 1325 (2000) that sustainable peace is achievable only with the full and effective participation of women. We must seize this opportunity to refocus international attention on the aims of the resolution and to galvanize all concerned parties to turn good intentions into concrete action and a tangible reality.

We believe that the Security Council has a special responsibility to support women's participation in peace processes by ensuring a gender balance in United Nations peacekeeping missions. We welcome the fact that the Council has already recognized the important role of women in conflict resolution, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

During our ethnic conflict, a group of women from multi-ethnic backgrounds gathered under their own initiative to approach and speak to militants on both sides. As mothers, they used their respective cultural norms to draw militants' attention to the social and human consequences of their actions. In so doing, they gained their trust and confidence in order to provide essential items across conflict lines. Mine is a country of more than half a million people who speak some 87 different languages.

I am pleased to say that Solomon Islands has not shied away from looking at the issue of gender representation in our national Parliament. An ambitious plan for temporary measures to advance women's participation was launched last year. However, it did not receive enough support and needed more consultation. We hope that it will receive attention over time. The initiative did generate a tsunami of interest, and we have an ongoing conversation on it. I merely mention that because women in our part of the globe live and operate in two worlds, the traditional and the modern world.

Canada looks forward to the Security Council reviewing the data collected by the indicators in the future. Such information would be very helpful in our efforts to protect civilian populations in armed conflict. For example, that information should assist in the development of clearer mandates for United Nations peace operations, which would thereby assist peacekeepers on the ground in implementing targeted protection strategies. The data would also assist in the development of targeted predeployment and in mission training for peacekeepers. Canada notes that the Secretary-General's report points to an ongoing need to enhance the meaningful participation of women in peace processes. Canada is pleased to support the work of the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the Department of Political Affairs as they work together to ensure that peace processes benefit from the direct participation of women at all levels, that mediators exhibit better understanding of gender-specific implications of various aspects of peace agreements and that agreements provide remedy for the experiences of women and girls in conflict and enable them to participate fully in post-conflict recovery.

As we said in the Security Council Debate on October 13th, Canada is pleased with the Secretary General's concrete efforts to redress the disparity in women's participation in peace building efforts. And we support the Secretary-General's seven-point action plan. Canada reiterates the concerns raised in the Review of the UN peacebuilding architecture. We encourage the UN and Member States to ensure that the voices and concerns of women are integrated across the work of the Peace building Commission, through the country-specific configurations, and at the field-level.

Much has been achieved in the 10 years since Resolution 1325 was adopted. However, much remains to be done. Through our commitment to act, and being accountable for our actions, we can move forward together to ensure that all members of the international community - women and men, girls and boys participate equally and benefit from our work.

Australia remains committed to ensuring the protection and empowerment of women in conflict situations and has been a supporter of resolution 1325 since its adoption in 2000. Women are particularly vulnerable to the effects of conflict, but can be powerful in ending it. Durable peace requires the specific needs of women and girls to be addressed. Women must be recognised as powerful agents of peace.

Throughout the many conflicts that Burundi has gone through, the people of Burundi have understood that the search for a viable and promising peace cannot be carried out by men alone but should also include women. Moreover, it has been well known for a long time in my country that women are the pillar of the family and therefore of society. When society is shaken by an armed conflict, its grisly effects inevitably have repercussions for women and their children. Therefore, the women of Burundi have understood that they should play a role in the search for peace. Thus, since the crisis broke out in Burundi in 1993, women's organizations have become involved in bringing together different groups of the population who were sharply divided along political and ethnic lines in collaboration with local administrations.

Since 2005, Burundi has sought to give women an important role in managing public affairs. The unremitting struggle of the women of Burundi, together with the determination of the Government, made it possible to achieve the results that the whole world can see today in terms of the representation of women in decision-making bodies, both at the executive and the legislative levels. Indeed, after the elections this year, the women of Burundi have enjoyed a significant presence within decision-making bodies. They hold 32 and 44 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly and the Senate, respectively, and 42 per cent of the ministerial portfolios in the Government, including in the Ministry of Finance, Agriculture and Livestock Farming, Trade, Tourism and Industry, and Justice, and this is just to cite a few of the posts that have long been held by men.

In the judicial branch, there is a good level of representation of women in high offices. Three women in fact preside over the following higher courts: the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court and the Administrative Court. In a society characterized by male dominance in the highest State offices, those positions reflect an important change in terms of gender.

The question that remains crucial in Burundi is that of customary law and the access of women to property and inheritance. That issue has become a social concern that the Government of Burundi must address in order to align itself with the parliamentary debate convened in 2004, which resulted in a proposed draft law on succession, matrimony and rights. With the significant representation of women in the Parliament and the Government and with the determination of all of the actors in Burundi to fight against social inequality, there is hope that the new law will be promulgated after consultations among all actors.

The topics promoted through these pillars are primarily participation, conflict prevention, protection against violence against women and children and community recovery. In terms of the latter, projects have already been carried out through the peacebuilding programme in the western part of our country, but, given the enormous needs in post-conflict reconstruction, gender-based projects need to be encouraged and established throughout the country.

In order to ensure that the participation of women becomes more active and grows, there are also the issues of strengthening their capacities and establishing a fund to ensure their continuous participation in various activities, so that they can take charge of their own destiny.

The Security Council debate today and the numerous initiatives related to resolution 1325 all over the world confirm that women are no longer an invisible or irrelevant aspect of armed conflicts. Women have the right to be protected in conflicts, and can and should be able to contribute to peace processes. However, despite the progress made' since 2000, these principles still need to be translated better into reality at the global, regional and national levels.

First, it includes steps to increase gender related expertise, as well as general awareness and support for the inclusion of gender perspective in crisis management at all levels through enhanced training. Second, the plan includes measures to expand the possibilities for women's participation in international civilian and military missions and increasing the share of women occupying posts related to peace and securiity.To name only a few, these include analysing the variables influencing women's participation in military, police and international missions and targeted information and recruitment campaigns.

When considering the status of women, we are able to say proudly that the Sudan has deep-rooted pioneering experience in this field, as Sudanese women have always been genuine partners in the political and decision-making structures of our country since their participation in the election of the first Sudanese parliament in 1954 on the eve of our declaration of independence. These gains for women developed further when women were elected as members of the Sudanese parliament in 1964, following independence. Moreover, my country has applied the concept of equal pay for equal work for men and women since 1967. It was therefore only natural that the gains of Sudanese women in terms of political participation continued to develop, reaching the level of 25 per cent representation in the federal parliament as well as in provincial councils, in accordance with the laws governing the elections that were held in my country last April. This means that a quarter of the seats in Sudan's federal and provincial legislatures are held by women, which was mentioned by Ms. Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, in her statement at the opening of this debate. It is worth mentioning as just one example that in the judiciary alone 79 judgeships are held by Sudanese women, many of whom have presided as judges of the Supreme Court. Sudanese women have also held high-ranking diplomatic positions, including ambassadorships, and have been commanders in the armed forces, the police and the security forces.

It is also worth noting that preparatory work for the open day included workshops attended by women in several parts of the Sudan, including Khartoum and Juba, the capital of the southern province, the Warab province in the south and the provinces of East and Central Equatoria, as well as the three provinces of Darfur. We would also note that, in coordination with UNMIS and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), 88 women members of provincial councils have been trained on mainstreaming a gender perspective on all levels, and female police units in the south and in Darfur have been trained in capacity-building.

On the tenth anniversary of Resolution 1325, it is important to take a step back to gain a more global perspective and to celebrate how far we have come as well as recognize areas for improvement in terms of the participation and protection of women in situations of conflict. There have been ten years of overwhelmingly strong consensus around this resolution. During this time, my country has emerged from decades of suffering to major progress for women. We now work in solidarity with the international community to eliminate the deeply rooted tragedy of the disproportionate effects of conflict on women and highlight the crucial role of women's leadership in the peace process.

The Afghan people have suffered immensely for more than 30 years under foreign invasions, civil wars and Taliban rule. In the 1990s Afghan women were the targets of brutality and widespread violence, including gender based violence and oppression. The Taliban completely removed women from all aspects of public life, depriving them of such fundamental rights as education, and participation in both the economic and political sectors. The enemies to women's rights remain strong in their efforts. They misrepresent Afghan traditions, using their own interpretations of Islam to justify their actions.

Key areas of success for the improvement of the lives of women have been in the spheres of political participation, education, and health. As we finalize results for our second parliamentary election, we recall that last month, millions of Afghans went to the polls to make their voices heard. In these recent elections, 406 out of 2,556 candidates were women. This compares with 328 women candidates from 2005, and ensures that women will at least fill all 68 seats, or 25%, allocated for women and will likely win additional seats. Women will fill at least a quarter of the Afghan parliament, nearing our MDG goal of 30%, and make up 18% of government employees. There are now over 1,000 women in Afghan National Security Forces. We plan to increase the number of women in the Afghan National Police to over 5,000 in the next five years. The presence of women in these crucial positions has made a significant impact. We are proud of their resilience and bravery in protecting our population.

Resolution 1325 is not about rescuing women. It is not only about helping women who are struggling to overcome conflict, but about recognizing the unique role ofwomen as peacemakers, and creating opportunities for women to excel in leadership roles. What better place in the world to demonstrate the importance ofthis issue than Afghanistan. Afghan women are not damsels in distress. They have been victimized, but are not helpless victims. They have their own ideas about the needs of women in their country, and must be listened to and supported on their paths to self-empowerment. Honoring Resolution 1325, and subsequent resolutions 1820, 1888, and 1889, is not only a commitment of the Afghan government, but it is a necessity. While women are generally the first to be affected by conflict, let us all look forward to witnessing women as those who are the first beneficiaries of peace.

As you are aware, Mr. President, Ireland launched a cross-learning initiative on 1325 in 2009. Yesterday afternoon, I had the honour to present the findings of this initiative to the head of UN Women, Under-Secretary General Michelle Bachelet. This innovative initiative involved participants from Timor-Leste, Liberia, Ireland and Northern Ireland and was designed to draw upon the experiences of those directly affected by conflict in order to discuss the most critical issues facing women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings. The participants, experts in their field, met three times in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Dili, Timor-Leste and Monrovia, Liberia. Each meeting focussed on one of the three "P"s of 1325, namely Participation, Protection and incorporating gender Perspectives in policy-making and addressed issues such as transitional justice, mediation, gender-based violence and the application of international human rights and international humanitarian law.

Ireland also welcomes the recent report of the Secretary-General on women, peace and security, noting in particular the comprehensive recommendations and the update on the set of indicators which will be used to track implementation of Resolution 1325 at the global level. We also warmly welcome the recent report of the Secretary-General on women's participation in peacebuilding, in particular its concrete and forward-looking seven-point action plan. The commitment to allocate 15% of UN-managed funds in support of peacebuilding to projects whose principal objective is to address women's specific needs, advance gender equality or empower women, is especially laudable.

The tenth anniversary of Resolution 1325 is an important milestone in the evolution of the women, peace and security agenda. Events marking this anniversary, both here in New York and worldwide, highlight the significant progress that has been achieved but also the long road yet to be travelled. Women are more visible in many areas, including peacekeeping, mediation and post-conflict recovery.

Throughout those 10 years of conflict, peace, destruction, reconstruction and change, women and girls have been the most affected, although I think we would also say that in those 10 years there have also been some significant advances. Some women and girls have benefited from greater involvement in peace processes, greater representation in key decision-making positions and a stronger focus on the prevention of violence. There have been major institutional achievements. For example, New Zealand strongly supported the establishment of UN Women, with Michelle Bachelet at its head, and we look to that organization to demonstrate leadership, including on this issue

Member States also have responsibilities for the implementation of 1325 (2000) nationally and within their regions. Women constitute up to 30 per cent of New Zealand's contribution to United Nations and United Nations-mandated peace missions — among thehighest rates in the world. The New Zealand Defence Force pursues a diversity strategy that values the full integration of women, including at senior levels.

New Zealand's region is the Pacific, where women are playing critical roles in brokering and maintaining peace in places such as Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Fiji and Timor-Leste. Despite their important role, however, women remain marginalized from formal negotiations, are seriously underrepresented in national decision-making processes and are still vulnerable to domestic violence.

But, like others, New Zealand can still do more, and it agrees that commitments are required to ensure the advancement of the 1325 agenda. We therefore commit to developing a national plan of action on resolution 1325 (2000). We commit to mainstreaming issues faced by women with disabilities in our implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We commit to increasing the number of women in the higher ranks of our Defence Force and becoming more effective in retaining women in the Force throughout their careers. And we commit to working with others in the Pacific — countries and civil society — to ensure that resolution 1325 (2000) is better implemented.

That, in turn, will mean that, as Governments come and go and as conflicts break out and abate, women and girls are protected and can fully participate in the promotion and maintenance of peace and security.

Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security acknowledged that women are not just victims of armed conflict and that their equal and full participation is of vital importance in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery.

In the past 10 years, many activities have been carried out to strengthen the role of women during and after conflict. However, this anniversary reminds us that despite those efforts, much needs to be done in the protection of women and in the promotion of the participation of women at the decision-making level, in conflict resolution and in peace processes.

Women's participation in peace processes increases the likelihood that women's needs will be met, that their status in society will be enhanced and that their well-being will improve. It is disconcerting, in that regard, that 10 years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we are still excluding half of the world's population when we are discussing sustainable peace and trying to build democracy.

In the run-up to this debate, and in order to raise awareness and come to real and concrete commitments around the celebration of the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), Belgium, together with the European Union, organized three events at different
levels. We organized a high-level conference in Brussels on women's participation, an experts' seminar in Geneva on protection and a ministerial-level lunch here in New York last month.

Today, we are commemorating the tenth anniversary of that Resolution, which has recognized the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts as well as in peacebuilding and opened a new path in the protection of women's full enjoyment of all human rights in armed conflicts and in the efforts to strengthen the participation and representation of women in peace and security processes.

The widespread or systematic use of violence against women in armed conflicts is a security issue, as well as, of course, a human rights issue. It affects a whole society, significantly exacerbates situations of armed conflict and may impede the restoration of international peace and security. As has recently been reaffinned by the Council in PRST/201O/20, the Peacebuilding Commission plays an important role in promoting and supporting an integrated and coherent approach to peacebuilding, including women's participation. Women playa pivotal role in the economic recovery of post-conflict countries. The PBC has committed to working on this issue as part of its broader efforts to promote and address women's post-conflict needs. But this fact must also be recognized at a political level, namely by increasing women's participation in political posts, whether appointed or elected, by systematically ensuring the full and equal involvement of women in peace negotiations and by taking into account women's needs in peace agreements. Furthennore, education is a fundamental requirement for the elimination of violence against women in armed conflict, and in this respect, civil society
has a key role to play in the peacemaking and peacebuilding process.

All member states have a responsibility to implement Resolution 1325. The development of National Action Plans is a key component by which Member States commit themselves to fulfill this responsibility. The coming decade should aim for action and accountability. Women's full enjoyment of all human rights have been at the heart of the Human Security Network since its inception. We are committed to supporting meaningful steps to promote and enhance the role of women in peace processes. Without women's participation in this, sustainable peace is not possible. Women must be an integral part of all our thinking on peace and security. We look to the Security Council for strong leadership towards the effective implementation of Resolution 1325 and its related resolutions.

The commitments set forth by the resolution are commendable, but translating words into action is the only way of solving the remaining issues. And the issues are many. As numerous situations on the agenda of this Council have shown, worrien still have a long way to go in order to fulfill the empowerment goals as well as to fully realize their human rights, both in times of war and peace. The empowerment of women is imperative for the full achievement of human rights, as well as for overall economic and political development and progress. Although women are widely recognized as effective agents of peace, they still have little access to decision-making positions and peace negotiations. More should be done.

I wlsh, on behalf of the Government of Jamaica to thank you Mr. President for convening this open debate on women's equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security,Resolution 1325 unanimously adopted in the Security Council ten years ago, brought to light one of history's best kept secrets, the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls. Recognized as a historic and unprecedented document, the impetus for its adoption was strong. This led to, for the first time, the Securlty Council devoting an entire session to a debate on women's experiences in conflict, post conflict situations and their contributions to peace.

Ten years on, in celebrating the anniversary of this watershed event, significant achievements are difficult to identify. It remains a matter of serious concern that women have become caught in the centre of violent conflicts and often become the direct and deliberate victims of the most egregious abuses committed by parties to armed conflicts. We must therefore strengthen our resolve to eliminate the disproportionate effects of war oncivilians, particularly women and children.Over the years the Presidential statements have called on Member States, the United Nations System and civil society to commit to the full implementation of resolution 1325, including through the development of strategies and action plans, the establishment of monitoring and accountability mechanisms at the international and national levels and ensuring full and equal participation of women in all peace processes. But some of us have not yet heeded to the call.

My delegation recognizes the important work that the United Nations has undertaken in increasing the representation and participation of women at high levels within the UN System. The most recent of which were the appointment of the Under-Secretary to the new Gender Entity, UN Women, and the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Confllct. Let me once again reiterate Jamaica's heartiest congratulations to both women and assure them of our continued support in fulfllUng their mandate. Nevertheless, Mr President, we believe that much more needs to be done, and in this we call upon Member States, as we all have an integral role to play in ensuring the appointment of qualified women at high levels.

Resolution 1325 reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building.We acknowledge that in some parts of the world women have become increasingly effective participants at the peace table and have continued to assist in creating an enabling environment for conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peace building and post-conflict construction. However, progress in these areas has not been consistent.

Jamaica has played its part in ensuring the participation of women in peace and security over the years through its increased presence in UN Peacekeeping Operations. We have also been encouraging the recruitment of women police officers to peacekeeping missions being keenly aware of the impact their service and experience have had on the UN and host country's recognition of the role of women in peace and security. Our women peacekeepers, despite serving in some of the most difficult, high threat environments and inhospitable places, faced with diseases and violence have been making a positive impact on the lives of women and girls in conflict situations.
Our women peacekeepers have increasingly acted as role models in the various local environments, inspiring by their very example women and girls in the often male-dominated societies where they serve, demonstrating to communities that peace is inextricably linked to equality between men and women, and persuading disadvantaged women and girls that they can indeed achieve. Our women peacekeepers continue to be dedicated to the tasks to which they have been assigned. They have made tangible differences in the lives of many, while showing the world the caring and committed face of the United Nations.
It is clear that peacekeeping long ago evolved from its traditional role of silencing the guns, and has been redefined increasingly as an avenue for fostering a culture of sustainable peace in countries devastated by conflicts.

Today, Jamaica recommits itself to ensuring that this vital work will continue, through active participation as long as it is needed. We reaffirm our collective commitment to building a world free from the scourge of war. The persistence of violence against women in situations of armed conflict detracts from the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, whose targets in many ways are intertwined with the goals of resolution 1325 (2000).

Gender equality and the empowerment of women is one of the founding principles of SADC as enshrined in the SADC Treaty. The SADC Protocol on Gender and Development of 2008, puts measures in place to ensure that women get equal representation and participation in all key decision-making positions by 2015.

In conclusion, SADC has devoted a lot of efforts in empowering and advancing women. However, women still remain largely underrepresented from key decisionmaking structures and in peacemaking and peacebuilding processes. The region believes that given the opportunity, women are active agents of change and play a critical role in the recovery and reintegration of families after conflict. Women are also instrumental in bringing about reconciliation and democracy in post-conflict societies.

Ten years after the adoption of 1325 - at the NATO Ministerial Council meeting earlier this month - I called for including 1325 in NATO's concept of operation. We obviously have a job to do, to make the military men take this seriously. As Minister of Defence, I note that all of the UN force commanders are men. It is high time to rectify this. I call on the UN to start searching for women commanders while we continue to improve the gender ratio of our forces.

We must get better at explaining that 1325 is not about political correctness. Better protection and more equal participation of women in social, economic and political life - including in peace processes and security services - improves the quality of the process and the service, making the results more sustainable. We simply can't afford to ignore half of society's talent and capacity.

For Norway's own sake, beyond what we have already done, I hereby announce that we immediately take on the following commitments:

1. We continue to increase the number of female Norwegian soldiers and officers, both in our standing military forces and our contributions to international operations. The next two commanders of Norway's national command in Afghanistan will be women.

2. Recognizing that we also have a way to go, I will now make sure our military operations rest on a gender analysis and adjust our operational demands accordingly. We will strengthen gender education of our armed forces and our police. And we will introduce a new system of reporting on gender and the role of women in field missions, starting in December with the Norwegian led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Maymaneh in Afghanistan.

5. And finally, we also act urgently to boost the work ofUN Women - and will support their new and welcome strategic partnership with the Department of Political Affairs specifically the project to increase women's participation in peace processes and improve the gender balance at all levels of mediation. The Norwegian government will immediately provide one million US dollars to this project.

In conclusion, as we observe the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), let us renew our commitment to action and shoulder our responsibility to take more effective measures to fully implement this important legislation by the Security Council. Let us move forward on our commitment to end all types of violence against women, protect them from the scourge of war and advance their participation at the highest level, for these are surely key components of peace and security in our world.

Portugal believes that important progress has been accomplished in the implementation of 1325 and the other important resolutions that have followed. However, we all recognize that significant challenges still remain. On the one hand, women are still underrepresented at all levels of peacekeeping and peace building efforts and they are poorly represented in formal peace negotiations. Violations of the human rights of women are still a dominant feature of conflict and sexual violence is too often widespread both in conflict and in post conflict situations.

It is our understanding that women are indispensable actors of change and ·development. Therefore, it is fundamental to overcome the traditional perspective of these actors as mere vulnerable victims in need of protection and to implement measures that guarantee that their perspective is taken into all stages of peace building processes by the international and local actors involved. Indeed, women have a crucial role to play in rebuilding war tom societies and in promoting social cohesion.

In this context, we should seize this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring
women's effective participation in peace and security and to translate this commitment into
enhanced action. This open debate of the Security Council and the many side- events that are taking
place this week are an excellent opportunity to review the progress achieved in the implementation
of 1325, to recognise our main achievements but also our shortcomings and discuss how we can
boost its impact on the ground. Portugal will certainly continue to pursue the objectives set out in
this resolution and to increase its own accountability. We stand ready to contribute to this
process in the forthcoming months in the Security Council. In this area, like in many others, the
international community has to move in a concerted way with an integrated approach.

We have established under this Action Plan five main strategic objectives, translated into thirty specific objectives, for which implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are identified and developed. These are:To increase women's participation and mainstream gender equality in all phases of peace building processes and at all levels of decision-making;

To promote and protect women's human rights in conflict areas and post-conflict scenarios, having in consideration the need to: .
Prevent and eliminate all gender-based violence perpetrated against women and girls; Promote· the empowerment of women, both political and economic, and their participation in all post-conflict activities;

In Africa, the African Union and subregional organizations, as well as civil society, play a pivotal and strategic role in the prevention and resolution of conflict. Women are always ready to play a role in conflict resolution initiatives, such as the promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law, both of which are vital to peace, security, stability and prosperity. Consistent with these efforts, and in order to promote the effective participation of women in peacekeeping, peacebuilding and security, the African Union in February 2009 declared 2010-2020 as the African Women's Decade. It further committed its subregional organizations and member States to use the frameworks of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008) to integrate gender policies, programmes and activities on conflict and peace, and to create regional consultative platforms on peace for the sharing of knowledge and information and the harmonization of strategies.

My delegation believes that the full participation of women in the prevention and resolution of conflict has become a critical element in adequately addressing such tragedies. Placing women in leadership positions, at senior levels, as decision makers in peace consolidation processes, in public life and in transitional Governments could provide space for gender perspectives in order to resolve conflict and achieve stability.

We believe that the proliferation of small arms increases the risk of interpersonal violence, including domestic and societal violence, which often continue after conflicts. Hence, curbing the spread of small arms would be a step in the right direction in minimizing gender based violence. As Resolution 1325 extensively focuses on the women's role in peacekeeping and peace building, Sri Lanka stands ready to extend its support to achieve gender parity in UN Peacekeeping activities and in carrying our the gender related mandates of the Peacekeeping Missions. Necessary background, including, pre-deployment training, has been completed to deploy an all female battalion comprising 855 personnel and 28 female officers, at any given time. Sri Lanka is also willing to share its experiences in this area with other countries in need of such assistance through relevant UN agencies.

As an equal component of any society, women should have equal and active participation in formulating political, economic and social policies. Equally, as victims of exclusion, as vulnerable targets in conflicts and as mothers and breadwinners, women have high stakes in conflict prevention and resolution, and in all issues related to peace and security. Yet, in the name of tradition, in the name of culture and sometimes even in the name of security, women have continued to be excluded, and too often they have been set aside while men brokered peace agreements. We are encouraged, therefore, that more and more women are challenging this viewpoint and are increasingly demanding involvement as stakeholders in their communities. Their potential as peacebuilders must now be harnessed.

We have to make concerted efforts to support and strengthen the capacities of women and their networks to actively participate in all processes of conflict prevention and management, as well as in peacebuilding and peace consolidation. In this regard, we commend the efforts that have been undertaken by various stakeholders, in particular the United Nations system, civil society and various national political leaders, in promoting the participation of women in peacebuilding and peace consolidation processes.

Secondly, women's participation in peace processes and post-conflict planning should be routine,predictable and mandatory. Such participation must now be the norm, not tokenism.

Fourthly, support for post-conflict countries should include reform of their justice systems and security sectors to ensure that there is a credible and supportive environment for the participation and protection of women.

Most visible at the international level is the better coordinated work within the United Nations system — particularly among the Special Adviser on GenderIssues, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Development Programme and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — in mainstreaming gender in peace and security, and in addressing issues that may impact women's participation in peace processes, including humanitarian and socio-economic issues.

We particularly commend the adoption early this year of the three-year Joint Strategy on Gender and Mediation initiated by the Department of Political Affairs and UNIFEM, and the proposed seven-point action plan, which contains actions needed to enhance women's participation in peacebuilding — a fundamental factor to prevent war and empower women. In this connection, we sincerely hope that the newly established UN Women, once it has completed its transitional arrangements, will become a stronger entity and take the lead in the women and peace and security agenda. At the national level, among other things, the national action plans being designed, adopted and put in place represent a meaningful contribution. We hope that adequate resources will be made available to ensure the full implementation of these plans.

My delegation is of the view that much more remains to be done to better protect women and girls from all forms of violence in conflict and post-conflict situations, further empower them and increase their participation in all stages of peace processes. The fact that women have constituted less than 8 per cent of negotiators in United Nations-mediated peace processes and less than 3 per cent of peace agreement signatories since 1992; that only 16 per cent of peace agreements between 1990 and 2010 contained references to women; and that less than 3 per cent of post-conflict spending is dedicated to women is unacceptable.

Women, being not merely victims, but rather agents of change, should be able to involve themselves more in peace talks to better reflect their priorities in the text of peace agreements. Moreover, having emerged from many destructive wars, we in Viet Nam are convinced that women can play an active role in peacebuilding and reconstruction if and when they are empowered economically, financially, politically and institutionally, and when their special needs, including health and education, are properly addressed. With this in mind, we hope that the seven commitments listed in the Secretary-General's report contained in document S/2010/466 can be fully honoured so as to ensure women's equal involvement as participants and beneficiaries in local development, employment creation, income generation, front-line service delivery, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes in post-conflict situations.

We recognize that empowering women entails them to have command over resources and adequate leadership capability for efficient management of those resources. Therefore, we stress on the economic needs of women, and necessity of their engagement internationally in all levels and foons of decision making process. While the former could be achieved through ensuring their access to and participation in income generating and entrepreneurial activities such as micro-credit, education, vocational training, public health; the latter could be ensured through recruitment of women particularly in senior level positions of the UN including in the posts of ASGs, USGs and SRSGs. For clearer understanding of the needs of southern women, we have to make sure that women from global south get due recognition while considering such recruitment. For proper coordination with field, fair representation of TCC/PCCs must be ensured as decided previously in the General Assembly and C34 of the United Nations.

From our national perspective, I deem it a privilege to make a few remarks about gender mainstreaming in Bangladesh. Women occupy the top political leadership in our country. The Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees equality of men and women within the broad framework of non-discrimination on grounds of religion, race or gender. The Government has adopted National Policy for Women's Advancement and National Plan of Action. A Women's Development Implementation Committee, headed by the Minister for Women and Children Affairs, monitors the implementation of policies for women's empowerment. The result is highly positive. For example, enrolment of girls at both primary and secondary level schools exceeds that of boys, helped by waiver of tuition and provision of stipends for girls in secondary level.

The Government has enacted laws for protecting women against domestic violence and is currently implementing a number of projects for developing capabilities of women. These include Vulnerable Group Development Program (VGD), micro-credit, skill training including computer skill, product display centers, etc. Women registered for VGD and hired for rural works receive skill training and credit or some simple capital machinery i.e. sewing machine-so that they can set up their own small business enterprise. Many affirmative actions have been taken that help women in distress and 'old age. For involving women in decision-making' process, government has adopted quota system for women in national parliament as well as in the recruitment of our civil service alongside the direct election and open competition.

In conclusion, I would reiterate that we have been making our best efforts to ensure women's empowerment and participation in all spheres of our lives. We know much more need to be done. We are open to replicate in our national policy, any good practices that we will come across globally, similarly we are ready share our experience with others suitably.

In Kenya, the newly promulgated Constitution has entrenched pertinent provisions relating to the participation of women at the highest levels. The legislature will now have 47 and 16 seats reserved for women in both the national assembly and the senate respectively, in addition to those who will be elected from the various constituencies. Furthermore, in all cases where special interests are represented in the legislature, the seats will be divided equally between men and women. As relates to national commissions and other bodies, the representation by women shall not be less than 30% of the total membership and a woman shall serve in one of the two highest positions in the entity.

Pursuant to this resolution, Kenya has made deliberate efforts to increase the participation of women in peacekeeping missions. Currently, we have women in uniform deployed in the peace keeping missions that Kenya is participating in and we are determined to increase this number.

In recent peace negotiations, women represented less than 8 per cent of the participants and less than 3 per cent of the signatories. That endangers the prospects for long-lasting peace since women are crucial partners in shoring up three of its pillars: economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy, as affirmed by the Secretary-General in his recent report (S/2010/466).

As pointed out by the Secretary-General, Member States must ensure that their support for women's engagement in peacebuilding is consistent. While Governments have the primary responsibility to take action in their countries, when need be, they must be able to count on the predictable support of United Nations partners. Despite the increase in female participation in United Nations missions, only 3 percent of uniformed peacekeepers and 8 per cent of United Nations police are women. Increasing their umbers would help improve the sense of security of women in vulnerable situations.

Resolution 1325 (2000), in addition to other issues, also underscored the desirability of expanding the role and contribution of women in United Nations field-based operations. The Secretary-General has observed in his report that significant progress in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) has been made in the peacekeeping arena. However, more needs to be done.

We fully support the mainstreaming of the gender perspective in peacekeeping operations and believe that the appointment of gender advisers in the field and at Headquarters has served a useful purpose. We are supportive of all steps that increase the participation of women in peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities.

The gender perspective in peacekeeping must be dovetailed with a comprehensive peacebuilding endeavour, factoring in particular requirements of women in post-conflict zone. For long-term peace, economic recovery and social cohesion, women's access to health, education and entrepreneurship is essential. In this context, the Secretary General's report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466) candidly puts forth a seven-point action plan. Women's participation in the mediation and policy formulation of various peacebuilding efforts targeted at particular requirements for women can be a force multiplier. However, such action plans should run in harmony with overall peacebuilding strategies, with due regard to broad institutional contexts and strict professionalism.

The Philippines attaches great importance to the integration of gender equality perspectives in peace and security issues. This is demonstrated by the fact that five years before the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the Philippines had already established the Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive Development, 1995-2025, a 30-year plan that gives due recognition to the important role of women in peacebuilding efforts and initiatives.

I am pleased to say that this year, on 25 March 2010, the Philippines became the first Asian country to adopt a national action plan on women and peace and security, implementing Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008). Our plan envisions enhancing and strengthening women's role in peacebuilding processes.
Our plan has four major goals: first, to ensure the protection and prevention of violence of women's human rights in armed conflict and post-conflict situations; secondly, to empower women and ensure their active and meaningful participation in areas of peacebuilding, peacekeeping and conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction; thirdly, to promote and mainstream a gender perspective in all aspect of conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding; and fourthly, to institutionalize a monitoring and reporting system to monitor, evaluate and report to enhance accountability for the successful implementation of the Philippine National Action Plan and the achievement of its goals.

Significant steps have been taken by my country to enhance the participation of women in peacekeeping operations, and we are determined to pursue policies and programmes that would help ensure full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the international arena. In fact, in 19 United Nations peacekeeping missions where the Philippines actively participate and in the United Nations Missions in Haiti, Darfur, Golan Heights, Liberia, Sudan and Timor-Leste, 68 Filipino women are now serving with dedication and effectiveness.

Notwithstanding the advances made in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), challenges and obstacles remain. We take note of the Secretary-General's conclusion in his report that a major constraint to the implementation of the resolution has been the absence of a single coherent and coordinated approach guided by a clear framework, with concrete and specific goals and targets and supported by a meaningful set of indicators to track progress.
We agree that there is a need to set up a comprehensive framework to establish strategic system-wide priorities and coherence. We support the endorsement of the indicators contained in the annex to the Secretary-General's report as guidelines for the overall monitoring of global and national implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We recognize that there will always be gaps and divergences in that implementation, but we remain optimistic that those inadequacies will be addressed in order to accelerate progress in the achievement of women's full and equal participation as active agents in peace and security.

Uganda recognizes the progress that has been made by the United Nations and the wider international community towards enhancing the participation of women in conflict resolution, peace processes and post-conflict reconstruction. However, there are still situations in which conflicts continue to have a devastating impact on women and girls.

It is essential to empower women to enable them effectively participate in issues of peace, security and development. The Government of Uganda has taken a deliberate policy for empowerment of women through affirmative action initiatives. They include: providing for one Woman representative per district in Parliament, a third of local council executive positions to be occupied by women, and award of 1.5 points to female candidates for admission to public universities, as well as universal primary and secondary education for all children . Through these initiatives, women's participation in governance has been greatly enhanced.

At the regional level, through the African Union, East African Community, and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region, Uganda is committed to strengthening collaboration on enhancing women's participation and empowerment in conflict prevention, mediation, and resolution. We are convinced that women have an important role to play in ensuring durable peace, security, and development.

In his report on women and peace and security (S/2010/498), the Secretary-General acknowledges that significant progress has been made in several areas. However, he also warns that much remains to be done to realize the vision of resolution 1325 (2000). In particular, the report refers to the need to redouble efforts to ensure that women can play their rightful role in conflict prevention and resolution and in reconstruction processes. Similar efforts are needed to protect women from abuse during conflict, including gender-based violence.

In peacebuilding, State bodies work together in joint efforts to guarantee the protection of women from risks that affect them in areas where there are illegal armed groups. Furthermore, ensuring inclusion of the gender perspective and the full participation of women in the prevention of violence is being promoted. In that regard, with the support of the European Union and citizen participation, the Peace Laboratories programme is being promoted in areas affected by violence. That initiative explores paths of dialogue and coexistence, peaceful mechanisms for resistance and protection of the civilian population. Women are beneficiaries and/or agents of projects that promote peace in those areas.

Denmark remains as committed to implement UNSCR 1325 as ever. Denmark was the very first country to adopt an action plan for implementation of resolution 1325, and we are currently implementing our second national action plan (2008-2013). In this plan an even stronger emphasis is placed on using the untapped potential of women, on involving women actively, on an equal basis, in peace building processes and decision making at all levels and with focus on visibility at country level.

As part of our international outreach Denmark and the United States will co-host an international conference on "Role of Women in Global Security» in Copenhagen on 29 and 30 October. The conference will gather political, military, business and civil society leaders and experts to share best practices and discuss how to expand and effectuate women's key roles in peacemaking and peacekeeping and in security-related activities. The goal of the conference is to help us all walk new avenues to enhance and improve women's vital role in the critical political, military and economic processes leading to sustainable peace and security.

El Salvador acknowledges and welcomes the important contribution made by the Peacebuilding Commission to efforts to promote and strengthen the participation of women in peacebuilding following conflict. We also welcome the efforts made on a daily basis by civil society organizations, especially women's movements, aimed at incorporating the gender perspective in peacekeeping operations. We hope for an increase in women's representation at all levels of institutional decision-making, as well as in national, regional and international mechanisms, to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts through a renewed effort aimed at encouraging concrete action that promotes a more strategic and systematic approach to this important question.

The Government of El Salvador acknowledges and values the progress made thus far, both by the international community as a whole and by Member States in particular, in reaffirming the important role of women in conflict prevention and resolution and in peacebuilding. These efforts also reaffirm the need for women to participate on an equal footing and to be fully involved in all initiatives aimed at maintaining and promoting peace and security, as well as the importance of increasing their participation in decision-making processes for conflict prevention and resolution.

El Salvador welcomes the evolution of this historic resolution and the subsequent adoption by the Council of resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1882 (2009) on the prevention and response to sexual violence in conflicts an resolution 1888 (2009) on the participation of women in peacebuilding. We see those resolutions as crucial elements for confronting the challenges and obstacles to the full participation of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts as well as in public life after conflict.

To conclude, allow me to share the following thoughts with Council members. In our view, the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) presents a valuable opportunity to establish a bridge between the Security Council and the General Assembly in terms of the participation and inclusion of women in conflict prevention and resolution and in peacebuilding. It is now time for comprehensive cooperation between these main bodies of the United Nations on this question, for the benefit of women, girls and all the peoples of the world.

Fiji is fully committed to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). This commitment is exemplified in our continuing efforts to meet the goals set out in the four broad thematic areas of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan. In the area of participation, our policies strongly encourage the recruitment of women in our security forces and their deployment, with equal opportunities, to peacekeeping missions. We support the global effort to increase the participation of women in United Nations police peacekeeping roles to 20 per cent by 2014. We encourage the provision of pre- and post-deployment training of our peacekeepers and welcome further assistance and expertise in this aspect of training.

Furthermore, we support the participation and representation of women at all levels of decisionmaking. In our consultations and interactions with civil society and the public, we are fortunate to have femLINKpacific, a Fiji-based non-governmental organization that specifically deals with resolution 1325 (2000). We also welcome the appointment of its coordinator to the United Nations Civil Society Advisory Group on Women, Peace and Security. The Fiji Government promotes the enhancement of efforts to collaborate with the expertise and experience of women's civil society, with a view to enhancing the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) at the national level.

Protection of women and their participation in all parts of society are two sides of the same medal. Resolution 1325 clearly stipulates that women must be seen as active players whose contributions in all aspects of peace-building and peace-keeping processes are absolutely essential for the (re-) construction of societies and in achieving sustainable peace and development. Empowering of women is important in security sector reform as well as in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes Germany therefore also welcomes the action plan contained in the Secretary General's report on resolution 1889, including the call for increased financing for gender equality and women's empowerment in countries emerging from conflict.

It is time to move towards more concrete action. What can member states and the United Nations as a whole do?The German Government will shortly present it's third implementation report on resolution 1325 to Parliament. While striving for the full and timely implementation of the entire resolution, and looking ahead, priority will be given to: 1) Increased participation of women in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms, particularly in higher positions 2) Financial and technical support to UN gender awareness-raising campaigns 3) A gender perspective during and after the negotiation of peace agreements 4) The special needs of women combatants in demobilisation and reintegration
processes

When the Security Council adopted the landmark resolution 1325 on 31 October 2000, it acknowledged the negative impact of armed conflicts on women and highlighted their decisive role in conflict prevention and in consolidating peace. Ten years later, however, the plight of women and girls in armed conflicts goes on unabated. The implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda remains slow and uneven at best. Recent incidents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have once again confirmed that sexual violence is used as a method of warfare to achieve military and strategic ends. Women are still excluded from decision-making processes in peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction.

You are perhaps surprised, Sir, that I am wearing a scarf today. As chair of the Burundi configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, I travelled to Bujumbura a few weeks ago, and I had the opportunity to meet with women's organizations there. During the elections, they had decided to wear a white shawl like this in public to show their desire for peace. That initiative had a significant impact in successfully limiting the violence during the election phase. Today, I would like to carry the voices of these women into this Chamber, commending them for their courage and determination. In fact, I had promised them that I would wear this scarf at my first appearance before the Security Council, and I am going to keep that promise. As the Council can see, the word “amahoro” is still here, which means, if I am not mistaken, “peace” in Kirundi. But civil society is not the only one with the capacity and responsibility to create peace. It is also up to the Security Council, as the parent of resolution 1325 (2000). The Council must use of all the instruments at its disposal.

I am very pleased to represent the Government of the Republic of Hungary at this meeting and commemorate with all of you the 10th anniversary of this groundbreaking resolution. The adoption by consensus of Security Council Resolution 1325 ten years ago was an important step to advance gender equality through incorporating the gender perspective into peacekeeping operations and promotion of the participation of women at decision-making levels for the prevention, management, and resolution ofarmed conflicts.

We are convinced that women's participation in the maintenance of peace and security is in itself a basic human right. In this context, we welcome that this issue has achieved a prominent place on the international agenda. We believe that the involvement of women into the peace negotiations and conflict mediation should be supported. Furthermore, let us remember that peace negotiations and post conflict reconstruction are not only about achieving the end ofhostilities, but the beginning of a new future.

Beyond that, we have to recognize that violence against women, including sexual and genderbased violence poses real threat to global security and it also creates serious challenge to the full and active participation of women in peace processes. We believe that systematic sexual violence, used as a tactic of war by deliberately targeting civilians, in particular women and girls, significantly aggravates the situation during an armed conflict.

Taking this opportunity I would like to confirm that the Government of the Republic of Hungary is strongly committed to implement Resolution 1325. We stand firmly behind endeavors aimed at mainstreaming gender issues in the strategies, policies, programs and actions and promoting participation of women in decision-making and peace processes.

The recognition by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) ten years ago of gender equality as a security issue was a watershed, both for women and our organization. Through the unanimous adoption of resolution 1325, the Council acknowledged not only the needs and concerns of women in connection with peace processes, but underlined the participation of women as an important prerequisite for sustainable peace.

There is a vital need for a system of monitoring the status of implementation of 1325. Therefore, Iceland urges the Security Council to adopt the indicators put forward in the Secretary General's report so that UN organizations, member states and civil society are able to measure the impact on the ground and men and women around the world to reap the benefit. At the same time, UN Women should play an important role in overseeing the monitoring and implementation of the indicators, as well other issues related to resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions. Allow me to reiterate my government's commitment to supporting UN Women and to congratulate the new Under-Secretary-General, Michelle Bachelet, on her recent appointment. Iceland also welcomes the appointment of Margot Wallstrom as the first Special Representative of the Secretary General to fight the spread of sexual violence in conflict. We stand ready to support the Special Representative in her important work.

In addition, Iceland has advocated women's participation in peace negotiations, including through the important work of the International Women's Commission (IWC) bringing together Israeli, Palestinian and international women dedicated to seeing an end to the Israeli occupation and a just peace based on international law, human rights and equality.Lastly, Iceland has emphasised the importance of the gender perspective in international climate talks, confident that the increased participation of women will help the international community foster a more sustainable response to the scourge of climate change. Ten years on, it is time for the international community to get serious about implementation. While often depicted, and rightly so, as victims of armed conflict, it is important to bear in mind that women are more often than not an integral part of the solution. Let's make the coming decade a decade that counts, a time when we no longer tolerate impunity for crimes, a time when women's needs and rights are respected and both women and men are equal partners in forging a lasting peace.

We underscore the essential contribution of civil society, which has made possible significant progress and helped us to define women's participation as an essential element of peacebuilding processes and recovery efforts in affected countries.

We note with interest the establishment of a comprehensive framework dedicated to the effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and to holding all parties concerned accountable. Taking into account the indicators included in the annex to the report of the Secretary-General (S/2010/498) should allow us to measure progress and highlight areas deserving of our attention. In that regard, we welcome the efforts and initiatives of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in particular in the areas of training and increasing the participation of women in peacekeeping operations and police forces.

The importance of women's participation in confiict prevention, conflict resolution and reconstruction is clearly addressed in landmark Security Council resolutions 1325 and 1820, on women, peace and security. I would go as far as to say that "1325" is one of the best-known resolutions the Security Council has adopted. More so, it should also be one of the mostly widely implemented resolutions. Because it certainly is among the least complicated resolutions to implement. Basically, we need to:

• Talk to women - to obtain a better understanding and resolution of a conflict;

• Protect women - to keep them and their families safe from violence, to keep their communities stable;

• Involve women - to build back a more secure and economically viable society;

The Netherlands has from the beginning put its full weight behind the implementation of 1325 and following resolutions. On 4 December 2007 the Netherlands adopted the Dutch National Action Plan (NAP) on SCR 1325, relying on a broad support base. The signatories, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence and the Interior and Kingdom Relations, civil society organisations and knowledge institutiopolitical participation, and to increase gender capacity.ns took upon themselves to jointly make a difference within the field of women, peace and security. As a result of our integrated approach - where diplomacy, defence and development are mutually reinforcing - gender has been fully incorporated in the assessment framework for Dutch contributions to peacekeeping operations. Together, we invested 23 million Euro in 2009 to support women's organizations in fragile states, to promote female leadership and to increase gender capacity.

Having had the resolution in operational mode for a decade, we need to redouble our efforts to increase women's participation at all stages and all levels of the peace processes and peacebuilding efforts.

Resolution 1325 highlighted the impact of anned conflict on women and the need for effective institutional arrangements to guarantee their protection and full participation in peace processes.

Over the past decade, progress in the implementation has been slow and uneven. The resolution's real impact remains to be felt on the ground in many areas. All too often women do not make it to the tables where decisions are taken in peace processes or post-conflict reconstruction that have a direct impact on their lives. There are no issues that are not also women's issues. Every month hundreds of women and children fall victims· to sexual violence under the eyes of their governments and the international community. Women and girls with disabilities remain even more vulnerable. Ten years on, our focus must therefore lie on how we can ensure better and more coherent implementation of the objectives enshrined in these resolutions and make a real difference for women in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Ten years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we reiterate that the participation of women must be an integral part of peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts. This is the view of my country, which currently has a number of female military observers. However, we wish to broaden the participation of women, and Peru is therefore training female personnel, who we hope will be ready for deployment in the second half of 2011.

As indicated by the Secretary-General in his report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466), women are decisive agents in the three pillars of lasting peace: economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy. In that regard, we agree with the Secretary-General that the participation of women in peace processes allows for the integration of a gender perspective in post-conflict planning, which is essential to ensuring the participation of women in long-term peacebuilding.

As indicated by the Secretary-General in his report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466), women are decisive agents in the three pillars of lasting peace: economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy. In that regard, we agree with the Secretary-General that the participation of women in peace processes allows for the integration of a gender perspective in post-conflict planning, which is essential to ensuring the participation of women in long-term peacebuilding.

As indicated by the Secretary-General in his report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466), women are decisive agents in the three pillars of lasting peace: economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy. In that regard, we agree with the Secretary-General that the participation of women in peace processes allows for the integration of a gender perspective in post-conflict planning, which is essential to ensuring the participation of women in long-term peacebuilding.

As stated in the Secretary-General's report, resolution 1325 (2000) has played an important role in facilitating the participation of non-governmental organizations, including women's organizations, in promoting women's participation in peace processes.

The recent Arria Formula meeting drew our attention to the importance of broadening the involvement of women in peace processes, as well as addressing the needs of particularly vulnerable groups, such as women with disabilities.

Finland aligns itself with the statement of the European Union to be delivered later today. In addition, I wish to offer some insights into what Finland has done and learnt during the past decade, and commit ourselves to future action with regard to: Participation of Women at all stages and all levels of peace processes, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and
post-conflict recovery; National Action Plans; and Work against impunity, including due attention to victims.

Finland believes that conflict prevention, mediation, and peaceful settlement of disputes should occupy a more central place in the peace and security agenda of the United Nations. Equal and effective participation of women at all stages and at all levels of peace processes is an integral part of our policies. For example, Finland supports the African Union in strengthening its mediation capacities. We recently carried out a very successful training in the participation of women in preventive diplomacy and mediation.

As We mentioned in this chamber a few weeks ago speaking on peacebuilding, even if outside actors can't dictate the composition of the negotiating delegations, there is a lot that can be done. Peace mediators and their supporting teams can always ensure that sufficient gender-expertise is provided to the parties, and organise parallel consultations with women's groups if they do not have a seat at the table. These measures should help us change the currently dismal record of women's participation in peace processes.

It should be recognized that today there is greater awareness of sexual violence in conflict, as well as an increased focus on addressing it. It has become widely accepted that women have a critically important contribution to make regarding how peace can beachieved and maintained, and therefore women's views are more and more taken into account in the planning and execution of peace processes, peacekeeping operations and post-conflict recovery.

Moreover, women still have little access to decision-making positions. Their participation in peace and security processes remains far below desired levels, and the gender composition of peacekeeping missions is still unbalanced. In short, major gaps in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) remain to be addressed.

It should be recognized, however, that national ownership of the resolution is the key approach to ensuring its effective implementation. The prime responsibility to combat the use of rape as a tool of war rests with Member States, as does the responsibility to increase the participation of women in peace operations and peace talks, to protect and promote the rights of women and girls, and to integrate the gender perspective in different policy areas.

We believe that the Security Council has a special responsibility to support women's participation in peace processes by ensuring a gender balance in United Nations peacekeeping missions. We welcome the fact that the Council has already recognized the important role of women in conflict resolution, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

During our ethnic conflict, a group of women from multi-ethnic backgrounds gathered under their own initiative to approach and speak to militants on both sides. As mothers, they used their respective cultural norms to draw militants' attention to the social and human consequences of their actions. In so doing, they gained their trust and confidence in order to provide essential items across conflict lines. Mine is a country of more than half a million people who speak some 87 different languages.

Canada looks forward to the Security Council reviewing the data collected by the indicators in the future. Such information would be very helpful in our efforts to protect civilian populations in armed conflict. For example, that information should assist in the development of clearer mandates for United Nations peace operations, which would thereby assist peacekeepers on the ground in implementing targeted protection strategies. The data would also assist in the development of targeted predeployment and in mission training for peacekeepers. Canada notes that the Secretary-General's report points to an ongoing need to enhance the meaningful participation of women in peace processes. Canada is pleased to support the work of the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the Department of Political Affairs as they work together to ensure that peace processes benefit from the direct participation of women at all levels, that mediators exhibit better understanding of gender-specific implications of various aspects of peace agreements and that agreements provide remedy for the experiences of women and girls in conflict and enable them to participate fully in post-conflict recovery.

As we said in the Security Council Debate on October 13th, Canada is pleased with the Secretary General's concrete efforts to redress the disparity in women's participation in peace building efforts. And we support the Secretary-General's seven-point action plan. Canada reiterates the concerns raised in the Review of the UN peacebuilding architecture. We encourage the UN and Member States to ensure that the voices and concerns of women are integrated across the work of the Peace building Commission, through the country-specific configurations, and at the field-level.

I would like to share with you some activities that we will carry out in implementing Canada's Action Plan. We will:
• ensure that our non-governmental partners delivering Canadian humanitarian assistance have codes of conduct related to sexual exploitation and abuse;
• develop training modules which address prevention and protection issues from the women, peace and security agenda for Government of Canada personnel being deployed to peace operations, fragile states or conflict affected situations; and
• identify Canadian specialists with expertise in women, peace and security issues, who may be called upon to support future peace operations, including peace processes.

We have seen some improvements in the capacity of women at the local level to engage in peace processes that affect them. For its part, Australia continues to be active in this field. We have supported women who are themselves mobilising in the Solomon Islands, Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga and elsewhere to end conflict and foster peace and reconciliation in their own communities. We will continue to work with UN partners and civil society to ensure that women in the Asia-Pacific and elsewhere have a central role in peacemaking.

During the same period, two decisive events were under way at the regional and international levels. The first was the Arusha negotiations, which gave the women of Burundi a seat at the negotiating table. The second was the period of the evolution of resolution 1325 (2000), here at the United Nations. Some observers, moreover, believe that the peace negotiation process in Burundi, which formally began in 1998, two years before the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), inspired many actors who, drawing on the lessons learned in Arusha, certainly helped to improve the text of the resolution. Consequently, the peace agreement signed by the protagonists in the Burundi conflict in August 2000 already contained a gender-specific dimension in some of its provisions and protocols.

On 31 October 2000, when resolution 1325 (2000) was solemnly adopted by the Security Council, Burundi was in a good position to implement it, given not only the experience that Burundian actors had recently acquired in Arusha and the backing of international organizations in the support of women of Burundi during the peace process, but also the challenges still to be tackled, in particular, agreeing on a ceasefire with the armed movements and the implementation of the gender-specific dimensions of the agreement.

The Security Council debate today and the numerous initiatives related to resolution 1325 all over the world confirm that women are no longer an invisible or irrelevant aspect of armed conflicts. Women have the right to be protected in conflicts, and can and should be able to contribute to peace processes. However, despite the progress made' since 2000, these principles still need to be translated better into reality at the global, regional and national levels.

On the tenth anniversary of Resolution 1325, it is important to take a step back to gain a more global perspective and to celebrate how far we have come as well as recognize areas for improvement in terms of the participation and protection of women in situations of conflict. There have been ten years of overwhelmingly strong consensus around this resolution. During this time, my country has emerged from decades of suffering to major progress for women. We now work in solidarity with the international community to eliminate the deeply rooted tragedy of the disproportionate effects of conflict on women and highlight the crucial role of women's leadership in the peace process.

While we consider the Peace Talks to be an important part of our shared stabilization efforts, the human rights and women's rights enshrined in our constitution are nonnegotiable. I can assure today that in every single peace talk, and in every single step of the reconciliation process, women's rights will remain a priority. We see our reconciliation process as the way to end violence for all Afghan people, including women. The representation of women in the Afghan Peace Jirga in June 2010, and the inclusion often women representatives in the newly established High Peace Council are important steps in guaranteeing the active involvement of women in the peace process and in facilitating reconciliation talks with those who are willing to renounce violence.

Resolution 1325 is not about rescuing women. It is not only about helping women who are struggling to overcome conflict, but about recognizing the unique role ofwomen as peacemakers, and creating opportunities for women to excel in leadership roles. What better place in the world to demonstrate the importance ofthis issue than Afghanistan. Afghan women are not damsels in distress. They have been victimized, but are not helpless victims. They have their own ideas about the needs of women in their country, and must be listened to and supported on their paths to self-empowerment. Honoring Resolution 1325, and subsequent resolutions 1820, 1888, and 1889, is not only a commitment of the Afghan government, but it is a necessity. While women are generally the first to be affected by conflict, let us all look forward to witnessing women as those who are the first beneficiaries of peace.

Throughout those 10 years of conflict, peace, destruction, reconstruction and change, women and girls have been the most affected, although I think we would also say that in those 10 years there have also been some significant advances. Some women and girls have benefited from greater involvement in peace processes, greater representation in key decision-making positions and a stronger focus on the prevention of violence. There have been major institutional achievements. For example, New Zealand strongly supported the establishment of UN Women, with Michelle Bachelet at its head, and we look to that organization to demonstrate leadership, including on this issue

The past 10 years have also demonstrated that much still needs to be done. Rape is still used as a tool of war, as was recently and horrifically demonstrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Women are still excluded from or not adequately represented in peace processes, their rights are curtailed and, all too often, they lack or are denied access to humanitarian and development assistance. Full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is needed to address those deficiencies.

New Zealand's region is the Pacific, where women are playing critical roles in brokering and maintaining peace in places such as Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Fiji and Timor-Leste. Despite their important role, however, women remain marginalized from formal negotiations, are seriously underrepresented in national decision-making processes and are still vulnerable to domestic violence.

In the past 10 years, many activities have been carried out to strengthen the role of women during and after conflict. However, this anniversary reminds us that despite those efforts, much needs to be done in the protection of women and in the promotion of the participation of women at the decision-making level, in conflict resolution and in peace processes.

Women's participation in peace processes increases the likelihood that women's needs will be met, that their status in society will be enhanced and that their well-being will improve. It is disconcerting, in that regard, that 10 years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we are still excluding half of the world's population when we are discussing sustainable peace and trying to build democracy.

The commitments set forth by the resolution are commendable, but translating words into action is the only way of solving the remaining issues. And the issues are many. As numerous situations on the agenda of this Council have shown, worrien still have a long way to go in order to fulfill the empowerment goals as well as to fully realize their human rights, both in times of war and peace. The empowerment of women is imperative for the full achievement of human rights, as well as for overall economic and political development and progress. Although women are widely recognized as effective agents of peace, they still have little access to decision-making positions and peace negotiations. More should be done.

I am pleased to say that Croatia has taken steps to integrate the gender perspective into the national security policy through its National Strategy for the Promotion of Gender Equality as and is currently developing its National Action Plan on the implementation of the resolution 1325, which is expected to be adopted by 2011. Under the leadership of its fIrst female Prime Minister, Her Excellency Ms Jadranka Kosar, Croatia will continue to give its firm support to all areas of the women, peace and security agenda. We see it as a "gender-based peace agenda", which involves addressing the disproportionate effect of conflict on women and combating sexual violence. It is also abollt securing a full, equal and effective participation of women at all stages of the peace process, giving them an equal role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as well as in peace-building. The realization of these goals is a basis for safeguarding basic human rights and achieving human security and lasting peace.

I wlsh, on behalf of the Government of Jamaica to thank you Mr. President for convening this open debate on women's equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security,Resolution 1325 unanimously adopted in the Security Council ten years ago, brought to light one of history's best kept secrets, the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls. Recognized as a historic and unprecedented document, the impetus for its adoption was strong. This led to, for the first time, the Securlty Council devoting an entire session to a debate on women's experiences in conflict, post conflict situations and their contributions to peace.

Ten years on, in celebrating the anniversary of this watershed event, significant achievements are difficult to identify. It remains a matter of serious concern that women have become caught in the centre of violent conflicts and often become the direct and deliberate victims of the most egregious abuses committed by parties to armed conflicts. We must therefore strengthen our resolve to eliminate the disproportionate effects of war oncivilians, particularly women and children.Over the years the Presidential statements have called on Member States, the United Nations System and civil society to commit to the full implementation of resolution 1325, including through the development of strategies and action plans, the establishment of monitoring and accountability mechanisms at the international and national levels and ensuring full and equal participation of women in all peace processes. But some of us have not yet heeded to the call.

5. And finally, we also act urgently to boost the work ofUN Women - and will support their new and welcome strategic partnership with the Department of Political Affairs specifically the project to increase women's participation in peace processes and improve the gender balance at all levels of mediation. The Norwegian government will immediately provide one million US dollars to this project.

The importance of resolution 1325 (2000) for Palestinian women stems from its content and direct applicability to their unique situation. On one hand, it provides a framework for their protection against the crimes committed by Israel, the occupying Power, while, on the other, it recommends the means to strengthen their role in the decision-making process, including in terms of conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

As so many before me have said today, Resolution 1325 is a landmark: recognizing the urgent need to mainstream a gender perspective in the prevention, management and resolution of armed conflicts and in all stages of the peace building processes.

Portugal believes that important progress has been accomplished in the implementation of 1325 and the other important resolutions that have followed. However, we all recognize that significant challenges still remain. On the one hand, women are still underrepresented at all levels of peacekeeping and peace building efforts and they are poorly represented in formal peace negotiations. Violations of the human rights of women are still a dominant feature of conflict and sexual violence is too often widespread both in conflict and in post conflict situations.

It is our understanding that women are indispensable actors of change and ·development. Therefore, it is fundamental to overcome the traditional perspective of these actors as mere vulnerable victims in need of protection and to implement measures that guarantee that their perspective is taken into all stages of peace building processes by the international and local actors involved. Indeed, women have a crucial role to play in rebuilding war tom societies and in promoting social cohesion.

We have established under this Action Plan five main strategic objectives, translated into thirty specific objectives, for which implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are identified and developed. These are:To increase women's participation and mainstream gender equality in all phases of peace building processes and at all levels of decision-making;

My delegation believes that the full participation of women in the prevention and resolution of conflict has become a critical element in adequately addressing such tragedies. Placing women in leadership positions, at senior levels, as decision makers in peace consolidation processes, in public life and in transitional Governments could provide space for gender perspectives in order to resolve conflict and achieve stability.

As an equal component of any society, women should have equal and active participation in formulating political, economic and social policies. Equally, as victims of exclusion, as vulnerable targets in conflicts and as mothers and breadwinners, women have high stakes in conflict prevention and resolution, and in all issues related to peace and security. Yet, in the name of tradition, in the name of culture and sometimes even in the name of security, women have continued to be excluded, and too often they have been set aside while men brokered peace agreements. We are encouraged, therefore, that more and more women are challenging this viewpoint and are increasingly demanding involvement as stakeholders in their communities. Their potential as peacebuilders must now be harnessed.

We have to make concerted efforts to support and strengthen the capacities of women and their networks to actively participate in all processes of conflict prevention and management, as well as in peacebuilding and peace consolidation. In this regard, we commend the efforts that have been undertaken by various stakeholders, in particular the United Nations system, civil society and various national political leaders, in promoting the participation of women in peacebuilding and peace consolidation processes.

Secondly, women's participation in peace processes and post-conflict planning should be routine,predictable and mandatory. Such participation must now be the norm, not tokenism.

Most visible at the international level is the better coordinated work within the United Nations system — particularly among the Special Adviser on GenderIssues, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Development Programme and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — in mainstreaming gender in peace and security, and in addressing issues that may impact women's participation in peace processes, including humanitarian and socio-economic issues.

We particularly commend the adoption early this year of the three-year Joint Strategy on Gender and Mediation initiated by the Department of Political Affairs and UNIFEM, and the proposed seven-point action plan, which contains actions needed to enhance women's participation in peacebuilding — a fundamental factor to prevent war and empower women. In this connection, we sincerely hope that the newly established UN Women, once it has completed its transitional arrangements, will become a stronger entity and take the lead in the women and peace and security agenda. At the national level, among other things, the national action plans being designed, adopted and put in place represent a meaningful contribution. We hope that adequate resources will be made available to ensure the full implementation of these plans.

My delegation is of the view that much more remains to be done to better protect women and girls from all forms of violence in conflict and post-conflict situations, further empower them and increase their participation in all stages of peace processes. The fact that women have constituted less than 8 per cent of negotiators in United Nations-mediated peace processes and less than 3 per cent of peace agreement signatories since 1992; that only 16 per cent of peace agreements between 1990 and 2010 contained references to women; and that less than 3 per cent of post-conflict spending is dedicated to women is unacceptable.

Women, being not merely victims, but rather agents of change, should be able to involve themselves more in peace talks to better reflect their priorities in the text of peace agreements. Moreover, having emerged from many destructive wars, we in Viet Nam are convinced that women can play an active role in peacebuilding and reconstruction if and when they are empowered economically, financially, politically and institutionally, and when their special needs, including health and education, are properly addressed. With this in mind, we hope that the seven commitments listed in the Secretary-General's report contained in document S/2010/466 can be fully honoured so as to ensure women's equal involvement as participants and beneficiaries in local development, employment creation, income generation, front-line service delivery, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes in post-conflict situations.

Ten years ago, we adopted the landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security in this Council. Bangladesh, then as a member·of the Council and one of the co-sponsors of the resolution was closely associated with the adoption of this historic document that endeavors to ensure women's rights in peace and security. The decisions adopted in the document apply not only to States but also to actors involved in the post conflict peace process. We take a modicum of pride for what we have done a decade ago.

We are, however, disappointed to note that violence against women and girls are still on as delineated in different reports. As we have mentioned earlier, women and girls suffer most as victims of conflict, while in the peace process they are mostly deprived of the dividends. Women and girls are often viewed as bearers of cultural identities. Thus they become prime targets. Therefore, onus lies on us to ensure that oppression against women and girls particularly gender related ones are stopped forever.

As we mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), let us take this opportunity to examine the progress that has been achieved, as well as the challenges that persist. Over the past decade, the United Nations system, Member States and civil society have made significant efforts to implement resolution 1325 (2000) through a wide spectrum of measures and initiatives. Considerable progress has been made in increasing awareness of the threat that sexual violence constitutes to peace and security and of the cost of excluding women from peace processes. In the 10 years since the adoption of the resolution, many steps have been taken on the ground, including increasing the number of gender advisers, the adoption of guidelines for field action and the elaboration of a System-wide Action Plan. Member States have organized consultations and developed national action plans, and civil society organizations have stepped up their activities to support the role of women in areas of conflict and post-conflict. The creation of a new United Nations gender entity and the appointment of President Michelle Bachelet as its head, the appointment of Ms. Margot Wallström as the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the creation of a High-Level Steering Committee for Women, Peace and Security have generated unique momentum within the United Nations and beyond.

In recent peace negotiations, women represented less than 8 per cent of the participants and less than 3 per cent of the signatories. That endangers the prospects for long-lasting peace since women are crucial partners in shoring up three of its pillars: economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy, as affirmed by the Secretary-General in his recent report (S/2010/466).

Uganda recognizes the progress that has been made by the United Nations and the wider international community towards enhancing the participation of women in conflict resolution, peace processes and post-conflict reconstruction. However, there are still situations in which conflicts continue to have a devastating impact on women and girls.

Denmark remains as committed to implement UNSCR 1325 as ever. Denmark was the very first country to adopt an action plan for implementation of resolution 1325, and we are currently implementing our second national action plan (2008-2013). In this plan an even stronger emphasis is placed on using the untapped potential of women, on involving women actively, on an equal basis, in peace building processes and decision making at all levels and with focus on visibility at country level.

As part of our international outreach Denmark and the United States will co-host an international conference on "Role of Women in Global Security» in Copenhagen on 29 and 30 October. The conference will gather political, military, business and civil society leaders and experts to share best practices and discuss how to expand and effectuate women's key roles in peacemaking and peacekeeping and in security-related activities. The goal of the conference is to help us all walk new avenues to enhance and improve women's vital role in the critical political, military and economic processes leading to sustainable peace and security.

When entering the building this morning, participants passed by our exhibit “No Women — No Peace” in the entrance hall. You saw the curtain with the portraits of the 1,000 women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, looking down at the rickety peace table on the opposite side of the hall. I hope that, 10 years from now, these women will not be looking at that table, but sitting around it, as active and respected negotiating partners in all peace processes.

We are convinced that women's participation in the maintenance of peace and security is in itself a basic human right. In this context, we welcome that this issue has achieved a prominent place on the international agenda. We believe that the involvement of women into the peace negotiations and conflict mediation should be supported. Furthermore, let us remember that peace negotiations and post conflict reconstruction are not only about achieving the end ofhostilities, but the beginning of a new future.

Beyond that, we have to recognize that violence against women, including sexual and genderbased violence poses real threat to global security and it also creates serious challenge to the full and active participation of women in peace processes. We believe that systematic sexual violence, used as a tactic of war by deliberately targeting civilians, in particular women and girls, significantly aggravates the situation during an armed conflict.

Taking this opportunity I would like to confirm that the Government of the Republic of Hungary is strongly committed to implement Resolution 1325. We stand firmly behind endeavors aimed at mainstreaming gender issues in the strategies, policies, programs and actions and promoting participation of women in decision-making and peace processes.

The recognition by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) ten years ago of gender equality as a security issue was a watershed, both for women and our organization. Through the unanimous adoption of resolution 1325, the Council acknowledged not only the needs and concerns of women in connection with peace processes, but underlined the participation of women as an important prerequisite for sustainable peace.

In addition, Iceland has advocated women's participation in peace negotiations, including through the important work of the International Women's Commission (IWC) bringing together Israeli, Palestinian and international women dedicated to seeing an end to the Israeli occupation and a just peace based on international law, human rights and equality.Lastly, Iceland has emphasised the importance of the gender perspective in international climate talks, confident that the increased participation of women will help the international community foster a more sustainable response to the scourge of climate change. Ten years on, it is time for the international community to get serious about implementation. While often depicted, and rightly so, as victims of armed conflict, it is important to bear in mind that women are more often than not an integral part of the solution. Let's make the coming decade a decade that counts, a time when we no longer tolerate impunity for crimes, a time when women's needs and rights are respected and both women and men are equal partners in forging a lasting peace.

To ensure the meaningful inclusion of women in peacemaking processes and post-conflict reconstruction, some societies will have to experience a seismic shift in gender attitudes on the ground. Although 1325 and its related resolutions concern gender-based violence and the transition to a post-conflict society, these issues are inextricably linked to the situation of women's rights as a whole. States that ignore this simple fact may be disappointed with the long-term results of their efforts. But if States accept this reality and strive to address it, they are likely to enhance their stability and even economic recovery in the aftermath of conflict.

Resolution 1325 highlighted the impact of anned conflict on women and the need for effective institutional arrangements to guarantee their protection and full participation in peace processes.

As a next step we request the Secretary-General to include the information- gathered on the basis of the indicators in his country-specific and relevant thematic reports in a systematic and comprehensive manner. Without accurate and timely information it is difficult for the Council to take appropriate action in areas that need our urgent attention, such as the prevention of sexual violence. We hope the Council will in the future also receive briefings on situations, where data gathered through the indicators suggest an outbreak of violence against women or a further deterioration of a situation. Early warning and prevention is still by far the best protection.

The indicators that have been presented form, in this respect, the basis for a comprehensive consideration of the progress made by the United Nations system and Member States in the priority areas of prevention, participation, protection, relief and recovery. These clearly reflect the complementary nature of resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009). We also agree with the Secretary-General that UN Women could serve as the coordinating body for the follow-up on these indicators.

The international community has developed a robust legal framework for the protection of women in armed conflicts. The challenge now is to achieve its full implementation, given the lack of respect for the standards of international law by parties to conflicts. My delegation reiterates the importance of having a comprehensive strategy for compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights law as an essential component in conflict situations.

Mexico believes that this joint discussion is bringing us closer to the goal of eliminating the effect of conflict on women and ensuring their involvement on an equal footing in all aspects of international peace and security. The decisions that we have adopted to protect women's rights and to ensure their participation will be our best investment in a future of peace and stability. Today we have this opportunity, as well as the responsibility that goes with it towards the women and girls of the world.

My delegation is particularly pleased to participate in this debate on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), a landmark resolution of which Tunisia, as a non-permanent member in 2000, was among the initiators, along with Bangladesh, Namibia, Canada, Jamaica and Mali. Today likewise, my country attaches great importance to this topic and wishes to underscore its strong commitment to the protection of women in conflict and post-conflict situations, as well as to the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in all its aspects.

It should be recognized, however, that national ownership of the resolution is the key approach to ensuring its effective implementation. The prime responsibility to combat the use of rape as a tool of war rests with Member States, as does the responsibility to increase the participation of women in peace operations and peace talks, to protect and promote the rights of women and girls, and to integrate the gender perspective in different policy areas.

Canada looks forward to the Security Council reviewing the data collected by the indicators in the future. Such information would be very helpful in our efforts to protect civilian populations in armed conflict. For example, that information should assist in the development of clearer mandates for United Nations peace operations, which would thereby assist peacekeepers on the ground in implementing targeted protection strategies. The data would also assist in the development of targeted predeployment and in mission training for peacekeepers. Canada notes that the Secretary-General's report points to an ongoing need to enhance the meaningful participation of women in peace processes. Canada is pleased to support the work of the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the Department of Political Affairs as they work together to ensure that peace processes benefit from the direct participation of women at all levels, that mediators exhibit better understanding of gender-specific implications of various aspects of peace agreements and that agreements provide remedy for the experiences of women and girls in conflict and enable them to participate fully in post-conflict recovery.

I would like to share with you some activities that we will carry out in implementing Canada's Action Plan. We will:
• ensure that our non-governmental partners delivering Canadian humanitarian assistance have codes of conduct related to sexual exploitation and abuse;
• develop training modules which address prevention and protection issues from the women, peace and security agenda for Government of Canada personnel being deployed to peace operations, fragile states or conflict affected situations; and
• identify Canadian specialists with expertise in women, peace and security issues, who may be called upon to support future peace operations, including peace processes.

Australia remains committed to ensuring the protection and empowerment of women in conflict situations and has been a supporter of resolution 1325 since its adoption in 2000. Women are particularly vulnerable to the effects of conflict, but can be powerful in ending it. Durable peace requires the specific needs of women and girls to be addressed. Women must be recognised as powerful agents of peace.

The topics promoted through these pillars are primarily participation, conflict prevention, protection against violence against women and children and community recovery. In terms of the latter, projects have already been carried out through the peacebuilding programme in the western part of our country, but, given the enormous needs in post-conflict reconstruction, gender-based projects need to be encouraged and established throughout the country.

The Security Council debate today and the numerous initiatives related to resolution 1325 all over the world confirm that women are no longer an invisible or irrelevant aspect of armed conflicts. Women have the right to be protected in conflicts, and can and should be able to contribute to peace processes. However, despite the progress made' since 2000, these principles still need to be translated better into reality at the global, regional and national levels.

On the tenth anniversary of Resolution 1325, it is important to take a step back to gain a more global perspective and to celebrate how far we have come as well as recognize areas for improvement in terms of the participation and protection of women in situations of conflict. There have been ten years of overwhelmingly strong consensus around this resolution. During this time, my country has emerged from decades of suffering to major progress for women. We now work in solidarity with the international community to eliminate the deeply rooted tragedy of the disproportionate effects of conflict on women and highlight the crucial role of women's leadership in the peace process.

Key areas of success for the improvement of the lives of women have been in the spheres of political participation, education, and health. As we finalize results for our second parliamentary election, we recall that last month, millions of Afghans went to the polls to make their voices heard. In these recent elections, 406 out of 2,556 candidates were women. This compares with 328 women candidates from 2005, and ensures that women will at least fill all 68 seats, or 25%, allocated for women and will likely win additional seats. Women will fill at least a quarter of the Afghan parliament, nearing our MDG goal of 30%, and make up 18% of government employees. There are now over 1,000 women in Afghan National Security Forces. We plan to increase the number of women in the Afghan National Police to over 5,000 in the next five years. The presence of women in these crucial positions has made a significant impact. We are proud of their resilience and bravery in protecting our population.

As you are aware, Mr. President, Ireland launched a cross-learning initiative on 1325 in 2009. Yesterday afternoon, I had the honour to present the findings of this initiative to the head of UN Women, Under-Secretary General Michelle Bachelet. This innovative initiative involved participants from Timor-Leste, Liberia, Ireland and Northern Ireland and was designed to draw upon the experiences of those directly affected by conflict in order to discuss the most critical issues facing women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings. The participants, experts in their field, met three times in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Dili, Timor-Leste and Monrovia, Liberia. Each meeting focussed on one of the three "P"s of 1325, namely Participation, Protection and incorporating gender Perspectives in policy-making and addressed issues such as transitional justice, mediation, gender-based violence and the application of international human rights and international humanitarian law.

There is, however, no room for complacency, Mr. President. Recent events in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone highlight that much more remains to be done. The objectives and principles of 1325 underpin the core tenets of international human rights law, international humanitarian law as well as the UN Charter itself. The protection of women and girls from sexual violence in armed conflict as well as their participation in conflict resolution and postconflict peace-building is integral to the maintenance of international peace and security. Let us not forget this. In this context, Mr. President, Ireland commends the Council's continued attention to Resolution 1325.

Secondly, while there have been excellent policy developments on resolution 1325 (2000), they have rarely been translated into action on the ground. To ensure more action, the Security Council could better incorporate 1325 issues into its daily work, for example, when it discusses country situations, peacekeeping mandates or sanctions, or when it holds Arria Formula meetings. Further, an effective leadership system within the Council could be developed to ensure that 1325 issues are regularly integrated into the Council's work. Given the churn of non-permanent members, that responsibility could be jointly shared by a permanent and a non-permanent Council member. Better integration of 1325 issues does not just feel or sound good: it makes practical sense. Involving women in peace processes, stopping sexual and gender-based violence and guaranteeing the protection of women's rights will better ensure a lasting peace, which will, in turn, improve the Council's ability to maintain international peace and security.

That, in turn, will mean that, as Governments come and go and as conflicts break out and abate, women and girls are protected and can fully participate in the promotion and maintenance of peace and security.

In the past 10 years, many activities have been carried out to strengthen the role of women during and after conflict. However, this anniversary reminds us that despite those efforts, much needs to be done in the protection of women and in the promotion of the participation of women at the decision-making level, in conflict resolution and in peace processes.

We all have a responsibility to implement resolution 1325 (2000). The development of national action plans is a key means by which Member States commit themselves to fulfilling that responsibility. I would like to report that Slovenia is about to finalize and adopt such an action plan. The goal is to interconnect existing national and international activities addressing a broader concept of women, peace and security in order to translate them into genuine political commitments, and thus accelerate the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and contribute to the empowerment and protection of women.

We all have a responsibility to implement resolution 1325 (2000). The development of national action plans is a key means by which Member States commit themselves to fulfilling that responsibility. I would like to report that Slovenia is about to finalize and adopt such an action plan. The goal is to interconnect existing national and international activities addressing a broader concept of women, peace and security in order to translate them into genuine political commitments, and thus accelerate the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and contribute to the empowerment and protection of women.

In the run-up to this debate, and in order to raise awareness and come to real and concrete commitments around the celebration of the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), Belgium, together with the European Union, organized three events at different
levels. We organized a high-level conference in Brussels on women's participation, an experts' seminar in Geneva on protection and a ministerial-level lunch here in New York last month.

The issue of violence against women in armed conflict is closely related to that of Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, which is a priority of the Human Security Network. Both the protection of civilians and the provisions of resolution 1325 have to be fully incorporated in the mandates for all peacekeeping operations.

We are pleased to see that progress has been made in several areas and that the UN system continues to show a wide range of good practice. We encourage the strengthening of the coordination between UN agencies both at Headquarters and in the field, especially in monitoring and reporting on situations where parties to armed conflict engage in rape and other sexual violence as means of war. Nevertheless, more consistent and comprehensive reporting on sexual violence would enable the Council to address the protection of women and children in a more systematic manner, whereas the Council shoul d include specific reporting requirements in resolutions establishing orrenewing mandates.

I wlsh, on behalf of the Government of Jamaica to thank you Mr. President for convening this open debate on women's equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security,Resolution 1325 unanimously adopted in the Security Council ten years ago, brought to light one of history's best kept secrets, the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls. Recognized as a historic and unprecedented document, the impetus for its adoption was strong. This led to, for the first time, the Securlty Council devoting an entire session to a debate on women's experiences in conflict, post conflict situations and their contributions to peace.

Ten years on, in celebrating the anniversary of this watershed event, significant achievements are difficult to identify. It remains a matter of serious concern that women have become caught in the centre of violent conflicts and often become the direct and deliberate victims of the most egregious abuses committed by parties to armed conflicts. We must therefore strengthen our resolve to eliminate the disproportionate effects of war oncivilians, particularly women and children.Over the years the Presidential statements have called on Member States, the United Nations System and civil society to commit to the full implementation of resolution 1325, including through the development of strategies and action plans, the establishment of monitoring and accountability mechanisms at the international and national levels and ensuring full and equal participation of women in all peace processes. But some of us have not yet heeded to the call.

Finally, the United Nations Population Fund State of World Population 2010 report — “From Conflict and Crisis to Renewal: Generations of Change” — speaks of the three Rs, resilience, renewal and redefining roles between boys and girls and men and women. It further shows how communities and civil society are healing old wounds and moving forward. We concur that more still needs to be done to ensure that women have access to services and have a voice in peace deals or reconstruction plans. But we believe that recovery from conflict and disaster presents a unique opportunity to rectify inequalities, ensure equal protection under the law and create space for positive change.Thus, by ensuring that all aspects of resolution 1325 (2000) are implemented, we will give women the chance to use their voice and their advocacy in ensuring sustainable peace for all.

We must get better at explaining that 1325 is not about political correctness. Better protection and more equal participation of women in social, economic and political life - including in peace processes and security services - improves the quality of the process and the service, making the results more sustainable. We simply can't afford to ignore half of society's talent and capacity.

Indeed, resolution 1325 (2000) not only provides tools to strengthen women's capacity and promote gender equality, but also addresses the impact of armed conflict and war on women, calling for measures to be taken by the international community, including the Security Council, to protect them in times of conflict,post conflict and peace. It is also important to recall that the Council expressed concern that civilians, mainly women and children, account for the vast majority of those adversely affected by armed conflict, and it reaffirmed the need to fully implement international humanitarian and human rights law for the protection of the rights of women and girls during and after conflicts.

The importance of resolution 1325 (2000) for Palestinian women stems from its content and direct applicability to their unique situation. On one hand, it provides a framework for their protection against the crimes committed by Israel, the occupying Power, while, on the other, it recommends the means to strengthen their role in the decision-making process, including in terms of conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), unanimously adopted on 31 October 2000, is considered the most significant legal and political document in the advancement of the role of women in the fields of peace and security. It was welcomed by women worldwide, particularly women in situations of armed conflict and women living under foreign occupation, as it was seen as an essential tool for their protection and empowerment.

A recent, tragic example of the international community, mainly the Security Council, failing to protect Palestinian women came during and after the latest Israeli war of aggression against the Gaza Strip, with its traumatizing impact on women and children. That failure shows the extent to which resolution 1325 (2000) has been totally ignored and breached by the occupying Power without any accountability. In this regard, we continue to witness unbearable human suffering in the Gaza Strip as a result of that aggression, in which more than 1,400 civilians were brutally killed, including hundreds of innocent women and children, and 5,500 other civilians were injured. This, along with the widespread destruction of Palestinian property and infrastructure and gross violations of human rights committed against the Palestinian civilian population by the occupying Power, has compounded the dire consequences that the illegal, inhumane Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip has had on the population, with severe poverty, unemployment and rampant hardship gravely impacting the socio-economic and psychological conditions of Palestinian women.

In conclusion, as we observe the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), let us renew our commitment to action and shoulder our responsibility to take more effective measures to fully implement this important legislation by the Security Council. Let us move forward on our commitment to end all types of violence against women, protect them from the scourge of war and advance their participation at the highest level, for these are surely key components of peace and security in our world.

It is our understanding that women are indispensable actors of change and ·development. Therefore, it is fundamental to overcome the traditional perspective of these actors as mere vulnerable victims in need of protection and to implement measures that guarantee that their perspective is taken into all stages of peace building processes by the international and local actors involved. Indeed, women have a crucial role to play in rebuilding war tom societies and in promoting social cohesion.

Thirdly, women's political and economic empowerment and the promotion and protection of women's and girls' rights are critical for promoting women's participation in conflict prevention, post-conflict activities and gender mainstreaming in post-conflict strategies. More funds should now be provided in this regard, including to ensure that women have access to quality education, to capacity building through entrepreneurship and to economic opportunity.

Fourthly, support for post-conflict countries should include reform of their justice systems and security sectors to ensure that there is a credible and supportive environment for the participation and protection of women.

My delegation is of the view that much more remains to be done to better protect women and girls from all forms of violence in conflict and post-conflict situations, further empower them and increase their participation in all stages of peace processes. The fact that women have constituted less than 8 per cent of negotiators in United Nations-mediated peace processes and less than 3 per cent of peace agreement signatories since 1992; that only 16 per cent of peace agreements between 1990 and 2010 contained references to women; and that less than 3 per cent of post-conflict spending is dedicated to women is unacceptable.

We are well aware that poverty, struggle for dearth of resources, and socio-economic injustices lie at the heart of conflicts and all of them, sadly create breeding ground for such social blight including violence against women and girls. The resulting impact not only relates to the safety and security of the women and girls but also impairs the political and economic situations, as well as security of the nation. Therefore, protecting women's rights is not an option; it is a compulsion that requires coordinated actions from all of us.

From our national perspective, I deem it a privilege to make a few remarks about gender mainstreaming in Bangladesh. Women occupy the top political leadership in our country. The Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees equality of men and women within the broad framework of non-discrimination on grounds of religion, race or gender. The Government has adopted National Policy for Women's Advancement and National Plan of Action. A Women's Development Implementation Committee, headed by the Minister for Women and Children Affairs, monitors the implementation of policies for women's empowerment. The result is highly positive. For example, enrolment of girls at both primary and secondary level schools exceeds that of boys, helped by waiver of tuition and provision of stipends for girls in secondary level.

The Government has enacted laws for protecting women against domestic violence and is currently implementing a number of projects for developing capabilities of women. These include Vulnerable Group Development Program (VGD), micro-credit, skill training including computer skill, product display centers, etc. Women registered for VGD and hired for rural works receive skill training and credit or some simple capital machinery i.e. sewing machine-so that they can set up their own small business enterprise. Many affirmative actions have been taken that help women in distress and 'old age. For involving women in decision-making' process, government has adopted quota system for women in national parliament as well as in the recruitment of our civil service alongside the direct election and open competition.

As they care for their families and raise their children, women play a crucial role in restoring the fabric of society and overcoming war wounds. Yet, their own wounds are still not being properly remedied. In that regard, reforming the security sector and ensuring respect for the rule of law in a gender responsive manner is of crucial importance. Conflict and post-conflict societies should be assisted in those areas at the earliest possible moment in order to ensure that the police and military do not abuse the very population whom they are supposed to be protecting.

Over the next decade, our success in protecting women in conflict situations will be measured by the real impact that our actions have on the ground. The framework and tools are there. Let us make sure that we back them with the necessary political will.

The protection of civilians, including women and girls, will remain one of the important mandated tasks and objectives of peacekeeping. However, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that only a peaceful and secure environment can ensure protection of civilians and that such conditions can be maintained only by capable and resourceful national authorities.

I am pleased to say that this year, on 25 March 2010, the Philippines became the first Asian country to adopt a national action plan on women and peace and security, implementing Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008). Our plan envisions enhancing and strengthening women's role in peacebuilding processes.
Our plan has four major goals: first, to ensure the protection and prevention of violence of women's human rights in armed conflict and post-conflict situations; secondly, to empower women and ensure their active and meaningful participation in areas of peacebuilding, peacekeeping and conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction; thirdly, to promote and mainstream a gender perspective in all aspect of conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding; and fourthly, to institutionalize a monitoring and reporting system to monitor, evaluate and report to enhance accountability for the successful implementation of the Philippine National Action Plan and the achievement of its goals.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the landmark Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. It was the first Security Council resolution to address women's issues in the international peace and security agenda. Member States, the United Nations system, civil society, and parties to conflict were called upon to, among others, acknowledge the role of and address the plight of women in situations of armed conflict. Resolution 1325 also sought to protect women and girls from violence, particularly sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.

In his report on women and peace and security (S/2010/498), the Secretary-General acknowledges that significant progress has been made in several areas. However, he also warns that much remains to be done to realize the vision of resolution 1325 (2000). In particular, the report refers to the need to redouble efforts to ensure that women can play their rightful role in conflict prevention and resolution and in reconstruction processes. Similar efforts are needed to protect women from abuse during conflict, including gender-based violence.

In order to meet the various existing international commitments with regard to the promotion and protection of the rights of women, including Security Council resolutions on women and peace and security, Colombia has at its disposal a significant constitutional, legal and institutional framework and gender-based strategies that cover social, economic and cultural aspects.

In peacebuilding, State bodies work together in joint efforts to guarantee the protection of women from risks that affect them in areas where there are illegal armed groups. Furthermore, ensuring inclusion of the gender perspective and the full participation of women in the prevention of violence is being promoted. In that regard, with the support of the European Union and citizen participation, the Peace Laboratories programme is being promoted in areas affected by violence. That initiative explores paths of dialogue and coexistence, peaceful mechanisms for resistance and protection of the civilian population. Women are beneficiaries and/or agents of projects that promote peace in those areas.

Protection of women and their participation in all parts of society are two sides of the same medal. Resolution 1325 clearly stipulates that women must be seen as active players whose contributions in all aspects of peace-building and peace-keeping processes are absolutely essential for the (re-) construction of societies and in achieving sustainable peace and development. Empowering of women is important in security sector reform as well as in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes Germany therefore also welcomes the action plan contained in the Secretary General's report on resolution 1889, including the call for increased financing for gender equality and women's empowerment in countries emerging from conflict.

This Council's adoption of resolution 1325, ten years ago, was a watershed in the protection of women and girls in conflict. The international community was - and should remain - proud of this accomplishment. The resolution helped galvanize Member States' resolve to tackle this issue. In recent years, the Council has adopted several additional resolutions also focused on the intersection of gender and conflict - namely, resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 2009) - and the UN has issued a number of reports and studies on the issue. Now, the inclusion of a gender-based perspective is becoming commonplace in peacekeeping missions and their mandates, peace-building efforts, and UN country teams. In this regard, efforts to increase the number ofwomen in missions' senior leadership and deployed as mission personnel are notable.

However, recent events, such as the violations that took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Guinea, starkly highlight the wide gap that remains between the noble aspirations and the level ofprotection some women receive on the ground. Israel welcomes the development this year of indicators for progress in implementing resolution 1325. The wide-ranging measurements are the most significant step forward to-date in our attempt to determine where the international community and States have been successful, and where we fall short. If these indicators are to be truly useful, however, the information they generate must be used to address shortcomings in a concerted and candid manner in order to ensure that the goals ofthe resolution are met.

Resolution 1325 is a milestone on the long road to the protection of women in conflict. We should, collectively, renew our commitment to its provisions. Israel, for its part, rededicates itself to ensuring that it upholds this landmark achievement at home, and stands ready to join hands with any nation, anywhere, to help realize this goal.

The Principality of Monaco attaches the greatest importance to the protection of innocent civilian victims of conflict. Among them, women and children are clearly the most vulnerable. The fact that, over the past decade, women and children have become the targets of unspeakable violence is unacceptable. Thus, the Security Council's recognition of this scourge when it adopted resolution 1325 (2000), on 31 October 2000, was a major turning point in mobilizing the international community.

The importance of women's participation in confiict prevention, conflict resolution and reconstruction is clearly addressed in landmark Security Council resolutions 1325 and 1820, on women, peace and security. I would go as far as to say that "1325" is one of the best-known resolutions the Security Council has adopted. More so, it should also be one of the mostly widely implemented resolutions. Because it certainly is among the least complicated resolutions to implement. Basically, we need to:

• Talk to women - to obtain a better understanding and resolution of a conflict;

• Protect women - to keep them and their families safe from violence, to keep their communities stable;

• Involve women - to build back a more secure and economically viable society;

We unequivocally, unambiguously and resolutely condemn tbe abhorrent behaviour of sexual violence in armed conflict, regardless of who perpetrates it, be it parties to armed conflicts, peacekeeping personnel, including its civilian component, or humanitarian actors.

There is a need for more stringent regulations in combating and eliminating this menace. We would also request the Secretary General further strengthen his efforts to ensure zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Over the past decade, progress in the implementation has been slow and uneven. The resolution's real impact remains to be felt on the ground in many areas. All too often women do not make it to the tables where decisions are taken in peace processes or post-conflict reconstruction that have a direct impact on their lives. There are no issues that are not also women's issues. Every month hundreds of women and children fall victims· to sexual violence under the eyes of their governments and the international community. Women and girls with disabilities remain even more vulnerable. Ten years on, our focus must therefore lie on how we can ensure better and more coherent implementation of the objectives enshrined in these resolutions and make a real difference for women in conflict and post-conflict situations.

As a next step we request the Secretary-General to include the information- gathered on the basis of the indicators in his country-specific and relevant thematic reports in a systematic and comprehensive manner. Without accurate and timely information it is difficult for the Council to take appropriate action in areas that need our urgent attention, such as the prevention of sexual violence. We hope the Council will in the future also receive briefings on situations, where data gathered through the indicators suggest an outbreak of violence against women or a further deterioration of a situation. Early warning and prevention is still by far the best protection.

Austria is committed to a continuous enhancement of its rule of law standards. The Rome Statute is the first international treaty to classify crimes against women, like rape or other forms of sexual violence, as crimes against humanity, war crimes or genocide. Austria is currently in the process of incorporating the crimes of the ICC Statute into its criminal code.

Through the Austrian Development Agency, Austria supports and implements projects tailored towards, the implementation of 1325, in particular in relation to violence against Women,DDR, cooperation with civil society, for conflict prevention and peacekeeping. We will continue with these efforts. The Austrian multilateral development cooperation will keep a strong focus on women and children in crisis and post conflict situations.

Resolution 1325 (2000) was the starting point for subsequent developments in the Security Council related to this topic, aimed at ensuring the participation of women in peacekeeping, peacebuilding and the fight against sexual violence against women and girls. For this reason, that resolution, together with resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009), has provided the international community with a framework for addressing the needs of women in conflict and post-conflict situations.

On numerous occasions in this Chamber, we have heard truly moving testimony from women victims of sexual violence. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict has stated that this type of violence is a tactic of war and as such can be planned for and predicted. We cannot allow it in any way to be considered an inevitable consequence of armed conflict.

However, I must say, that recent events have unfortunately shown us that the capacity to respond to such acts must be greatly strengthened. As my country has stated on other occasions, a crucial consideration in addressing this problem is having information that would allow us to take preventive measures and to respond swiftly to such situations. We must explore mechanisms that allow for reliable information exchange on acts of sexual violence in order to take measures aimed at reducing and fighting this scourge. It is the view of my delegation that the capacity for such information exchange among United Nations agencies, the various committees of the Security Council and the Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict should be substantially strengthened.

Furthermore, it is important for military personnel deployed on the ground to undergo training and awareness- raising to enable them to respond appropriately to situations of sexual violence.

We must also bear in mind that, as the Secretary-General recalled, the security of women and girls is not guaranteed once a conflict has come to an end. We must therefore ensure that there is a focus in post-conflict phases on the strengthening of the rule of law that ensures respect for their rights and access to justice. Fighting impunity for gender-based violence is essential in the peacebuilding process, as noted by the Peacebuilding Commission Working Group on Lessons Learned.

The indicators that have been presented form, in this respect, the basis for a comprehensive consideration of the progress made by the United Nations system and Member States in the priority areas of prevention, participation, protection, relief and recovery. These clearly reflect the complementary nature of resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009). We also agree with the Secretary-General that UN Women could serve as the coordinating body for the follow-up on these indicators.

Ten years ago, when it adopted resolution 1325 (2000), the Council acknowledged that women and girls suffered disproportionately from the effects of armed conflicts and were frequently the specific and deliberate victims of various forms of violence. The Security Council took an important step in incorporating the agenda of women and peace and security into its work and in recognizing the importance of the participation of women in all stages of armed conflict, post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding.

The establishment of the International Criminal Court represented an important step forward in the fight against sexual violence and gender-related violence. Mexico is fully convinced that we cannot achieve lasting peace without guaranteeing the delivery of justice, promoting accountability and fighting impunity. We therefore support the decision of the Secretary-General to carry out or support impartial and independent investigations into cases of sexual violence against women in the Republic of Guinea, Timor-Leste and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to mention only a few cases.

Despite some progress, much remains to be done for us to meet our responsibility to effectively address the needs of women and to ensure that they do not suffer the effects of violence inherent to armed conflict.

Mexico is not a stranger to the phenomenon of violence and its consequences for women and girls. We have sought to adopt a comprehensive approach for the social prevention of violence, together with efforts to strengthen protection measures. While my country faces challenges, the institutions in charge of ensuring security and law enforcement — the federal police and the armed forces — are receiving gender training, and increasing numbers of women are joining this important effort.

My country is pleased with the tireless efforts carried out by civil society as the engine for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), as it is a force for change on the ground. We draw the attention of the Security Council to the importance of the gender perspective and to reprehensible acts of gender related and sexual violence against women.

Including the civil society in implementation of 1325 is vital. For its own part, Finland actively seeks advice and forms partnerships with NGOs in implementing its National Action Plan. For example in our National Anniversary Seminar, held in Helsinki last Friday, our President, Foreign Minister and myself were honoured to hear from Special Representative Margot Wallstrom and also from representatives of the civil society. Many ideas for improved concrete action and new best practices emerged from this exchange, including a proposal to include medical professionals in our crisis management teams in order to better respond to victims of sexual and gender based violence.

Finally, a few words on the centrality of the work against impunity and due attention to the victims of human rights violations and serious crimes. Justice for victims is essential in restoring the confidence of the people in their government and in promoting sustainable peace. There should never be amnesties for the most serious crimes, including sexual and gender based violence, which can constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Finland is fully supportive of the efforts of the International Criminal Court and the ad-hoc tribunals in this regard.

As an additional tool, I wish to highlight the potential of the Justice Rapid Response mechanism, a multilateral stand-by facility to deploy rapidly criminal justice and related professionals, trained for international investigations and at the service of States and international institutions. While still within its first year of operations, the Justice Rapid Response mechanism has already successfully completed three deployments and trained over 80 experts, thus proving its value. We are convinced that participation in the Justice Rapid Response mechanism is yet another example of concrete action to achieve the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Justice is not only prosecutions. It includes the reform and strengthening of security sector and the rule of law structures and very importantly, addressing the needs and right to reparations for victims. Amongst other things Finland continues to provide financial contributions to the ICC's Trust Fund for Victims and to the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict.

It should be recognized that today there is greater awareness of sexual violence in conflict, as well as an increased focus on addressing it. It has become widely accepted that women have a critically important contribution to make regarding how peace can beachieved and maintained, and therefore women's views are more and more taken into account in the planning and execution of peace processes, peacekeeping operations and post-conflict recovery.

The appointments of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Under-Secretary-General for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Executive Director of the new gender entity, UN Women, to whom we reiterate our full support, are the most recent achievements in this regard.

However, despite 10 years of efforts, significant achievements are yet difficult to identify on the ground, to use the Secretary-General's own words. Commitments to the protection of women and girls have fallen short of the pledges made. Women remain deliberate targets of gender-based violence, in particular sexual violence, in many conflict and post-conflict areas, especially in Africa, as was the case recently. These shameful crimes are a reminder that we remain far from meeting the goals set in resolution 1325 (2000).

It should be recognized, however, that national ownership of the resolution is the key approach to ensuring its effective implementation. The prime responsibility to combat the use of rape as a tool of war rests with Member States, as does the responsibility to increase the participation of women in peace operations and peace talks, to protect and promote the rights of women and girls, and to integrate the gender perspective in different policy areas.

My delegation is pleased to state in this regard that Tunisia is about to finalize and adopt its national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). This plan will, among other things, encourage women's training in peacekeeping and peacebuilding so as to provide qualified personnel who could be deployed in field-based United Nations operations. It will also enhance predeployment training, with particular focus on the special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence. It will also endeavour to contribute to international efforts aimed at raising greater awareness about these issues through the convening of special regional events.

For the past seven years, Solomon Islands has been assisted by the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). The Mission is made up of Pacific neighbours, led by Australia and strongly supported by New Zealand. RAMSI has provided us space and support to promote and implement resolution 1325 (2000) nationally and throughout the Government. In that respect, Solomon Islands has restructured its State security institution. For the first time in our young history, we have more women in our police force. The police force has also established a unit to deal with post-conflict sexual and gender-based violence, in coordination with other line ministries and staffed with officers trained in gender sensitivity and human rights.

Canada supports the efforts of SRSG Margot Wallstrom to provide strategic leadership and strengthen UN coordination mechanisms in order to address sexual violence in armed conflict. The recent systematic acts of sexual violence perpetrated in the eastern DRC demonstrate the necessity of Ms. Wallstrom's work. Canada calls on the UN system to ensure that her office is adequately resourced and capable of timely action.

More broadly, we strongly support the Secretary General's recognition of the need to take effective measures to address sexual violence in conflict. In this regard, we welcome the jurisprudence of the international courts and tribunals, recognizing that rape and sexual violence can be war crimes and crimes against humanity. Individuals responsible for these crimes must be. brought to justice. This includes those responsible by virtue of command responsibility. Canada continues to call on States to investigate and prosecute these crimes and to cooperate with international prosecutions where necessary.

I would like to share with you some activities that we will carry out in implementing Canada's Action Plan. We will:
• ensure that our non-governmental partners delivering Canadian humanitarian assistance have codes of conduct related to sexual exploitation and abuse;
• develop training modules which address prevention and protection issues from the women, peace and security agenda for Government of Canada personnel being deployed to peace operations, fragile states or conflict affected situations; and
• identify Canadian specialists with expertise in women, peace and security issues, who may be called upon to support future peace operations, including peace processes.

The last year witnessed a rapid rise in our collective will to address sexual violence in conflict. Resolution 1888 broke important new ground in this regard. We welcome the appointment of Margot Wallstrom as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict. Her views on how the UN system could improve its handling of this important issue of the protection of civilians should be considered carefully.

The recent mass rapes in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo highlight the challenges still faced in ensuring that sexual violence in conflict is addressed comprehensively throughout the entire UN system - particularly as part of UN peacekeeping operations. There remains a gap between our collective expectations on what the UN system should be able to do and the actual capacity of peacekeepers on the ground. Operational guidance, training and resources need to be provided to mission leadership and peacekeepers, so that they are prepared to take action in response to threats against civilians.

Australia was pleased to support the joint 'Analytical Inventory' developed by DPKO and UNIFEM, under the auspices of the inter-agency network UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict. This is a key tool for the UN to use in improving its ability to protect civilians from sexual violence in conflict as part of peacekeeping operations. We commit to working with our UN partners to fully operationalise this tool, including by incorporating it into pre-deployment training for peacekeepers. I am pleased to announce that Australia will be financially supporting the roll-out of the scenario-based training materials for peacekeepers to prevent and respond to sexual violence. We will also continue our funding to GenCap and ProCap, to better ensure the broader protection needs of women are addressed in humanitarian crises.

The topics promoted through these pillars are primarily participation, conflict prevention, protection against violence against women and children and community recovery. In terms of the latter, projects have already been carried out through the peacebuilding programme in the western part of our country, but, given the enormous needs in post-conflict reconstruction, gender-based projects need to be encouraged and established throughout the country.

Estonia strongly condemns grave violations of the rights of women and girls, including targeted sexual violence and supports measures to combat impunity for these crimes. We support the call to include sexual violence as a priority element in resolutions mandating the SC Sanctions Committees, which should include sexual violence as a criterion for the designation of individuals for targeted measures.

As for combating the phenomenon of violence against women, the Government of the Sudan has adopted a national strategy that was prepared by all relevant official and public actors. The strategy has been implemented at the central and provincial levels. The fruits of the strategy include the establishment of social police units which deal with women's issues and combat all forms of discrimination and violence against women, including sexual violence.