Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, October 2013

My delegation thanks Azerbaijan, as President for the month of October, for convening an open debate on women, peace and security. Lithuania welcomes the adoption of resolution 2122 (2013) today, which aims to streamline action within the United Nations system to implement resolution 1325 (2000) and other related decisions. It is important that the resolution clearly underlines the role of regional organizations and civil society. We appreciate the recommendations of the Secretary- General that provide a strategic look at and guidance on the implementation of existing commitments. We would also like to commend the work of Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women. and her first briefing to the Council.

In conclusion, let me reaffirm India's commitment to contributing positively to the consolidation of United Nations efforts in the area of women, peace and security.

In conclusion, let me reaffirm India's commitment to contributing positively to the consolidation of United Nations efforts in the area of women, peace and security.

I want to thank the Secretary- General and everyone who, based on their experience and commitment, has contributed to the need to make progress in realizing the full equality for women.

In that connection, I should like to recall what Patrick Cammaert, former Deputy Force Commander of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said in 2008: it is more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in a modern conflict.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum States represented at the United Nations: Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and my small atoll nation, the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Pacific Islands Forum members stand on the leading edge of evolving security issues — situations in which women play a critical role to play in working towards stability. At the same time, despite some very positive overall gains, progress in the region towards gender equality is slow, with only mixed results since the Forum issued the Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration last year.

In conclusion, the countries of the Pacific Islands Forum are committed to work with like-minded countries to ensure that our necessary local efforts and our contributions to the United Nations will always encourage and support resolution 1325 (2000).

In that regard, any assistance from the United Nations, including that undertaken through the Peacebuilding Commission, must be carried out in a concerted manner and include a gender perspective. In addition, it must also be in accordance with the principle of national ownership, taking into account the unique and specific needs and situations present in each country.

I will give a somewhat shortened version of the distributed statement. We thank the delegation of Azerbaijan for organizing today's very important debate and we welcome the Security Council's unanimous adoption of resolution 2122 (2013). New Zealand also associates itself with the statement to be delivered shortly by the representative of the Marshall Islands who will speak on behalf of Pacific Islands Forum.

Women and peace and security is the agenda item that will not go away, and with very good reason. As long as that remains the reality, New Zealand will continue to participate actively in the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda.

Mr. President, allow me to begin by thanking you for organizing today's open debate of the Security Council and the speakers for their valuable contributions.

In concluding, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, all for your efforts in advancing the women and peace and security agenda and express the hope that we will see significant progress in that area in the lead-up to the 2015 review.

In conclusion, I wish to underscore that we support the Council's adoption today of resolution 2122 (2013), which we were pleased to sponsor.

All this has taken place with arming, support and financing from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and France. Those States have spent countless sums on influential media and invidious sectarian incitement to halt Syria's socioeconomic, security and judicial development. They work to undermine its independence, its national decision-making and its rejection of those who exploit religion. Most prominent among the fatwas that affect women is the fatwa of sex as struggle, which allows fornication under the guise of jihad. Published by some irresponsible minds and financed by the Gulf regimes, the fatwa encourages Islamic women to commit adultery in the name of religion. My delegation has sent a detailed letter on that diseased fatwa and the mentalities that promote it to the Secretary-General (A/68/487, annex). We urge all those present and those who are concerned for human rights to study it.

I now turn to my statement. I wish to thank you, Sir, for convening this open debate. Anecdotally, it brings back memories of my presidency of the Council exactly one year ago, when a presidential statement was adopted (S/PRST/2012/23) even before the debate was held, for it was postponed until November due to Hurricane Sandy, which caused so much damage to the city that it prevented the scheduled meeting. That is why we welcome the convening of the debate and the adoption of the new resolution, which strengthens the conceptual framework of the Council's groundbreaking resolution 1325 (2000) on the issue, as well as several subsequent resolutions and presidential statements.

Each year the Council has continued to build upon the core premise of resolution 1325 (2000), because we are convinced that without women's security, there can be no lasting peace. We think that the timely theme of today's debate, on women, rule of law and transitional justice in conflict-affected situations, will generate added value.

"We hope that some of the practical recommendations contained in the resolution adopted today will infuse new momentum and vigour into our collective efforts to promote the women and peace and security agenda."

Our shared responsibility, affirmed as a moral imperative of policy, is to steadfastly abide by partnerships based on respect, even if that goes against our short-term interests and plans. Only that approach can guarantee a genuine implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, resolution 2106 (2013), and resolution 2122 (2013), adopted today.

At its core, the women and peace and security agenda presents an ambitious, even a radical, challenge. It calls on us to fundamentally revise the role of women within society. It requires men to reflect on their own roles and abandon traditional mindsets.

It is clear that real transformative progress will be possible only when national political leaders in conflict- affected societies, almost all of the them men at present, adopt the women and peace and security agenda as their own, and when more male voices are heard and more male champions stand up. We need to expand understanding of the enormous contribution that women can make in meeting peace and security challenges. We need to incentivize national and local male leaders so that they commit to making the concrete progress needed to realize that potential.

In order for Member States and the United Nations system to be able to take effective actions, it is important that we highlight good practices and share lessons learned. Today's open debate is an excellent opportunity to that end.

In conclusion, Japan will continue to make every possible efforts to contribute to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) as we approach the fifteenth anniversary of its adoption, and will actively participate in its high-level review in 2015.

At the outset, I wish to congratulate Azerbaijan on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I also express my thanks for convening today's open debate on the important issue of women, peace and security.

At one of the open debates in the Council during the previous session, we discussed cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations (see S/PV.7015). Looking at the experience of the Solomon Islands relating to women and peace and security, we cannot help making the connection to the contribution of regional organizations to the maintenance of international peace and security, given its role in our national situation. At the request of the Government of the Solomon Islands, under the auspices of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2003, a Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, led by Australia and supported by New Zealand and all the Pacific small island developing States, was deployed to my country to restore the rule of law, rebuild core public institutions and allow the country to recover from the conflict. The Regional Assistance Mission, made up of military, police and civilian components, restored the rule of law and carried out peacekeeping, peacebuilding and peacemaking activities.

I would like to conclude by assuring you once again, Mr. President, of the support and cooperation of the Solomon Islands in protecting women's safety and their contribution to nation-building and world peace.

Canada looks forward to working with others to strengthen our collective efforts to empower women and girls as active decision-makers. We look forward to the Security Council high-level review in 2015 to assess what progress we are making in enhancing the role of women in international peace and security.

As in other areas, we have noted a lack of consistency when it comes to the inclusion of concerns raised by the issue of women and peace and security in the Security Council's work. It is important that the Council consistently implement the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000) and the follow-up resolutions in all its resolutions on country situations.

My delegation commends the adoption today of resolution 2122 (2013), which continues building the institutional framework begun in 2000 with the historic resolution 1325 (2000).

For my country, persistence continues to be the linchpin for decision-making and implementing action on the agenda for women and peace and security.

We also join others in welcoming the adoption of resolution 2122 (2013).

We also consider it important that the topic under discussion today be addressed by regional organizations as well, as important stakeholders in the task of ensuring peace and security.

The permanent representative of France spoke about my country in a manner that lacks the diplomatic finesse expected from the representative of a permanent member of the Council. It would seem that the French regime — through its extremism and its continued disregard for its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Council, along with its bloody interference in the affairs of several member States, including my country — has lost the legitimacy to maintain its status in the Council. By encouraging, arming and protecting regimes that refuse to attend the Geneva conference and that continue to kill Syrians from Paris and elsewhere, the French regime, through its irresponsible and childish interference, has become a threat to international peace and security and is no longer a member to be trusted with maintaining international peace and security.

For the Council to remain responsive, it is critical that timely and relevant information and analysis is provided systematically by all UN actors deployed on conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts. We commend today's resolution for clearly articulating this. As we know, it has long been recognised that women's engagement in conflict prevention and resolution, and peacebuilding efforts is more likely to lead to sustainable peace and security.

Chile will continue promoting the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), convinced as it is of the important role played by women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and of the need to increase their participation in decision-making processes.

In many violent situations in the Pacific region, women have demonstrated their capacity to contribute to solutions as mediators, providers of safe havens, or in working to improve local communities. Women and young women have also played an important part in conflict prevention, management and recovery in the region. Women have generally been first to actively work across ethnic divides, despite considerable risks.

The Pacific region is working to achieve better participation in formal conflict prevention and management and post-conflict recovery efforts, as well as oversight and accountability mechanisms for the security sector. The region recognizes the value of having women at the negotiating table in leadership roles and the need to provide sufficient recognition and resources to ensure that they are able to do their work.

The action plan provides a detailed regional framework to enhance women's and young women's leadership in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, mainstream gender and ensure the protection of women's and girls' human rights in humanitarian crises and in transitioning from conflict, disaster or post-conflict situations — all with a mechanism to accelerate the implementation of existing international, regional and national commitments on women, peace and security.

We also believe that without women's civil society strength and women's leadership, there will be no effective prevention. Women's experiences of violence during and after conflict are much broader, and effective protection from all forms of violence and violations will be possible only through their empowerment and participation.

It is widely acknowledged that in situations of conflict, the most vulnerable, women included, are those who suffer the most. That makes prevention especially important. The tendency to rush to military solutions runs contrary to the idea of the protection of civilians, since the use of force aggravates the risks to the most vulnerable and further penalizes civilians, in particular women and children.

Brazil believes that supporting and promoting women's participation in the maintenance of international peace and security is an increasingly important aspect of the Security Council's responsibility under the Charter. In that vein, we encourage further reflection and debates on the role of women in promoting the prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes.

Important structural gender asymmetries curb the options of women in most societies. Rural women, in particular, have their potential as agents of peace hindered, since they benefit less than men from the wealth created by rural employment and face new challenges owing to the impact of the still ongoing economic crisis. Yet, rural women are key contributors to global economies, playing a critical role in both developed and developing nations. They enhance agricultural and rural development, improve food security and help reduce poverty levels in their communities, thereby contributing to the promotion of sustainable development with social inclusion and food security, which are key to attaining sustainable peace.

The resolution 2122 (2013), adopted this morning, is another clear ref lection of the strong resolve of the Council concerning the critical role of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and peacekeeping. We are particularly appreciative of the fact that the resolution provides a good reference on supporting the development and strengthening of the capacities of national institutions in order to provide sustainable assistance to women and girls affected by armed conflict and post-conflict situations.

Women will not be protected in any lasting way until in-depth legal and judicial reforms are undertaken by countries emerging from armed conflict. Fortunately, a number of countries have undertaken reforms in accordance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and other relevant international legal instruments. Clearly, the best way to protect women and fight effectively against the effects of armed conflict on the lives of people in conflict is to take measures to prevent the outbreak of conflicts.

With regard to the most recent report of the Secretary- General (S/2013/525), we note with satisfaction that the attention from the international community to the issue of sexual violence in conflict has increased. We therefore call upon all stakeholders to continue their efforts to reduce and eliminate the high incidence of threats faced by women and girls in contemporary armed conflicts. However, we realize that despite the urgency with which practices in implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) have improved, there remains a deficit in opportunities for women on both the national and international levels. To exercise leadership, there remains an ongoing underrepresentation of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, protection and peacebuilding processes and efforts.

Conflicts create situations in which women and children are the ones most affected by the deterioration of living conditions and fundamental rights. Violence and the deprivation of rights often go hand in hand with conflict. Efforts to fight impunity, provide assistance to victims and hold perpetrators accountable must be intensified and better coordinated. Regrettably, sexual and gender-based violence often continue after peace deals are reached, due to insufficient investment in protection and prevention strategies, or weak security and justice institutions. We are aware of the fact that peace cannot be sustained unless women play a critical role in the process. We therefore underscore the importance of the full and effective involvement of women at all stages of peace processes and of giving them an equal role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as well as in early peacebuilding.

Additionally, as stated in the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/525), women's representation in the justice sector plays a significant role in increasing the reporting of crimes and enhancing public trust in the rule of law institutions. The importance of prevention must likewise be stressed. By enabling women to fully participate in judicial systems, we can better tackle the root causes of impunity for violence against women.

We therefore welcome the fact that resolution 2122 (2013), adopted earlier today, emphasizes the positive role that women can and will play if they are fully included in all aspects of conflict-prevention and peacebuilding. The potential of women in building a sustainable peace cannot be underestimated, nor can the imminent problems for post-conflict societies if those who bear the burden of reconstruction on the ground are not fully included in decision-making.

Secondly, 43 countries have adopted national action plans on women, peace and security. That is an important first step. However, any progress on the ground depends on the political will to abide by those commitments. The German national action plan, which was adopted last year, covers the four focus areas set out in resolution 1325 (2000) and additionally includes the areas of preparation for peace missions and the prosecution of crimes. The implementation of the action plan is monitored by an inter-ministerial working group in collaboration with representatives from civil society. German diplomatic missions abroad have been instructed to support the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), for example by advocating for the inclusion of women in local crisis prevention, conflict management and post-conflict peacebuilding or by supporting gender-sensitive projects on the ground.

Prevention, rather than reaction, must be a priority. That requires the existence of early warning mechanisms based on accurate, objective and reliable information. The collection of data relating to sexual violence in areas of conflict is crucial and strongly encouraged, so that both national and international actors may be duly informed.

The rule of law should address justice, equality and equity with a strong focus on the empowerment of women and girls, gender equality, and preventing and combating violence against women as essential preconditions for equitable and inclusive sustainable development. In that context, we praise the work of the United Nations in assisting Member States to address rule of law issues in conflict contexts and we consider it vital that the United Nations continues to emphasize the importance of providing redress and assistance to victims in conflict, post-conflict and other crisis situations.

The prevention of and response to violence against children, in particular, including sexual violence and abuse, forced marriage and maltreatment, should continue to be an important focus area of United Nations assistance.

"The resolution that we adopted today contributes to reducing the vulnerability of women and girls in armed conflict and post-conflict situations. We recognize the need to receive timely information in order to intervene early and save lives. In that sense, preventing conflicts is the best way to protect all civilians from the horrors that accompany armed conflicts, in particular women and girls."

Effective and optimal empowerment of women in the context of peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction involves the collective and coordinated action of the international community and the United Nations system, through strengthening protection and prevention measures adapted to specific contexts that will facilitate the implementation of the resolution.

"The rule of law is one of the key elements in the promotion of the agenda on women and peace and security. Gender-responsive transitional justice and reform of the justice and security sectors are prerequisites for promoting and protecting women's rights in conflict and post-conflict situations. The rule of law and transitional justice should continue to be developed so as to protect the rights of women in such situations. The emphasis should be on addressing the root causes of conflicts. Chronic conflicts and relapses into conflict blight some societies, countries and regions and keep them in a state of perpetual instability. The resolution of conflicts is, therefore, the best way to promote and protect the rights and interests of women in conflict situations. We must harness all our resources to prevent and resolve conflicts."

Malaysia welcomes today's adoption of the resolution 2122 (2013) on the issue discussed. My delegation hopes that there will be sufficient impetus toward the actual realization of the resolution and the landmark resolution 1325 (2000). Malaysia therefore appreciates the ongoing update on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/525) of 4 September. As mentioned in the report, there remains a deficit in opportunities for women to exercise leadership, and women are still underrepresented in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, protection and peacebuilding processes. My delegation believes that the greater active participation of women in peacekeeping and peacebuilding would go a long way towards including a gender perspective and allowing women to shape peace.

We have come a long way, but we are determined to keep going, focusing on the economic empowerment of women and greater investment in rural areas, which is where the bulk of populations are located in least developed countries (LDCs) as well as in Pacific nations. These are conflict-resolution measures as well as conflict-prevention measures. It is for that reason that putting peace at the heart of sustainable development, with peace — and state—building goals, is something that we, as a member of the Group of 77 and China, would like to see on the post-2015 development agenda. We would like to see more investment in high- value, game-changing investments that can transform economies within the Pacific and in LDCs to allow us to build resilience against warm, cold and hot security threats.

Particularly egregious is the practice of child, early and forced marriage, which puts the very lives of young girls at risk. That practice denies girls' rights, disrupts their access to education, severely jeopardizes their health and limits the development of their community as a whole. Conflict situations exacerbate that practice among displaced and refugee populations, such as we know to be the case in Syria. Canada encourages the Security Council to continue to provide political leadership and to take action to ensure the meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, mediation and resolution processes.

We also recognize the positive contribution of the Security Council to the rule of law, which is one of the key aspects of conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. We fully agree with the prevailing position that justice, including transitional justice, is a fundamental building block of sustainable peace in countries in conflict or post- conflict situations. Delivering justice and security in respect of the rule of law mitigates conflict, helps reduce the risk of relapse into further conflict and creates conditions conducive to sustainable development.

On that count I would like to highlight the initiatives mentioned by the Secretary-General in his report that have promoted the involvement of women in crisis and conflict situations. I would like to highlight specific areas where Spain has participated. They are the High-level Conference on Women's Leadership in the Sahel Region, held in Brussels in April; the work of UN Women through counselling many countries on incorporating women's rights and gender equality in measures being taken to restore peace and guarantee justice in the context of a transition; and the general recommendation that the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women has adopted today on women and conflict-prevention, conflicts and post-conflict.

"From resolution 1208 (1998), on security for refugees, which underscores the special security needs of women in camps, to resolution 1314 (2000), which underscores the importance of prevention, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration policies including a gender perspective, it is clear we have made progress. However, it was particularly through resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions focused on the situation of women in conflict and post-conflict situations that the Council underscored, as priorities in achieving lasting peace, the promotion and protection of women's human rights and their equal participation in transitional justice and reconciliation processes, as well as a human rights perspective and a gender perspective in all the efforts and programmes for development, peace, security and the building and strengthening of the rule of law."

Chile signed the Arms Trade Treaty and urges other States to support that initiative, which we believe represents an important humanitarian instrument for the prevention of violence against women and girls.

As stated on many occasions, Spain devotes particular efforts to promoting a gender perspective in conflict situations and has had a plan of action on women, peace and security since 2007. Within that framework, our country carries out various actions within the scope of its foreign policy, cooperation and defence activities in order to guarantee the correct implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In particular, I would like to refer to the International Seminar on Gender Perspective and Peace Operations, coordinated by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence of Spain and the Netherlands. The sixth edition of that seminar will take place next November in The Hague. The seminar includes a specific module on the role of women in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, as well as on the processes regarding security sector reform. Spanish cooperation plays a leading role in that regard through the plan on gender-sensitive peacebuilding, with a chapter dedicated to gender-sensitive transitional justice and the rule of law. Furthermore, the Office for Humanitarian Action of the Spanish Agency for International Aid for Development has elaborated a guide to address sexual violence in humanitarian interventions.

Lithuania associates itself with the statement made by the representative of the European Union. I will limit myself to a few points relating to the agenda on the rule of law and the participation of women.

We must pay greater attention to providing better support for victims, including by ensuring protection for witnesses, victims and justice officials, providing reparation mechanisms and ensuring the systematic inclusion of women in all aspects of conflict resolution. United Nations special representatives, peacekeeping and political missions and United Nations agencies have a much greater role to play.

In previous statements my delegation has already spoken about the importance of ensuring the empowerment of women. Their participation at all levels of economic, political and social life is as crucial to sustainable peace as it is to poverty reduction, economic recovery and sustainable development. We welcome the the Peacebuilding Commission's declaration on women's economic empowerment for peacebuilding.

The recent decrease in women's share of senior positions in United Nations field operations should be reversed. Efforts by the United Nations to retain, attract and support women staff should be complemented by efforts by Member States to consistently nominate more female candidates.

Notably greater involvement of women — from mediation, restoring the rule of law and governance to participation in post-conflict electoral processes — continues to require commitment and attention. It also requires greater dedicated resourcing, particularly for civil society groups working on the ground.

The resolution of armed conflict situations requires a holistic and sustainable approach. The participation of women in peace processes and post- conflict reconstruction efforts is necessary to lay the foundation for lasting peace. In that regard, resolution 1325 (2000) and successive Council resolutions on this issue have provided a framework for effective institutional arrangements. As the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/525) points out, significant progress has been made but much more needs to be done.

We welcome the Security Council's adoption of resolution 2122 (2013), especially as it seeks to place women at the table for negotiations and peace talks. Women generally represent a majority constituency in societies, and as such should not be excluded from the negotiation table in conflict-affected States. South Africa is supportive of such an approach, especially as our own history has taught us about the powerful role that women play in bringing about peace and stability. We also believe that women should play a role beyond that, one that includes securing a larger stake in political leadership and policy- and decision-making positions, both in the public and private sectors.

The report of the Secretary-General correctly points out the need for increased participation by women in United Nations peacekeeping missions. South Africa has played its role in that regard by contributing through its police deployment, a contingent made up of 16 per cent women, which, according to the Secretary- General's report, is the highest percentage of female deployment by a troop-contributing country.

Our history has not only demonstrated, but has taught us, about the powerful role that women play in a post-conflict setting. South African women represent a powerful constituency and have been at the forefront of driving reform and developing and advancing responsive policies and legislation across all sectors of Government and the public and private sectors. At the level of women's participation in political decision-making, today South Africa has 44 per cent women representation in Parliament and 43 per cent women at the level of Cabinet ministers. At the provincial level, five of the nine provincial premiers are women.

My delegation appreciates the commendable work undertaken by the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict. However, we remain of the view that significantly more needs to be done by Member States, the United Nations system and the relevant entities in supporting national efforts by States to increase women's participation, leadership and expertise in the rule of law and transitional justice, as well as in advancing accountability measures for serious offences committed against women and children.

The elimination of the root causes of conflict is the best way to prevent sexual violence and to address impunity. Combating impunity is possible only by building transparent, effective, non-discriminatory and functioning institutions and justice systems. It is vital to ensure that women and girls have access to judicial institutions and proper representation. We in the international community should pursue our efforts to support gender-sensitive judicial reform and capacity- building. It is important to provide gender expertise in peacekeeping operations and peacebuilding efforts, as well as to ensure the participation of women in those efforts.

A significant number of peace agreements fail within the first five years of signature. Among the various reasons for this outcome, the lack of inclusiveness is evident. The full, equal and meaningful participation of women at the decision-making level is crucial for assuring that the political, social and economic outcomes of peace talks and mediation efforts address their specific issues and concerns.

Argentina would like to emhasize the need for a gender perspective and for crimes against women to be incorporated into the agenda of peace negotiations. To that end, we need women in decision-making positions and at all stages of the peace process. We know that women are victims of widespread violence at the hands of all parties involved in a conflict. We also know that sexual violence in conflict is not a new phenomenon, rather it is a powerful weapon used to destroy not merely the life of a woman but also to destroy families, communities, ethnic groups or entire nations.

"From resolution 1208 (1998), on security for refugees, which underscores the special security needs of women in camps, to resolution 1314 (2000), which underscores the importance of prevention, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration policies including a gender perspective, it is clear we have made progress. However, it was particularly through resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions focused on the situation of women in conflict and post-conflict situations that the Council underscored, as priorities in achieving lasting peace, the promotion and protection of women's human rights and their equal participation in transitional justice and reconciliation processes, as well as a human rights perspective and a gender perspective in all the efforts and programmes for development, peace, security and the building and strengthening of the rule of law."

"However, we still have much to do to achieve women's effective equality as people with rights and to achieve equal representation in decision-making arenas, and for those reasons, we welcome the resolution adopted today (resolution 2122 (2013))."

Mr President, Australia welcomes Azerbaijan bringing the Council's focus to the critical intersection between the rule of law and transitional justice, and the women, peace and security agenda. I thank the Secretary- General, and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Pillay for their determined efforts. And Ms Brigitte Balipou for inspiring struggle on the frontlines. And I welcome Madame Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, as the new Executive Director of UN Women – we look forward to receiving regular briefings from her and other senior UN officials on the gender dimensions of conflict and across the thematic work on our agenda. It is integral to our work that you regularly provide such input. Thirteen years ago, Security Council resolution 1325 recognised the central role of women to the maintenance of international peace and security. But as the Secretary-General's report makes clear, while there has been some progress, typically the linkages between women's participation and the work of the Council are not made. The consistent inclusion in mission mandates of women, peace and security objectives, is fundamental to addressing this.

For countries emerging from conflict, peace processes often lead to institutional reforms that establish new political, economic and social orders. Women's early participation in peace talks is critical, not only to their effectiveness, but to underpinning women's longer-term empowerment. Formal peace processes must reflect the reality that women are already undertaking peace work in their communities, and serving as agents of change as part of efforts to keep the fabric of conflict-affected societies together.

Engaging women as leaders is critical to building sustainable peace. We must identify and address impediments that prevent women from participating in decision-making. We commend Mary Robinson's appointment as Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, and her long overdue approach to consulting early with women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We support the UN's ongoing dialogue with women's civil society organisations as a barometer of progress and a critical source of knowledge on the effectiveness of missions.

In post-conflict settings, women's full and effective participation is fundamental to efforts to rebuild the justice sector and to security sector reform. In Solomon Islands for example, Australia supported, through the Participating Police Force, the post-conflict recruitment and retention of female officers to the local police force. The early involvement of women, and the integration of a gender-perspective, led directly to the establishmen to critical domestic violence and sexual abuse services. More fundamentally, it also underwrote the broader processes of community rebuilding.

In post-conflict settings, women's full and effective participation is fundamental to efforts to rebuild the justice sector and to security sector reform. In Solomon Islands for example, Australia supported, through the Participating Police Force, the post-conflict recruitment and retention of female officers to the local police force. The early involvement of women, and the integration of a gender-perspective, led directly to the establishmen to critical domestic violence and sexual abuse services. More fundamentally, it also underwrote the broader processes of community rebuilding.

While our country has periodically taken part in these debates, our comments today are special significance since this is our first speech following Chile's election as a non-permanent member of the Council for the period 2014-2015. We reiterate our commitment to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) (2000), bearing in mind that 2015 will mark the fifteenth anniversary of that instrument, which has enabled us to progress, among other goals, in the promotion of women to positions of leadership, the prevention of gender-based violence in situations of conflict and post-conflict, and the creation of national plans in various countries, including Chile.

We note the progress to date in the system as a whole and at the regional and national levels with regard to best practices, national plans, indicators and training. However, we are concerned by the persistent deficit in the number of women in leadership positions, as well as the lack of opportunities for them to rise to such positions. At the same time, we express our concern at the ongoing decline, as described in the report, in the number of women represented at the middle and high levels of mission leadership staff, the scarcity of data broken down by gender and age, and the gaps in financing.

We agree with the recommendations in the report about the need to promote sustainable budgets for the work, so as to strengthen women's organizations working at the national levels and to train women leaders of peace movements. While appreciating the work of the experts deployed in the field, we consider it essential to provide training at the system and national levels not only for those providing direct leadership in that area, but also to those performing management functions, whatever their role. My delegation agrees on the need to accelerate women's access to the political arena and to support transitional justice reform as a peacebuilding guarantee.

Chile will continue promoting the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), convinced as it is of the important role played by women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and of the need to increase their participation in decision-making processes.

Despite some positive steps, including the number of women serving in important and very senior Government positions, women's parliamentary representation in the Pacific is the lowest of any region in the world. The region has recently witnessed and continues to be affected by armed conflict, civil unrest and local-level conflicts over resources, as well as increasingly violent crimes and political crises. Women and children constitute a disproportionate number of those affected. Women face a variety of security challenges in the Pacific, including water and food security, loss of land, violence, and economic empowerment. A range of potential drivers is apparent, rangining from economic inequalities, land, governance, alienated youth, urban migration and inter-group tensions, with results that inevitably disrupt the lives of women and their families and increase the risk of sexual and gender-based violence.

In many violent situations in the Pacific region, women have demonstrated their capacity to contribute to solutions as mediators, providers of safe havens, or in working to improve local communities. Women and young women have also played an important part in conflict prevention, management and recovery in the region. Women have generally been first to actively work across ethnic divides, despite considerable risks.

The Pacific region is working to achieve better participation in formal conflict prevention and management and post-conflict recovery efforts, as well as oversight and accountability mechanisms for the security sector. The region recognizes the value of having women at the negotiating table in leadership roles and the need to provide sufficient recognition and resources to ensure that they are able to do their work.

We thank the Secretary- General, the Executive Director of UN Women, High Commissioner Pillay and Ms. Brigitte Balipou, the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, for their active involvement and valuable contributions. We also welcome the unanimous adoption of resolution 2122 (2013) by the Council earlier today, calling for higher levels of women's involvement in peacekeeping and peacebuilding. It is undeniable that the role, views and leadership of women are essential if we are to truly make and sustain peace.

As a country that hosts tens of thousands of refugees as a result of aggression and war imposed on Armenia, we attach particular importance to this debate. It is nothing new to say that the costs of conflicts are borne disproportionately by women and girls and, since it is primarily women who pay the price when peace is absent, they are important stakeholders in peacebuilding. As such, the inclusion of women in all stages of peace processes guarantees a more lasting and representative settlement.

To further promote the application of the women, peace and security agenda, Armenia encourages the Council to continue its efforts and to ensure the consistent and regular application of the agenda across all areas. The Security Council should recognize its own role to create opportunities for women to participate and exercise leadership.

We also believe that without women's civil society strength and women's leadership, there will be no effective prevention. Women's experiences of violence during and after conflict are much broader, and effective protection from all forms of violence and violations will be possible only through their empowerment and participation.

The scourge of sexual violence in armed conflict has rightly been the subject of attention by the Council. It is warranted that we also focus on the importance of furthering the equal rights of women and their right to equal participation in decision-making processes.

The rule of law makes available to vulnerable groups, such as women, normative tools that promote their empowerment and emancipation. It is essential to uphold the equal rights of women by ensuring their full participation in governing institutions and the judicial system. We must reaffirm the need to establish a legislative framework that secures their full access to justice.

The participation of women in conflict resolution and mediation processes not only contributes to the elaboration of balanced rules in post-conflict situations, but is also an important factor in achieving sustainable peace. Unfortunately, there is a long way to go before women are fully and duly integrated into national and multilateral peace efforts around the world. Viewed from different points of view, such as the number of women delegates and mediators; the numbers, substance and relative importance of provisions in peace agreements; and post-conflict strategies or policies, women's participation in peace and security is still insufficient.

Brazil believes that supporting and promoting women's participation in the maintenance of international peace and security is an increasingly important aspect of the Security Council's responsibility under the Charter. In that vein, we encourage further reflection and debates on the role of women in promoting the prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes.

I wish to express my appreciation to you, Mr. President, for organizing today's important open debate. Your well-rounded concept note (S/2013/587, annex) is indeed very useful in providing us with the clear objective of our debate on the issue. We also express our gratitude to the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Executive Director of UN Women and the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, whose remarks serve as a good basis for our focus at today's meeting. The theme of the meeting is well-chosen and timely, particularly as we continue to advance the agenda to strengthen the role and engagement of women in peace processes.

The resolution 2122 (2013), adopted this morning, is another clear ref lection of the strong resolve of the Council concerning the critical role of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and peacekeeping. We are particularly appreciative of the fact that the resolution provides a good reference on supporting the development and strengthening of the capacities of national institutions in order to provide sustainable assistance to women and girls affected by armed conflict and post-conflict situations.

The critical role of women in all stages of and throughout any peace process has been reaffirmed in various United Nations resolutions and documents — not the least, of course, in resolution 1325 (2000) and its subsequent texts. The recent declaration adopted by the Peacebuilding Commission on women's economic empowerment in peacekeeping showcases yet another unyielding commitment from Member States to support the participation of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and post-conflict economic recovery. The declaration also reaffirms the primary responsibility of national authorities in identifying their priorities and strategies for post- conflict peacebuilding.

It is a matter of regret that respecting the rule of law in conflict situations continues to be a significant challenge for the international community. In our view, that is a strong reason for inclusive peace negotiations that produce peace that is durable, sustainable and long- lasting. It is also reason for including the participation and engagement of women in that process. We also believe that national reconciliation, as one tool of transitional justice, must benefit from the active participation of women. Indonesia, in that regard, agrees with the call made by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations last year that lasting progress on security, national reconciliation, human rights, the rule of law and sustainable development needs to occur in parallel, given the interconnected nature of those challenges in countries emerging from conflict.

Indonesia is steadfast in its commitment to ensuring women's participation at all levels of conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and it has been undertaking various measures at home to that effect, in close partnership with civil society, including women's organizations.

Finally, Indonesia reiterates the importance of the international community working in a concerted manner to improve women's participation during all stages of peace processes, particularly in conflict resolution, post-conflict planning and peacebuilding, including by enhancing their engagement in political and economic decision-making at the early stages of recovery processes.

Hard tools, such as sanctions regimes that target perpetrators of sexual violence and appropriately mandated and trained peacekeeping missions, are effective instruments for the protection agenda, but the participation dimension of the women and peace and security agenda still requires targeted action by the Council. Indeed, the Council's role in addressing women's political participation in the peace and security agenda remains a challenge. That makes today's debate on the role of women in transitional justice even more important.

In June, when the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Mary Robinson, made her first statement to the United Nations family in her new role, she spoke of women not as victims but as stakeholders. She questioned the sustainability of any peace that half the population has had no role in building and she called for women to be put at the core of peacebuilding. New Zealand agrees. If it is going to deliver lasting and sustainable peace, then, as the representative of Austria just emphasized, transitional justice must incorporate the entire population. Women's perspectives must be included in the design, implementation and monitoring of transitional justice processes.

Beyond simply being a just democratic principle, there are many tangible reasons for that. It builds trust in post-conflict justice institutions, and UN Women's research shows that women are more likely to report sexual and gender-based crimes to transitional justice institutions that involve women judges and officials. The Council should also make clear that there must be prominent roles for women, both as leaders and as active participants in the consultative processes that establish transitional arrangements.

New Zealand's experience, in its own region and beyond is that credible, informal and tradition-based justice systems have a demonstrated role in establishing accountability. In post-conflict societies, it is often informal justice mechanisms that are the most accessible for justice, mediation and conflict resolution. While some informal and traditional systems struggle to adequately address women's needs due to inherent gender biases, examples from Africa show the value of local efforts to transform such institutions in a manner that allows for the full participation for women.

Our Government considers violence against women and girls as an assault on human dignity. Over the years, we have created a favourable environment for gender equality, women's empowerment and children's rights. We have demonstrated a strong political will to end the scourge by adopting supportive policies and legal frameworks, which include a gender- sensitive Constitution and laws on the prevention and punishment of gender-based violence and on the protection of children from violence. As Ambassador Power stated, our new parliament — our lower Chamber of Deputies — attests to the fruitfulness of the policies on our agenda, as recent elections raised women's representation in that body at 64 per cent.

As we gather today, 13 years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we believe that it is fair to make an assessment of how effective the implementation of the resolution has been, and possibly draw lessons for the way forward. Despite the improved practice in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), we note that there remains a deficit in opportunities for women to exercise leadership and that there is a continued underrepresentation of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, protection and peacebuilding processes. Both the international community and Member States will need to deploy greater efforts to address those issues and maintain previous gains with a view to reducing the inequalities observed at various levels in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

It goes without saying that the fight against impunity can be waged only in the context of a rule of law that establishes effective transitional justice and promotes the effective participation of victims, including women, in the country's reconstruction. Unfortunately, with regard to participation, the fact is that women have played a minor role, if they have not been totally sidelined, in peace talks and reconciliation and in political and economic activities. As an illustration, in 2012 women comprised fewer than 8 per cent of the members of negotiating delegations in peace processes.

However, we acknowledge the efforts of some countries that have integrated gender issues into their national legislation by setting a quota for women in elected positions and high-level decision-making, as is the case in such post-conflict countries as Timor- Leste, Afghanistan, Liberia, Haiti and the Democratic

"Republic of the Congo. Rwanda, of course, sets the most progressive example in that respect. Togo encourages the United Nations to assist countries that have not yet done so to integrate into their national systems the experience of those who have managed to increase the role of women in peace processes and post-conflict reconstruction."

A central element of our understanding of the rule of law is that it not only guarantees women's equal rights but necessarily implies women's equal participation in political and public life, as well as their economic empowerment. While the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in all conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding efforts is at the heart of resolution 1325 (2000) and should be self- evident 13 years after its adoption, there is no reason for complacency.

We call on the Security Council to make the best use of the time frame leading up to the high- level review of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in 2015 and to mainstream measures to enhance women's participation in its work, including in the mandates of peacekeeping and political missions. Our immediate concern must be to increase the number of women in police and military contingents in United Nations peacekeeping operations. In that regard, we welcome today's adoption of resolution 2122 (2013) and its references to the deployment of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations as well as more regular briefings in the Security Council.

With regard to full participation in establishing the rule of law, which means placing women at the centre of the decision-making processes in the post-conflict rebuilding phase, while giving particular attention to justice and security sector reform. Spain believes that that is the only way to end the discrimination that makes women suffer disproportionate violations of their rights during conflicts. It also enhances safeguards to ensure that such discrimination is not repeated.

With regard to the most recent report of the Secretary- General (S/2013/525), we note with satisfaction that the attention from the international community to the issue of sexual violence in conflict has increased. We therefore call upon all stakeholders to continue their efforts to reduce and eliminate the high incidence of threats faced by women and girls in contemporary armed conflicts. However, we realize that despite the urgency with which practices in implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) have improved, there remains a deficit in opportunities for women on both the national and international levels. To exercise leadership, there remains an ongoing underrepresentation of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, protection and peacebuilding processes and efforts.

Conflicts create situations in which women and children are the ones most affected by the deterioration of living conditions and fundamental rights. Violence and the deprivation of rights often go hand in hand with conflict. Efforts to fight impunity, provide assistance to victims and hold perpetrators accountable must be intensified and better coordinated. Regrettably, sexual and gender-based violence often continue after peace deals are reached, due to insufficient investment in protection and prevention strategies, or weak security and justice institutions. We are aware of the fact that peace cannot be sustained unless women play a critical role in the process. We therefore underscore the importance of the full and effective involvement of women at all stages of peace processes and of giving them an equal role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as well as in early peacebuilding.

We also emphasize that Bosnia and Herzegovina fully supports the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), the provisions of which have been incorporated into the Bosnia and Herzegovina gender action plan and the action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Besides defining goals and activities, the action plan includes an introduction, an analysis of the de facto situations, and eight goals with strictly defined activities, deadlines, the definition of responsibility and partners. In this regard, through the action plan, we have shown our dedication to increasing the representation of women in decision-making positions at all levels of power in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, we are undertaking efforts to increase the number of women in military and police forces and to ensure their inclusion in executive positions within such forces.

Increasing the number of women in peacekeeping missions and introducing gender perspectives into the training of participants in peace missions are further priorities for us. We are also making additional efforts to strengthen capacities in fighting trafficking, decreasing the danger of mined areas, improving support networks for women and girls who were victimized during the war, and increasing the knowledge and capacities of civil society. Furthermore, the gender equality agency started a project on the implementation of the resolution 1325 (2000) action plan at the local level in cooperation with the non-governmental organization Women BH and with the financial support of UN Women. This project represents an innovation not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also at the regional level.

Estonia is dedicated to protecting and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms, both nationally and internationally. As a member of the Human Rights Council, our particular focus is on the rights of women and children, gender perspective in conflict settlements and the fight against impunity. Estonia firmly believes that the rule of law in conflict and post-conflict situations must promote justice and accountability in ways that further the rights of women, including through legal and institutional reforms that are gender sensitive. The equal right to decision-making and participation, along with women's empowerment, is crucial to ensure a functioning society and peace and justice in the aftermath of conflicts.

Additionally, as stated in the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/525), women's representation in the justice sector plays a significant role in increasing the reporting of crimes and enhancing public trust in the rule of law institutions. The importance of prevention must likewise be stressed. By enabling women to fully participate in judicial systems, we can better tackle the root causes of impunity for violence against women.

Secondly, 43 countries have adopted national action plans on women, peace and security. That is an important first step. However, any progress on the ground depends on the political will to abide by those commitments. The German national action plan, which was adopted last year, covers the four focus areas set out in resolution 1325 (2000) and additionally includes the areas of preparation for peace missions and the prosecution of crimes. The implementation of the action plan is monitored by an inter-ministerial working group in collaboration with representatives from civil society. German diplomatic missions abroad have been instructed to support the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), for example by advocating for the inclusion of women in local crisis prevention, conflict management and post-conflict peacebuilding or by supporting gender-sensitive projects on the ground.

Germany will continue its support to UN Women and all other relevant actors, including civil society organizations, to ensure that women's roles and their important contribution in conflict resolution and peacebuilding are adequately taken into account.

Among others, resolution 2106 (2013) underlines the importance of women's greater participation and leadership in decision-making processes in areas of conflict. In many cases, women are excluded from decision-making. Nevertheless, their full and equal participation in peacemaking and peacebuilding is indispensable for the success of those processes, since it is the only way to ensure that the needs of women involved in conflict-related situations are effectively addressed. Women must be seen not solely as victims, but as active agents of change and of peacekeeping.

The rule of law should address justice, equality and equity with a strong focus on the empowerment of women and girls, gender equality, and preventing and combating violence against women as essential preconditions for equitable and inclusive sustainable development. In that context, we praise the work of the United Nations in assisting Member States to address rule of law issues in conflict contexts and we consider it vital that the United Nations continues to emphasize the importance of providing redress and assistance to victims in conflict, post-conflict and other crisis situations.

To ensure genuine rule of law, beyond the formal establishment of institutions, judicial systems need to be fully accessible to all individuals and groups. A major obstacle to access is the cost involved in legal advice and legal representation services. We support the work of the United Nations to implement a wide variety of projects focused on providing legal aid to address that obstacle.

In conclusion, Greece is of the view that genuine and inclusive participation in the elaboration of transitional justice mechanisms ensures that they not only respond to the needs and expectations of victims, but provide transformative change for sustainable transition to peace and reconciliation, which is the ultimate goal of all of our efforts.

Although so far the Council has held seven debates on the issue of the rule of law, there is still a way to go to achieve overall accountability for crimes affecting women and girls. Nor have we made sufficient progress in achieving women's full participation in the processes of transitional justice. Similarly, there is room to improve the analysis of sex-differentiated effects on women and girls when the rule of law is violated during and after conflicts.

Moreover, my country wishes to acknowledge the work of UN Women, whose establishment was a singularly important institutional step forward, among other things to promote the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We support greater participation by women in peacebuilding and strengthening civil capacity after conflicts to be consistent with the issue of women and peace and security. We believe that it is necessary to recognize women as builders of peace and stability.

Finally, we believe that the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), in 2015, will provide not only the Security Council but the entire United Nations system an opportunity to review the levels of implementation of that resolution and to renew commitments to combat violence, including sexual violence. We urge all Member States and the United Nations system to facilitate greater participation by women in that area.

My delegation welcomes the report of the Secretary- General on women, peace and security (S/2013/525) and the adoption of resolution 2122 (2013) on the issue. The report takes stock of the actions and initiatives of Member States in the framework of implementation of the resolution, especially in strengthening women's participation in decision-making, integrating gender- specific issues in peacekeeping operations and training staff who participate in those operations. The report confirms that much work remains, despite the significant progress of women's participation in peacekeeping operations and their representation in the decision-making process.

The signing of peace agreements and ceasefire agreements and the implementation of national action plans and programmes for the protection of women in conflict-affected countries have made it possible to identify, in a more appropriate way, the ways and means likely to promote women's rights and to strengthen their participation in efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts and in post-conflict reconstruction.

Firm political will and full commitment of Member States to the measures in resolution 1325 (2000) will guarantee the active participation of women in national, regional and international institutions for the prevention, protection and management of conflict situations.

"The discourse on women and peace and security has followed two broad trends — women seen primarily as victims of conflict, on the one hand, and women as stakeholders and drivers of change, on the other hand. Both aspects are interrelated and require equal attention. As the Secretary-General said this morning, it is important that women's representation around the peace table be enhanced. But to enable women to act as agents of change, we need to invest more in capacity- building and training and in the economic and political empowerment of women."

What distinguishes today's resolution from others is that it represents a pivot away from a narrow focus on women as victims and towards the more positive and liberating agenda of women's participation and women's leadership. Welcome attention is paid to the active role that women and women's groups can play in transforming conflict, insecurity and fragility. That aspect has been insufficiently highlighted. It is often overshadowed by the appalling suffering inflicted on women through, for example, sexual violence in conflict.

We should, however, recognize the profoundly positive contribution to be made to conflict resolution by the empowerment of women, allied to the treatment of women and men on equal terms. Peace is more effectively secured when women are involved. Peace initiatives that have strong participation by women tend to be more resilient than those that do not. There is no denying the moral imperative for equal treatment between women and men.

Fortunately, as the report of the Secretary- General of 4 September (S/2013/525) acknowledges, times of transition and flux can present opportunities to strengthen women's leadership, empowerment and rights in the process of restoring the rule of law and governance systems. As his report indicates, the participation of women in peace negotiations and donor conferences has increased over the past year. Active support for such participation, which is being provided by gender experts and women's civil society organizations, is growing, and some peace agreements have included gender-sensitive language. That is encouraging. Yet the progress being made is hard fought and uneven.

In order to protect women's rights and ensure women's participation in conflict-affected situations, security for those who serve to uphold the rule of law, such as police officers and judges, is a basic necessity. In that regard, gender-responsive transitional justice measures and justice system reforms need to be addressed. In particular, women's access to the justice system must be strengthened so as to protect their rights, as well as to protect them from the violence that too often accompanies the transition from conflict. To that end, Japan has, for example, supported various efforts to assist victims of sexual violence in refugee camps located in such countries as the Sudan, Somalia and Iraq, by providing legal advice, representation and awareness-raising campaigns, as well as establishing relief and recovery systems that include mental health care.

In order to realize a more peaceful society, Japan intends to make its utmost effort to ensure women's participation and incorporate a women's perspective into each and every phase of conflict prevention, conflict settlement and peacebuilding, including election processes. Such women's participation will also contribute to better protecting the rights and the physical well-being of women, including female human rights defenders, female political leaders and female war correspondents, who are particularly exposed to danger in times of conflict.

In that context, one cannot but emphasize the importance of transitional justice. Not only does it allow the possibility to redress past wrongs, but it also affords an opportunity to transform women's situations, thereby guaranteeing lasting peace in a more egalitarian society. The participation of women at all levels and in a timely manner is indispensable to guarantee that the new society that emerges from the rubble of war will grant women their rightful place with the full enjoyment of all their rights.

I would add that, in the past year, we supported a Department of Peacekeeping Operations project aimed at bolstering the role of women in the maintenance and building of peace, specifically by holding a regional workshop in Liberia to provide women leaders working for peace and security in West Africa an opportunity to share their experiences and to strengthen their networks.

Malaysia welcomes today's adoption of the resolution 2122 (2013) on the issue discussed. My delegation hopes that there will be sufficient impetus toward the actual realization of the resolution and the landmark resolution 1325 (2000). Malaysia therefore appreciates the ongoing update on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/525) of 4 September. As mentioned in the report, there remains a deficit in opportunities for women to exercise leadership, and women are still underrepresented in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, protection and peacebuilding processes. My delegation believes that the greater active participation of women in peacekeeping and peacebuilding would go a long way towards including a gender perspective and allowing women to shape peace.

In that regard, there is a need to increase the number of women in high-level decision-making positions in peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations. Malaysia is also supportive of appointing more women protection advisers to monitor and report on sexual violence in all relevant situations. We appreciate the positive values they bring in creating greater awareness of sexual violence issues, reporting incidents of sexual violence and implementing Security Council resolutions on the ground.

We are pleased that the Council has convened an open debate on this issue for the third time, which signals the importance the Council attaches to the issue of women. Women account for more than half of the world's population. Women's participation and the recognition of their special needs are essential. The issue of women and peace and security is multifaceted. We welcome today's discussion, which focuses on the role of women in transitional justice and the rule of law.

Canada firmly believes that the participation of women in all decision-making processes, particularly those related to the prevention and resolution of conflict and the transition to democracy, is a necessary precondition to securing sustainable peace, as is their access to justice and their inclusion in the economic and social lives of their countries and communities. As the Honourable John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, said in his address to the General Assembly last month:

“We must invest in opportunities for women and young girls. We must ensure that women participate fully in all parts of our society and in all the countries of the United Nations. That will help us build a stronger, more secure, more prosperous and more peaceful world” (A/68/PV.21, p. 2)

Particularly egregious is the practice of child, early and forced marriage, which puts the very lives of young girls at risk. That practice denies girls' rights, disrupts their access to education, severely jeopardizes their health and limits the development of their community as a whole. Conflict situations exacerbate that practice among displaced and refugee populations, such as we know to be the case in Syria. Canada encourages the Security Council to continue to provide political leadership and to take action to ensure the meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, mediation and resolution processes.

Prime Minister Harper and other leaders in New York recently reviewed progress on the 2010 Muskoka summit of the Group of Eight and the United Nations initiatives to improve to improve global maternal and child health. Under Canada's leadership, the Human Rights Council adopted the robust resolution 23/25 this past June on the elimination of violence against women. The resolution lays out actions to be undertaken by Member States and the United Nations to prevent sexual violence, including in conflict-related situations, and calls on States to ensure that women are active participants in decision-making processes.

The need to protect women and girls must not overshadow the participation pillar of the women, peace and security agenda. My delegation is therefore pleased to see that resolution 2122 (2013), adopted earlier today, builds on the core elements of resolution 1325 (2000) and contains key commitments for several stakeholders to the full participation of women.

Women's full participation — including in peacekeeping operations, national reconciliation processes and mediation — enhances the effectiveness and sustainability of development efforts and contributes to the prevention of conflict. But women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of decision-making. Their interests are often not, or insufficiently, reflected in peace agreements. Out of 10 peace agreements signed in 2012, only three included provisions on women and peace and security. Against that background, we welcome the Peacebuilding Commission's recent declaration on women's economic empowerment for peacebuilding. We have noted with great interest the Mediation Support Unit's commitment to increasing its efforts to include more women in mediation processes and the increased female capacity in that respect.

We believe that it is important that the United Nations lead by example to advance this agenda. The appointment of Mary Robinson as the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region of Africa is therefore a very important step in that respect. We welcome the Special Envoy's active engagement to involve women and ensure their participation in mediation efforts.

My country is currently moving forward with a review process of our legal and institutional framework with the aim of ensuring its confirmity with a plan of action for comprehensive implementation of the resolution. The process seeks to systematize some of the activities that are already being developed at the internal level, such as educating the armed forces on women's rights. In order to do so, we are in regular contact with various partners so as to learn the best practices already being used for similar action plans. Concerning political rights, our executive authorities recently proposed an initiative to the legislature aimed at ensuring women's equitable representation in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. With regard to the United Nations mandate, we are striving to increase the number of women on the lists of candidates for high-level posts, particularly those having to do with political operations and, of course, peacekeeping.

Mexico welcomes the adoption of the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, and commends the initiative taken to formulate an international protocol for investigating and documenting sexual violence in conflict. We assure the Council that we will continue to support such efforts. Similarly, we consider it vital to continue to push for women's participation in mediation processes and peace agreement and ceasefire negotiations so as to encourage national reconciliation, based on respect for and enjoyment of the human, social and civil rights of the most vulnerable groups. We believe it essential to support national reconciliation and dialogue processes with judicial change that ensures that justice is impartially meted out, and including programmes for repairing and reconstructing the social fabric.

Strengthening inclusive and solid societies must be an essential part in re-establishing the rule of law, both in societies living with armed conflict and those that are undergoing the process of reconstruction and reconciliation. There can be no lasting peace without justice, and it is therefore vital to ensure that national dialogue and reconciliation processes contribute effectively to fighting impunity and ensuring not only that women take part in the processes of reform of the security and justice systems but that they are also full participants in those systems once they are reformed.

In that regard, we note the Declaration facilitated by Mexico and Denmark and adopted at the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels in September 2012. The text enshrines “the importance of ensuring that women...fully enjoy the benefits of the rule of law” (General Assembly resolution 67/1, para. 16), and we committed to ensuring their full participation in institutions of governance and the judicial system.

Thirteen years after the adoption of the historic resolution 1325 (2000), the culmination of a long process concerning women and international peace and security, the Security Council is still considering the issue. Our debates, however, reveal shortcomings in the area of the rights of women, which are being terribly violated, particularly in the Arab world. The Security Council has established several criteria for women's contributions to settling conflicts and their role in conflict and post-conflict situations. Those criteria should be implemented, in conformity with Security Council provisions, in order to achieve the goals of women's participation in conflict resolution and the reconstruction of society in the aftermath of conflict. Women should be integrated into peace negotiations and into social reconstruction. Their participation at every level is still incomplete. Their access to transitional justice systems must be facilitated, including in relation to crimes committed in conflict, especially since women and children are victims of particular types of crime and subject to discrimination, and they face social and cultural impediments that hinder their access to justice mechanisms.

The State of Qatar understands the importance of the rule of law and of strengthening women's participation and promoting women's and girls' rights in post-conflict reconstruction and conflict resolution. Their participation should be strengthened in order to enable them to function in the political arena, particularly through a collection of initiatives enabling their comprehensive inclusion.

Rebuilding justice and the rule of law is critical to any post-conflict transitional process burdened by the legacies of mass atrocities, serious human-rights violations and a weakened judicial infrastructure. A gender perspective, as well as the participation of women, should be injected into those processes. Transitional justice processes should address the full range of conflict-related violations of women's rights. As particularly vulnerable victims in conflict-affected situations, women experience grave consequences from breakdowns in the rule of law, in the form of a range of violations including, but not limited to, sexual and gender-based violence. In that context, Slovenia particularly welcomes the reference to the need for access to a full range of sexual and reproductive health services in the resolution adopted today (2122 (2013)).

Addressing abhorrent violations by ensuring access to justice, formal and informal, as well as full rights of redress, is essential to the process of reconciliation and lasting peace. Importantly, preventing impunity for the perpetrators of such crimes decreases the chance that they will recur in the future. Furthermore, the representation of women should be ensured in the justice sector. Eliminating violence against women and violations of their social and economic rights is a prerequisite for ensuring their full participation in recovery. Gender-sensitive legal and institutional reforms that conform with international standards are therefore needed.

It is increasingly evident that the rule of law is all too often the second victim of conflict, the first victims being women and girls. Portugal reaffirms the view that women and girls are disproportionately affected by armed conflicts and remain particularly vulnerable in post-conflict situations. Sexual and gender-based violence, child and forced marriages and disruption in education, to name but a few of the facts of conflict, are magnified when it comes to women and girls. The Security Council has repeatedly acknowledged that fact and must continue to act on such a basis. On the other hand, there is a tendency to consider transitional justice as the second-to-last concern of peace agreements, the last being the participation of women in peace agreements.

It is our firm belief that only through the systematic and active participation of women in peace processes can transitional justice truly assume a national dimension and lay the foundations for rebuilding the rule of law and reconciliation. We have been witnessing the very important role women can plan in reconciliation processes when they are included from the outset.

Portugal feels particularly encouraged by the rising awareness regarding those issues, and by the efforts made at the United Nations and national levels to increase expertise in several areas, such as mediation and capacity-building for the political participation of women, whether as candidates, electoral observers or office holders.

The Council has heard, on a regular basis and and directly from the ground, requests for further strengthening the implementation of protection mandates. We hope that the targets set by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of 20 per cent for female police participation in peacekeeping operations by 2014 will be attained. Portugal continues to develop policies to promote the recruitment and retention of women in the military and in the police forces, and looks forward to cooperate further in training and in sharing good practices with other troop and police-contributing countries.

The report of the Secretary-General clearly notes a positive trend in women's participation in mediation processes and the negotiation of peace agreements. However, the inclusion of matters that directly affect women and their rights in such agreements is still insufficient. That is what the United Nations Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice points out in its latest report. The Working Group expresses concern for the fact that the gender perspective is not sufficiently taken into account in transitional processes, which will result in a less inclusive peace.

Notably greater involvement of women — from mediation, restoring the rule of law and governance to participation in post-conflict electoral processes — continues to require commitment and attention. It also requires greater dedicated resourcing, particularly for civil society groups working on the ground.

We welcome the Security Council's adoption of resolution 2122 (2013), especially as it seeks to place women at the table for negotiations and peace talks. Women generally represent a majority constituency in societies, and as such should not be excluded from the negotiation table in conflict-affected States. South Africa is supportive of such an approach, especially as our own history has taught us about the powerful role that women play in bringing about peace and stability. We also believe that women should play a role beyond that, one that includes securing a larger stake in political leadership and policy- and decision-making positions, both in the public and private sectors.

Argentina would like to emhasize the need for a gender perspective and for crimes against women to be incorporated into the agenda of peace negotiations. To that end, we need women in decision-making positions and at all stages of the peace process. We know that women are victims of widespread violence at the hands of all parties involved in a conflict. We also know that sexual violence in conflict is not a new phenomenon, rather it is a powerful weapon used to destroy not merely the life of a woman but also to destroy families, communities, ethnic groups or entire nations.

For countries emerging from conflict, peace processes often lead to institutional reforms that establish new political, economic and social orders. Women's early participation in peace talks is critical, not only to their effectiveness, but to underpinning women's longer-term empowerment. Formal peace processes must reflect the reality that women are already undertaking peace work in their communities, and serving as agents of change as part of efforts to keep the fabric of conflict-affected societies together.

We agree with the recommendations in the report about the need to promote sustainable budgets for the work, so as to strengthen women's organizations working at the national levels and to train women leaders of peace movements. While appreciating the work of the experts deployed in the field, we consider it essential to provide training at the system and national levels not only for those providing direct leadership in that area, but also to those performing management functions, whatever their role. My delegation agrees on the need to accelerate women's access to the political arena and to support transitional justice reform as a peacebuilding guarantee.

In many violent situations in the Pacific region, women have demonstrated their capacity to contribute to solutions as mediators, providers of safe havens, or in working to improve local communities. Women and young women have also played an important part in conflict prevention, management and recovery in the region. Women have generally been first to actively work across ethnic divides, despite considerable risks.

The Pacific region is working to achieve better participation in formal conflict prevention and management and post-conflict recovery efforts, as well as oversight and accountability mechanisms for the security sector. The region recognizes the value of having women at the negotiating table in leadership roles and the need to provide sufficient recognition and resources to ensure that they are able to do their work.

As a country that hosts tens of thousands of refugees as a result of aggression and war imposed on Armenia, we attach particular importance to this debate. It is nothing new to say that the costs of conflicts are borne disproportionately by women and girls and, since it is primarily women who pay the price when peace is absent, they are important stakeholders in peacebuilding. As such, the inclusion of women in all stages of peace processes guarantees a more lasting and representative settlement.

Armenia also commends the efforts of the newly appointed United Nations Special Envoy Mary Robinson and Special Representative of the Secretary- General Margaret Vogt and others in establishing the gender- responsive mediation practices, in particular over the past year, which saw the appointment of gender advisers, early and regular consultations with women, the establishment of women's advisory bodies, and the implementation of the commitment to secure women a place at peace talks.

Recently, the United Nations has developed an increasingly sophisticated network for specialized gender experts for deployment to mediation, transitional justice and prosecutorial processes. Member States should avail themselves of these important resources. For example, the regular deployments of UN Women to commissions of enquiry over the past three years have produced a steady improvement in the extent to which human rights abuses against women are reported and acted upon. This is a direct result of the quality of expertise and the regular deployment of experts to those bodies.

The participation of women in conflict resolution and mediation processes not only contributes to the elaboration of balanced rules in post-conflict situations, but is also an important factor in achieving sustainable peace. Unfortunately, there is a long way to go before women are fully and duly integrated into national and multilateral peace efforts around the world. Viewed from different points of view, such as the number of women delegates and mediators; the numbers, substance and relative importance of provisions in peace agreements; and post-conflict strategies or policies, women's participation in peace and security is still insufficient.

Brazil believes that supporting and promoting women's participation in the maintenance of international peace and security is an increasingly important aspect of the Security Council's responsibility under the Charter. In that vein, we encourage further reflection and debates on the role of women in promoting the prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes.

I wish to express my appreciation to you, Mr. President, for organizing today's important open debate. Your well-rounded concept note (S/2013/587, annex) is indeed very useful in providing us with the clear objective of our debate on the issue. We also express our gratitude to the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Executive Director of UN Women and the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, whose remarks serve as a good basis for our focus at today's meeting. The theme of the meeting is well-chosen and timely, particularly as we continue to advance the agenda to strengthen the role and engagement of women in peace processes.

Finally, Indonesia reiterates the importance of the international community working in a concerted manner to improve women's participation during all stages of peace processes, particularly in conflict resolution, post-conflict planning and peacebuilding, including by enhancing their engagement in political and economic decision-making at the early stages of recovery processes.

It goes without saying that the fight against impunity can be waged only in the context of a rule of law that establishes effective transitional justice and promotes the effective participation of victims, including women, in the country's reconstruction. Unfortunately, with regard to participation, the fact is that women have played a minor role, if they have not been totally sidelined, in peace talks and reconciliation and in political and economic activities. As an illustration, in 2012 women comprised fewer than 8 per cent of the members of negotiating delegations in peace processes.

"Republic of the Congo. Rwanda, of course, sets the most progressive example in that respect. Togo encourages the United Nations to assist countries that have not yet done so to integrate into their national systems the experience of those who have managed to increase the role of women in peace processes and post-conflict reconstruction."

Conflicts create situations in which women and children are the ones most affected by the deterioration of living conditions and fundamental rights. Violence and the deprivation of rights often go hand in hand with conflict. Efforts to fight impunity, provide assistance to victims and hold perpetrators accountable must be intensified and better coordinated. Regrettably, sexual and gender-based violence often continue after peace deals are reached, due to insufficient investment in protection and prevention strategies, or weak security and justice institutions. We are aware of the fact that peace cannot be sustained unless women play a critical role in the process. We therefore underscore the importance of the full and effective involvement of women at all stages of peace processes and of giving them an equal role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as well as in early peacebuilding.

Germany welcomes the detailed analysis of the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/525), which identifies many achievements in the women, peace and security agenda in the past years. We also share the concerns addressed in the report, such as an increasing focus of the international community on women as victims of armed conflict, instead of on their role as actors in peace processes and agents of change in all spheres of society.

The signing of peace agreements and ceasefire agreements and the implementation of national action plans and programmes for the protection of women in conflict-affected countries have made it possible to identify, in a more appropriate way, the ways and means likely to promote women's rights and to strengthen their participation in efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts and in post-conflict reconstruction.

The establishment of genuine peace requires the establishment of inclusive and durable political, economic and social structures. Within that framework, local women's entities are a driving force in empowering women and strengthening good governance. My delegation welcomes the work carried out in the framework of the United Nations system to strengthen women's capacities and involvement in mediation and peacebuilding processes. Similarly, it supports the implementation of the Secretary-General's seven-point action plan (see S/2010/466), which enables greater consideration of gender issues in peacebuilding operations.

"Given women's strong stake in peace and in how peace is negotiated, kept and consolidated, the role of women as peacemakers and peacebuilders must be integrated into the various stages of engagement, outreach and decision-making. Increased integration in pursuing the agenda on women and peace and security is useful for enhanced coordination and for avoiding duplication and the overlap of efforts and resources. However, too much integration can also carry the risk of losing the original focus on the primary objectives of that agenda. Including peripheral issues in the Council's work relating to women and peace and security would not only blur the focus but affect implementation."

Fortunately, as the report of the Secretary- General of 4 September (S/2013/525) acknowledges, times of transition and flux can present opportunities to strengthen women's leadership, empowerment and rights in the process of restoring the rule of law and governance systems. As his report indicates, the participation of women in peace negotiations and donor conferences has increased over the past year. Active support for such participation, which is being provided by gender experts and women's civil society organizations, is growing, and some peace agreements have included gender-sensitive language. That is encouraging. Yet the progress being made is hard fought and uneven.

It is therefore essential that women be heard during peace processes and that they be involved in security sector and justice sector reforms. In a word, women must be full-fledged stakeholders rather than just spectators of reconstruction and peacebuilding.

Particularly egregious is the practice of child, early and forced marriage, which puts the very lives of young girls at risk. That practice denies girls' rights, disrupts their access to education, severely jeopardizes their health and limits the development of their community as a whole. Conflict situations exacerbate that practice among displaced and refugee populations, such as we know to be the case in Syria. Canada encourages the Security Council to continue to provide political leadership and to take action to ensure the meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, mediation and resolution processes.

The need to protect women and girls must not overshadow the participation pillar of the women, peace and security agenda. My delegation is therefore pleased to see that resolution 2122 (2013), adopted earlier today, builds on the core elements of resolution 1325 (2000) and contains key commitments for several stakeholders to the full participation of women.

Women's full participation — including in peacekeeping operations, national reconciliation processes and mediation — enhances the effectiveness and sustainability of development efforts and contributes to the prevention of conflict. But women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of decision-making. Their interests are often not, or insufficiently, reflected in peace agreements. Out of 10 peace agreements signed in 2012, only three included provisions on women and peace and security. Against that background, we welcome the Peacebuilding Commission's recent declaration on women's economic empowerment for peacebuilding. We have noted with great interest the Mediation Support Unit's commitment to increasing its efforts to include more women in mediation processes and the increased female capacity in that respect.

We believe that it is important that the United Nations lead by example to advance this agenda. The appointment of Mary Robinson as the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region of Africa is therefore a very important step in that respect. We welcome the Special Envoy's active engagement to involve women and ensure their participation in mediation efforts.

Mexico welcomes the adoption of the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, and commends the initiative taken to formulate an international protocol for investigating and documenting sexual violence in conflict. We assure the Council that we will continue to support such efforts. Similarly, we consider it vital to continue to push for women's participation in mediation processes and peace agreement and ceasefire negotiations so as to encourage national reconciliation, based on respect for and enjoyment of the human, social and civil rights of the most vulnerable groups. We believe it essential to support national reconciliation and dialogue processes with judicial change that ensures that justice is impartially meted out, and including programmes for repairing and reconstructing the social fabric.

Thirteen years after the adoption of the historic resolution 1325 (2000), the culmination of a long process concerning women and international peace and security, the Security Council is still considering the issue. Our debates, however, reveal shortcomings in the area of the rights of women, which are being terribly violated, particularly in the Arab world. The Security Council has established several criteria for women's contributions to settling conflicts and their role in conflict and post-conflict situations. Those criteria should be implemented, in conformity with Security Council provisions, in order to achieve the goals of women's participation in conflict resolution and the reconstruction of society in the aftermath of conflict. Women should be integrated into peace negotiations and into social reconstruction. Their participation at every level is still incomplete. Their access to transitional justice systems must be facilitated, including in relation to crimes committed in conflict, especially since women and children are victims of particular types of crime and subject to discrimination, and they face social and cultural impediments that hinder their access to justice mechanisms.

It is our firm belief that only through the systematic and active participation of women in peace processes can transitional justice truly assume a national dimension and lay the foundations for rebuilding the rule of law and reconciliation. We have been witnessing the very important role women can plan in reconciliation processes when they are included from the outset.

Portugal feels particularly encouraged by the rising awareness regarding those issues, and by the efforts made at the United Nations and national levels to increase expertise in several areas, such as mediation and capacity-building for the political participation of women, whether as candidates, electoral observers or office holders.

The report of the Secretary-General clearly notes a positive trend in women's participation in mediation processes and the negotiation of peace agreements. However, the inclusion of matters that directly affect women and their rights in such agreements is still insufficient. That is what the United Nations Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice points out in its latest report. The Working Group expresses concern for the fact that the gender perspective is not sufficiently taken into account in transitional processes, which will result in a less inclusive peace.

I will conclude by quoting the words of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who, on the occasion of an expert-level dialogue on the approach of the United Nations on transitional justice, pointed out that peace processes constitute historic opportunities for broadening the goals of post-conflict justice. Spain wants those opportunities effectively recognize women's rights, both in terms of guarantees of justice and conditions of peace.

It is important that Security Council member States and regional organizations ensure that mediators in the peace and preventive diplomacy process can contribute to ensuring accountability, including by encouraging the parties concerned to envisage transitional justice clauses in peace agreements. Those responsible for serious crimes committed during conflicts, including gender-based violence, must be excluded from all branches of Government, and the principle of no amnesty or any other form of indulgence for the perpetrators of such offenses must be applied. Such measures should be implemented comprehensively and should also envisage the full rights of victims to redress.

The action plan provides a detailed regional framework to enhance women's and young women's leadership in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, mainstream gender and ensure the protection of women's and girls' human rights in humanitarian crises and in transitioning from conflict, disaster or post-conflict situations — all with a mechanism to accelerate the implementation of existing international, regional and national commitments on women, peace and security.

We view this open debate as an opportunity to highlight the policies and programmes aimed at supporting national ownership and reform of justice systems that place women's rights and access to justice for women at their heart. As the recent declaration of the Peacebuilding Commission on women's economic empowerment for peacebuilding underscores, societies that invest in women see exponential dividends from such investments. We believe that justice sector reform must start with the reform of laws to ensure that women have equal rights in all spheres. It must include reforms to strengthen women's access to the justice system and to promote and protect their rights and to protect women from the violence and insecurity that too often accompany transitions from conflict.

We also believe that without women's civil society strength and women's leadership, there will be no effective prevention. Women's experiences of violence during and after conflict are much broader, and effective protection from all forms of violence and violations will be possible only through their empowerment and participation.

"Let me also emphasize that, in our efforts to promote the women and peace and security agenda, in 2010, my country adopted a national action plan on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). To that end, we have adopted a range of policies to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. One of the foremost priorities is to protect and rehabilitate the dignity of victims. We commend those countries that have also adopted national action plans and urge those that have not done so to make it a priority."

Women will not be protected in any lasting way until in-depth legal and judicial reforms are undertaken by countries emerging from armed conflict. Fortunately, a number of countries have undertaken reforms in accordance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and other relevant international legal instruments. Clearly, the best way to protect women and fight effectively against the effects of armed conflict on the lives of people in conflict is to take measures to prevent the outbreak of conflicts.

With regard to the most recent report of the Secretary- General (S/2013/525), we note with satisfaction that the attention from the international community to the issue of sexual violence in conflict has increased. We therefore call upon all stakeholders to continue their efforts to reduce and eliminate the high incidence of threats faced by women and girls in contemporary armed conflicts. However, we realize that despite the urgency with which practices in implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) have improved, there remains a deficit in opportunities for women on both the national and international levels. To exercise leadership, there remains an ongoing underrepresentation of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, protection and peacebuilding processes and efforts.

Conflicts create situations in which women and children are the ones most affected by the deterioration of living conditions and fundamental rights. Violence and the deprivation of rights often go hand in hand with conflict. Efforts to fight impunity, provide assistance to victims and hold perpetrators accountable must be intensified and better coordinated. Regrettably, sexual and gender-based violence often continue after peace deals are reached, due to insufficient investment in protection and prevention strategies, or weak security and justice institutions. We are aware of the fact that peace cannot be sustained unless women play a critical role in the process. We therefore underscore the importance of the full and effective involvement of women at all stages of peace processes and of giving them an equal role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as well as in early peacebuilding.

Fourthly, women protection advisers play a central role in monitoring and reporting to the Council, training mission personnel on preventing and responding to sexual violence, and engaging in dialogue with conflict parties. Although we welcome the deployment of women protection advisers to the missions in South Sudan and Mali, the remaining women's protection advisers in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, which were already mandated by the Council, should also be deployed as rapidly as possible and, where necessary, be included in mission budgets.

Effective and optimal empowerment of women in the context of peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction involves the collective and coordinated action of the international community and the United Nations system, through strengthening protection and prevention measures adapted to specific contexts that will facilitate the implementation of the resolution.

"The rule of law is one of the key elements in the promotion of the agenda on women and peace and security. Gender-responsive transitional justice and reform of the justice and security sectors are prerequisites for promoting and protecting women's rights in conflict and post-conflict situations. The rule of law and transitional justice should continue to be developed so as to protect the rights of women in such situations. The emphasis should be on addressing the root causes of conflicts. Chronic conflicts and relapses into conflict blight some societies, countries and regions and keep them in a state of perpetual instability. The resolution of conflicts is, therefore, the best way to promote and protect the rights and interests of women in conflict situations. We must harness all our resources to prevent and resolve conflicts."

In order to realize a more peaceful society, Japan intends to make its utmost effort to ensure women's participation and incorporate a women's perspective into each and every phase of conflict prevention, conflict settlement and peacebuilding, including election processes. Such women's participation will also contribute to better protecting the rights and the physical well-being of women, including female human rights defenders, female political leaders and female war correspondents, who are particularly exposed to danger in times of conflict.

Malaysia welcomes today's adoption of the resolution 2122 (2013) on the issue discussed. My delegation hopes that there will be sufficient impetus toward the actual realization of the resolution and the landmark resolution 1325 (2000). Malaysia therefore appreciates the ongoing update on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/525) of 4 September. As mentioned in the report, there remains a deficit in opportunities for women to exercise leadership, and women are still underrepresented in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, protection and peacebuilding processes. My delegation believes that the greater active participation of women in peacekeeping and peacebuilding would go a long way towards including a gender perspective and allowing women to shape peace.

In that regard, there is a need to increase the number of women in high-level decision-making positions in peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations. Malaysia is also supportive of appointing more women protection advisers to monitor and report on sexual violence in all relevant situations. We appreciate the positive values they bring in creating greater awareness of sexual violence issues, reporting incidents of sexual violence and implementing Security Council resolutions on the ground.

My delegation is pleased to learn from UN Women that transitional justice mechanisms are increasingly responding to war crimes against women by providing specific arrangements to protect women witnesses. We also welcome the adoption of resolution 2106 (2013), in June, which focuses on accountability for perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict and stresses women's political and economic empowerment. Those mechanisms need to be effectively utilized. The Council's resolutions and presidential statements also need to be translated into actions if we are to be successful in our attempt to protect women.

Although we do not have a situation of armed conflict in Thailand, the Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security have been applied as domestic guidelines on how to best protect women in our country. A Subcommittee on Women and the Promotion of Peace and Security has been established by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. The Subcommittee is currently drafting policies and strategies as a basis for our national action plan, which hopefully will be adopted in the near future.

We cannot talk about women and peace and security without discussing the causes of their vulnerability. There are several aspects of this that should be strengthened, first and foremost through laws that protect women in conflict without discrimination. We should call on all parties concerned to take measures to protect women and girls against gender-based and sexual violence in times of conflict.

We hope that Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngucuka will actively seek to put an end to that phenomenon and that she will pressure those foreign Powers that seek to intensify the bloodshed in Syria to cease their interference in my country and their violations of international law and the United Nations charter. We also look forward to her active participation in protecting the rights of Syrian women under the Israeli occupation in the occupied Golan Heights and in improving their living conditions.

Let me conclude by stressing the role of the economic, social and cultural rights of women as a central component of protection. Portugal strongly supports the inclusion of this subject in the Secretary- General's latest report (S/2013/525). These issues belong at the forefront of our discussions on women and peace and security and we commend his effort to do so. Further analysis of the relationship between the stability of livelihoods and the safety of women and girls is therefore, from our point of view, crucial. We encourage the United Nations to continue to give it due attention.

Governments bear the primary responsibility for the protection of civilians and for ensuring accountability for conflict-related criminal offenses. In resolution 2122 (2013), adopted today, the Security Council once again calls on Member States to comply with their relevant obligations to end impunity and to thoroughly investigate and prosecute persons responsible for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious violations of international humanitarian law. At the same time, when national authorities fail to take action, the international community should play a more proactive role in ensuring an appropriate response. Such measures and appropriate protection and accountability efforts must obviously be free of selectively and politically motivated approaches and preferences. It is essential to address conflict-related violations and abuses of human rights through all available means, including, inter alia, by mandating international commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions, as well as by supporting the implementation of the recommendations of those bodies and missions.

As part of its human rights promotion activities, the Czech Republic takes into consideration gender aspects and the protection of women in post-conflict situations, as well as in countries in transition, including by supporting projects of Czech and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Since 2005, the transition promotion programme of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs — a unique financial instrument aimed at democracy assistance — has supported projects of civil society organizations that are working to strengthen democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights by empowering civil society, including women's organizations, throughout the world.

Strengthening international and national justice responses to conflict-related violence against women is crucial. In the aftermath of conflict, it is vital to develop transitional justice mechanisms and institutions and to rebuild the rule of law to protect women's rights.

In recent years, the United Nations has augmented its involvement in establishing and supporting transitional justice measures, furthering women's rights in post- conflict societies. The United Nations-supported truth commissions in Mali, Kenya and Cote d'Ivoire have addressed gender-based crimes. Yet more must be done to ensure that transitional justice addresses a full range of gender-specific crimes, including human trafficking, early or forced marriages, the links between sexual violence and natural-resource extraction, withholding humanitarian assistance, enforced disappearances and forced displacement.

Transitional justice cannot be a substitute for accountability. It should not limit the access of victims to reparations. Blanket amnesties cannot be extended to conflict-related sexual violence. We must pay greater attention to delivering reparation programmes and funding. We continue to support the wider Council practice of including sexual violence in the designation criteria for targeted sanctions.

Lithuania sponsored Council resolution 2117 (2013), on small arms and light weapons, which links the illicit transfer and misuse of small arms to a disproportionate impact on violence against women and girls.

We firmly believe that capacity-building should be a main focus of United Nations efforts. In order to ensure sustainable peace and stability, State institutions, including in the area of security, the rule of law and justice, need to be strengthened. National Governments have the primary responsibility for prosecuting and deterring violence against women, including sexual violence. As affected States re-embark on the process of rebuilding their countries, including by consolidating democratic ideals and practices and making effective improvements to socioeconomic conditions, the United Nations and the international community must step up and sustain their support to them.

We would urge caution in going beyond the mandates given by the Security Council in the reports submitted to it. It will be useful to remind ourselves that the women, peace and security agenda evolved from the imperative to address the disproportionate impact of armed conflict on women, including the abhorrent practice of sexual violence against women as an instrument of war.

We firmly believe that capacity-building should be a main focus of United Nations efforts. In order to ensure sustainable peace and stability, State institutions, including in the area of security, the rule of law and justice, need to be strengthened. National Governments have the primary responsibility for prosecuting and deterring violence against women, including sexual violence. As affected States re-embark on the process of rebuilding their countries, including by consolidating democratic ideals and practices and making effective improvements to socioeconomic conditions, the United Nations and the international community must step up and sustain their support to them.

We would urge caution in going beyond the mandates given by the Security Council in the reports submitted to it. It will be useful to remind ourselves that the women, peace and security agenda evolved from the imperative to address the disproportionate impact of armed conflict on women, including the abhorrent practice of sexual violence against women as an instrument of war.

Justice for victims of serious violations of international law is an essential requirement for sustainable peace, security and the development for States emerging from armed conflict, where the rule of law must enjoy primacy and be unscrupulously upheld. My delegation therefore supports efforts by the Council to continue fighting impunity for the most serious crimes committed against women and girls, through the work of the International Criminal Court, ad hoc and mixed tribunals, as well as specialized chambers in national tribunals.

I would like to commend the United Nations team of experts on the rule of law and sexual violence for their valuable work.

Sexual violence in armed conflicts, from the early stages of conflict to its aftermath, is one of the gravest human rights abuses committed against women and girls. In situations of conflict, sexual violence is often used as a weapon of war — a strategy to deprive human beings of their most basic rights, their safety, security and dignity. Sexual violence can exacerbate and prolong armed conflicts and may impede the restoration of international peace and security, as posited in many relevant Security Council resolutions to date.

We welcome the fact that the international community has been paying increasing attention to the crime of sexual violence in conflict. The Security Council has hosted many debates on the issue and addressed the crucial issues of transitional justice, capacity-building and the rule of law. International and regional organizations are devoting more attention to thistopic.

However, despite all those efforts, sexual violence in armed conflict remains one of the most neglected crimes. Sadly, the situation in Syria, just across our border, is a vivid example of that. Turkey echoes the condemnation voiced very recently by the Council of the acts of sexual and gender-based violence and abuse taking place in Syria. However, as we most regretfully know, a culture of impunity tends to prevail in conflicts and in post- conflict situations. Violators are not adequately punished, if punished at all. Victims lack sufficient access to justice, physical and psychological treatment or support. Those suffering sexual violence often find it difficult to speak out, especially in situations of prolonged conflict.

Today's debate serves to highlight the strong will power of the international community to combat sexual violence in conflict. Now is time to focus on the ways and means to do so by sharing best practices and talking about specific measures that can be adopted. In that sense, we find the focus of today's debate on the rule of law and transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict situations extremely useful, and would like to thank the Azerbaijani presidency for convening it.

The elimination of the root causes of conflict is the best way to prevent sexual violence and to address impunity. Combating impunity is possible only by building transparent, effective, non-discriminatory and functioning institutions and justice systems. It is vital to ensure that women and girls have access to judicial institutions and proper representation. We in the international community should pursue our efforts to support gender-sensitive judicial reform and capacity- building. It is important to provide gender expertise in peacekeeping operations and peacebuilding efforts, as well as to ensure the participation of women in those efforts.

The health sector is another area that should be strengthened to deal with sexual violence in armed conflict. Rehabilitation to address the mental, physical and psychological trauma suffered by women and girls should not be delayed, so that they can move on and rebuild their lives.

Combating sexual violence is an issue that should also be dealt with on a broader societal scale. As individuals and groups from all sectors of society raise their voices higher against this atrocity, we will all be able to stand stronger in our struggle. That requires a need for stronger interaction with civil society, grass- roots institutions and women's organizations, as well as the private sector and the media.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the Security Council, member States and all relevant United Nations bodies, in addition to all relevant stakeholders at the local, national, regional and global levels that have made the issue of sexual violence against women in conflict a priority.

Argentina would like to emhasize the need for a gender perspective and for crimes against women to be incorporated into the agenda of peace negotiations. To that end, we need women in decision-making positions and at all stages of the peace process. We know that women are victims of widespread violence at the hands of all parties involved in a conflict. We also know that sexual violence in conflict is not a new phenomenon, rather it is a powerful weapon used to destroy not merely the life of a woman but also to destroy families, communities, ethnic groups or entire nations.

Although we still hear that violence is as old as war itself and that women's bodies have been a battlefield for centuries throughout the world, the experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rwanda served to scuttle the cynical acceptance of sexual violence as a natural phenomenon in armed conflicts, and of rape as a weapon of war of devastating power. The atrocities documented at the time and the survivors' testimonies of massive violations — rapes in camps, mutilations, sexual slavery and forced pregnancies — moved humankind's ethical consciousness, while sexual violence in armed conflicts seized being an invisible crime or an immutable tradition. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the Special Court for Sierra Leone decisively made progress in classifying sexual violence, in particular rape in conflict situations, as torture, a war crime and a crime against humanity. With complete clarity, the International Criminal Court Statute would subsequently establish that acts of rape, sexual slavery, prostitution, forced pregnancy or sterilization or any other form of sexual violence of comparable severity constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"It is true that much remains to be done. Despite all the progress made — as we recently noted in our visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region — weak States, authoritarian Governments, corrupt systems and a widespread culture of impunity serve to perpetuate inequality and violence against women in conf lict and post-conf lict situations, and that enables other types of inequality, discrimination and violence to exist in society. We have worked very hard to put an end to rape as a weapon of war and to the wrongful response of impunity for its perpetrators. While those efforts have contributed to reducing impunity's
negative effects, we are aware that the problem has still not been eradicated."

Finally, I would like to share the sentiments expressed in 2012 by a group of women Nobel Peace Prize laureates — Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Mairead Maguire and Leymah Gbowee — that a world without war and violence against women is possible and that “[o]ur collective efforts have brought gender violence to the forefront of policy and public discussions. Now, our united actions will stop rape in conflict”.

Of the over 2 million refugees from Syria today, 78 per cent are women and girls. Having fled the violence in Syria, they are attempting to navigate a tidal wave of new threats – sexual violence, mass forced displacement, early and forced marriage, forced pregnancies and exploitation. These circumstances must not prevent their vital contribution to reconstructing a safe and functioning Syrian society, and we must ensure that their leadership is harnessed as part of the solution.

Local justice remains critical to the long-term healing and the reconciliation of communities, and affected States need to ensure accountability for conflict-related crimes. But to be effective, this must include justice for crimes of sexual violence. Fifteen years since the Rome Statute included sexual and gender- based offences as crimes against humanity and war crimes the inclusion of such offences in transitional justice arrangements must be mainstreamed. From prosecutions, to truth commissions, to reparations programs, effective transitional justice mechanisms must incorporate the situation of women.

Of course, ensuring women and girls' safety and security in conflict is instrumental to laying the ground for gender equality initiatives. We look forward to the contribution that implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty can make to reducing gender-based violence in conflict settings, and we strongly encourage its ratification.

While our country has periodically taken part in these debates, our comments today are special significance since this is our first speech following Chile's election as a non-permanent member of the Council for the period 2014-2015. We reiterate our commitment to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) (2000), bearing in mind that 2015 will mark the fifteenth anniversary of that instrument, which has enabled us to progress, among other goals, in the promotion of women to positions of leadership, the prevention of gender-based violence in situations of conflict and post-conflict, and the creation of national plans in various countries, including Chile.

Chile signed the Arms Trade Treaty and urges other States to support that initiative, which we believe represents an important humanitarian instrument for the prevention of violence against women and girls.

Despite some positive steps, including the number of women serving in important and very senior Government positions, women's parliamentary representation in the Pacific is the lowest of any region in the world. The region has recently witnessed and continues to be affected by armed conflict, civil unrest and local-level conflicts over resources, as well as increasingly violent crimes and political crises. Women and children constitute a disproportionate number of those affected. Women face a variety of security challenges in the Pacific, including water and food security, loss of land, violence, and economic empowerment. A range of potential drivers is apparent, rangining from economic inequalities, land, governance, alienated youth, urban migration and inter-group tensions, with results that inevitably disrupt the lives of women and their families and increase the risk of sexual and gender-based violence.

More recently, the Forum leaders have recognized climate change as the greatest threat to the livelihood and well-being of the peoples of the Pacific. Climate impacts can lead to forced displacement, with clear implications for women, and raise security questions that have no simple solutions or easy precedents. In times of natural disaster, which are increasing in the Pacific region, women and girls are more prone to sexual violence in the context of displacement due to the loss of their homes or traditional protection mechanisms though their family or clan structures.

We also believe that without women's civil society strength and women's leadership, there will be no effective prevention. Women's experiences of violence during and after conflict are much broader, and effective protection from all forms of violence and violations will be possible only through their empowerment and participation.

The scourge of sexual violence in armed conflict has rightly been the subject of attention by the Council. It is warranted that we also focus on the importance of furthering the equal rights of women and their right to equal participation in decision-making processes.

As stated in the Secretary-General's report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466), it is essential to improve the approach of the United Nations in combating sexual and gender-based violence, particularly through the training for United Nations peacekeepers. In the context of peacekeeping, the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and other related resolutions has paved the way for a gender perspective mechanism in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Increasing the number of female peacekeepers on the ground would also be a positive step in support of resolution 1325 (2000). On our part, we are happy to point out that Indonesia has deployed female peacekeepers as well as military and police observers in several missions, including the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

Hard tools, such as sanctions regimes that target perpetrators of sexual violence and appropriately mandated and trained peacekeeping missions, are effective instruments for the protection agenda, but the participation dimension of the women and peace and security agenda still requires targeted action by the Council. Indeed, the Council's role in addressing women's political participation in the peace and security agenda remains a challenge. That makes today's debate on the role of women in transitional justice even more important.

Beyond simply being a just democratic principle, there are many tangible reasons for that. It builds trust in post-conflict justice institutions, and UN Women's research shows that women are more likely to report sexual and gender-based crimes to transitional justice institutions that involve women judges and officials. The Council should also make clear that there must be prominent roles for women, both as leaders and as active participants in the consultative processes that establish transitional arrangements.

At the outset, the Government of Rwanda once again condemns all forms of violence against women and girls worldwide, especially in conflict and post- conflict zones. As previously stated in the Council, we believe that sexual violence in conflict should be qualified as sexual terrorism.

At the institutional level, Rwanda's security organs, in collaboration with other Government agencies, local communities and civil society, have launched initiatives to prevent and respond to violence that targets women and girls. The one-stop centres run by the national police offer a wide range of free services for victims of gender-based violence, and we have set up gender desks in police stations and army posts nationwide, and at the national prosecution agency, for the purposes of offering gender-sensitive services to victims.

"At the continental level, Rwanda is among the leading the police-contributing countries, with female police and correctional officers serving in the United Nations peacebuilding and peacekeeping missions in Liberia, Haiti, the Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad. Those officers actively contribute to combating and raising awareness on violence against women in the communities they serve. They also serve as advisers on gender-based violence and share best practices with other officers and local authorities."

Let me also express my delegation's support for the principle of zero tolerance advocated by the United Nations and call for the principle to be more rigorously enforced. During the 1994 genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in Rwanda, women and girls were forced to endure inhuman and degrading atrocities. Tens of thousands were raped and left for dead. That memory — that history — inspires Rwanda in its unyielding and heartfelt commitment to fight against impunity, especially when it comes to crimes against women and girls.

Rwandans have come to understand first hand the importance of strengthening internal justice mechanisms and building institutions that enhance accessibility to justice. We believe that the fight against impunity is primarily the responsibility of States. The international community, including the United Nations, should support national jurisdictions and help them to build capacity where gaps exist, by providing guidance and direction drawn from best practices in the field. That is not to suggest, however, that those international justice mechanisms are irrelevant; indeed, a political international mechanism or tribunal could complement the work of national jurisdictions in the fight against impunity and bring perpetrators of crimes against humanity and genocide, including crimes against women and girls, to justice.

The adoption by the Security Council of resolution 1325 (2000) and its subsequent resolutions demonstrates the Council's continuous concern at the violence against women in conflict and post-conflict situations. An assessment of the implementation of those resolutions shows that, while they have contributed to promoting gender equality in prevention, participation, protection, peacebuilding and restoring the rule of law, as noted in the report of the Secretary-General before us today (S/2013/525), much remains to be done. The goal of the United Nations in those resolutions is essentially that of freeing women and girls from acts of violence of all kinds and giving them the place that they deserve in society — a goal that has yet to be reached.

"The events unfolding in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the Central African Republic — as Ms. Balipou mentioned — in Syria and elsewhere around the world, where women continue to be the special target of violence committed by men, show that there is still a long way to go to protect women in situations of armed conflict. Togo nonetheless welcomes the fact that the United Nations, through its peacekeeping operations, has made the protection of civilians an essential element in the mandates of peace missions. The deployment on the ground of gender advisers arises from that determination to help the victims and guide them to the appropriate support services. My country would like to see the deployment of such advisers mainstreamed throughout all missions, with the staffing and resources that they need."

As we all know, violence against women will not end until those who commit and order it are found, arrested, tried and sentenced. The fight against impunity cannot be a matter of mere words; it must see be a commitment by all political actors and parties in a crisis to work to eradicate the culture of violence against women and girls, especially rape, which has for some time been a weapon of war.

My delegation welcomes the fact that resolution 2122 (2013), which was adopted earlier today, focuses on various aspects of the fight against violence against women. We hope that it will have a positive impact on the ground, in particular through its implementation by all countries.

Austria appreciates the Security Council's increased attention to violence against journalists in situations of armed conflict. As the Secretary-General's report rightly points out, female journalists often face gender-specific risks of violence and intimidation. Our initiative on the safety of journalists in the Human Rights Council acknowledges those specific risks and calls for a gender-sensitive approach when considering measures to address the safety of journalists.

Belgium continues to give political and operational priority to the fight against all forms of violence against civilians during and after armed conflict, with particular focus on sexual violence. In that regard, my country encourages States to include the fight against sexual violence in their transitional justice mechanisms and penal law, and to consider the fight against sexual violence as their responsibility. We also reiterate our call on all countries to apply the broadest possible definition of the concept of sexual violence, as identified by the International Criminal Court.

In conclusion, I take this opportunity to welcome the publication by the Democratic Republic of the Congo of a report on sexual violence in that country. The report demonstrates the importance of the Human Rights Council's decision to convene at its twenty- fifth session a high-level dialogue on the lessons learned and the remaining challenges in the campaign against sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The report also reflects the need to allow countries in conflict and post-conflict situations to share their relevant experience.

Regarding accountability and the fight against impunity, the international community's efforts in that field should be recalled. That was highlighted during the Council debate of 24 June 2013 on impunity for crimes of sexual violence in conflicts (S/PV.6984) and the subsequent adoption of resolution 2106 (2013), which reiterates the importance of vigorously continuing to establish accountability for the most serious crimes committed against women and girls in conflict. On that issue, I would like to stress the need to address impunity for crimes committed against those who tend to be particularly discriminated against, such as women and girls with disabilities or indigenous women and girls.

We believe that the Security Council, UN Women and the Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict will ensure that the United Nations works in a concerted and coordinated manner that will strengthen the capacity of the United Nations system to match its commitment to gender equality with the leadership, resources and expertise needed to advance achievements on the ground. The development of additional indicators to track the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is a significant step in broadening the women and peace and security agenda.

With regard to the most recent report of the Secretary- General (S/2013/525), we note with satisfaction that the attention from the international community to the issue of sexual violence in conflict has increased. We therefore call upon all stakeholders to continue their efforts to reduce and eliminate the high incidence of threats faced by women and girls in contemporary armed conflicts. However, we realize that despite the urgency with which practices in implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) have improved, there remains a deficit in opportunities for women on both the national and international levels. To exercise leadership, there remains an ongoing underrepresentation of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, protection and peacebuilding processes and efforts.

Conflicts create situations in which women and children are the ones most affected by the deterioration of living conditions and fundamental rights. Violence and the deprivation of rights often go hand in hand with conflict. Efforts to fight impunity, provide assistance to victims and hold perpetrators accountable must be intensified and better coordinated. Regrettably, sexual and gender-based violence often continue after peace deals are reached, due to insufficient investment in protection and prevention strategies, or weak security and justice institutions. We are aware of the fact that peace cannot be sustained unless women play a critical role in the process. We therefore underscore the importance of the full and effective involvement of women at all stages of peace processes and of giving them an equal role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as well as in early peacebuilding.

We affirm our commitment to the rule of law as an imperative for political dialogue and cooperation. In that regard, with the aim of improving the overall situation of women victims of rape, we are making efforts to finalize the drafting of a programme for victims of rape, sexual abuse and torture in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the period 2013-2016. At the State level, a draft transitional justice strategy has been developed to create an acceptable platform for efficient and realistic mechanisms and activities to correct the injustices and heal the traumas resulting from the armed conflict in the 1990s.

Additionally, as stated in the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/525), women's representation in the justice sector plays a significant role in increasing the reporting of crimes and enhancing public trust in the rule of law institutions. The importance of prevention must likewise be stressed. By enabling women to fully participate in judicial systems, we can better tackle the root causes of impunity for violence against women.

Estonia was honoured to join the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict during the General Assembly's opening week. We were also glad to see how much interest there was in the topic of enhancing accountability for sexual violence in conflict, discussed at a side event during that week that focused on the role of the ICC and that was hosted by the Estonian Mission to the United Nations. We would like to commend the important work of the Team of Experts on Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, and I am glad to note that Estonia has made financial contributions to the activities of the Team.

Estonia would also like to take the opportunity to emphasize that in addition to conflict-related sexual violence, increased attention should be paid to the full range of violations and serious crimes experienced by women, including gendered impacts of enforced disappearances, foreign occupation, mass forced displacement, restrictions on humanitarian aid, conflict-related trafficking and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.

In conclusion, we are glad to note that Estonia was among the sponsors of resolution 2106 (2013), which strengthens the monitoring and prevention of sexual violence in conflict, and we were happy to co-sponsor resolution 2122 (2013), adopted today.

Transitional justice and the rule of law are crucial elements for the prevention and solution of conflicts. We therefore very much welcome the theme of today's debate, which emphasizes the importance of gender- sensitive systems. Women need to be part of all truth and justice commissions, and women's concerns need to be addressed in those fact-finding bodies. At the same time, perpetrators of violence, crimes and human rights violations need to be held accountable for their actions. That is the most promising way to promote lasting reconciliation. Germany has supported several projects in Rwanda and Burundi to train female police officers on the prevention and investigation of sexual and gender-based violence. In Cambodia and Uganda, Germany has supported the access of women to the justice system through legal and psychosocial counseling.

Thirdly, the Security Council, for its part, should start to systematically mainstream women's issues in all relevant spheres of its work. Whenever the Security Council mandates or renews United Nations missions or requests briefings from envoys and special representatives, women, peace and security should be a central part of all considerations. We welcome that the resolution adopted today contains provisions addressing that.

Fourthly, women protection advisers play a central role in monitoring and reporting to the Council, training mission personnel on preventing and responding to sexual violence, and engaging in dialogue with conflict parties. Although we welcome the deployment of women protection advisers to the missions in South Sudan and Mali, the remaining women's protection advisers in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, which were already mandated by the Council, should also be deployed as rapidly as possible and, where necessary, be included in mission budgets.

In a conflict-affected environment, violence against women is significantly intensified, indicating that in many cases, violence is an extension of existing gender inequality in society. Despite the continuous efforts of the international community to eradicate violence against women, sexual violence in armed conflicts remains a widespread phenomenon. It exacerbates and prolongs situations of armed conflict and is therefore directly linked to the maintenance of peace and security.

Prevention, rather than reaction, must be a priority. That requires the existence of early warning mechanisms based on accurate, objective and reliable information. The collection of data relating to sexual violence in areas of conflict is crucial and strongly encouraged, so that both national and international actors may be duly informed.

While it is crucial to address sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict contexts, it is equally important to combat impunity and strengthen both international and national justice responses to those crimes. Consequently, capacity-building related to the rule of law, that is wide in scope and goes beyond traditional areas of law reform and strengthening of justice and law enforcement institutions are necessary.

The rule of law should address justice, equality and equity with a strong focus on the empowerment of women and girls, gender equality, and preventing and combating violence against women as essential preconditions for equitable and inclusive sustainable development. In that context, we praise the work of the United Nations in assisting Member States to address rule of law issues in conflict contexts and we consider it vital that the United Nations continues to emphasize the importance of providing redress and assistance to victims in conflict, post-conflict and other crisis situations.

The prevention of and response to violence against children, in particular, including sexual violence and abuse, forced marriage and maltreatment, should continue to be an important focus area of United Nations assistance.

Finally, we believe that the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), in 2015, will provide not only the Security Council but the entire United Nations system an opportunity to review the levels of implementation of that resolution and to renew commitments to combat violence, including sexual violence. We urge all Member States and the United Nations system to facilitate greater participation by women in that area.

Appreciable progress has been made over the years in promoting the agenda on women and peace and security, but much remains to be done to fully translate the objectives of resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent decisions of the Council into more tangible results on the ground. We do have a solid and comprehensive normative framework in our hands; resolution 2122 (2013), adopted today, further consolidates it. We should now focus on its implementation, which is key to overcoming operational gaps and challenges, and to delivering on our promise of peace and security for women, who are the most vulnerable group in armed conflicts. In conflicts, violence against women is widely used as an instrument of war. Urgent steps must be taken to stop gender-based and sexual violence and end impunity for perpetrators of sexual crimes.

We are grateful to the Secretary-General and his Special Representative on Sexual Violence for their personal commitment and leadership in the fight against violence against women. We also believe that UN Women and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights should play an important role in combating violence against women and protecting women's rights.

Belarus condemns all forms of violence, including in conflict situations, particularly against the most vulnerable segments of society — women and children. As with any other country, Belarus has zero tolerance for that scourge. Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2106 (2013) adopted in June, have created a clear legal framework for responding to sexual violence in conflict and prohibited its use as a weapon of war.

We believe that a thorough investigation of all acts of sexual violence and the immediate punishment of perpetrators are crucial in combatting this scourge. That violence can be eliminated only through coherent collective efforts by the international community — Member States, international organizations and civil society. Such efforts can and should be carried out through a genuine partnership based on a unified approach, respect for each other's views and agreement on the steps to be taken.

Today, it is clear that there is no State in the world that would not endeavour to put an end to violence against women. The question is not who is right, who is for, who is against violence. Today, the question is how and in what way can come together through our collective efforts.

In that context, we are seriously concerned about recent incidents — be they deliberate or unintentional — that replace the painstaking and time-consuming work on the formation of such a partnership with vociferous media campaigns based on documents drawn up by an inner circle and hastily gathered expressions of support for them. We are willing to believe in the sincere intentions of the proponents of that approach to combating violence against women. At the same time, we cannot but disagree with an approach that puts those States with the wisdom and strength of will to consider every word in the international documents that they sign in an awkward position.

We also consider it inadmissible that members of the international community that have done a great deal, including specifically in combatting violence against women and children, have been placed in an artificially created situation and forced to justify themselves for failing to appear on a list of countries who combat sexual violence. Every State plays an important role in combating sexual violence, and no vociferous media campaign should alienate or disregard even one Member.a

We pay tribute to reasonable initiatives to strengthen international support to combat sexual violence in conflict. Belarus calls for us not to replace real partnerships with unity that is merely on paper, and to avoid hasty and irresponsible actions that may devalue the noble idea of combatting this scourge.

What distinguishes today's resolution from others is that it represents a pivot away from a narrow focus on women as victims and towards the more positive and liberating agenda of women's participation and women's leadership. Welcome attention is paid to the active role that women and women's groups can play in transforming conflict, insecurity and fragility. That aspect has been insufficiently highlighted. It is often overshadowed by the appalling suffering inflicted on women through, for example, sexual violence in conflict.

In order to protect women's rights and ensure women's participation in conflict-affected situations, security for those who serve to uphold the rule of law, such as police officers and judges, is a basic necessity. In that regard, gender-responsive transitional justice measures and justice system reforms need to be addressed. In particular, women's access to the justice system must be strengthened so as to protect their rights, as well as to protect them from the violence that too often accompanies the transition from conflict. To that end, Japan has, for example, supported various efforts to assist victims of sexual violence in refugee camps located in such countries as the Sudan, Somalia and Iraq, by providing legal advice, representation and awareness-raising campaigns, as well as establishing relief and recovery systems that include mental health care.

Of all violations afflicting women in conflict situations, sexual violence, which constitutes a direct attack against physical integrity, unavoidably comes to mind when one speaks of transitional justice and the issue of reparations. It is indeed difficult to imagine a society claiming to be fair and respectful of women's rights when thousands of survivors of sexual violence are denied their rights to see the perpetrators of that violence brought to justice. However, in many cases, post- conflict justice ignores the case of those women, often because it does not possess either the necessary expertise or the necessary resources to tackle the task.

Malaysia remains concerned about sexual and gender-based crimes and strongly believes that ending impunity is crucial in our quest to put an end to sexual violence in times of conflict. We note that progress has been made over the years, and we welcome the continuing work of the United Nations and other stakeholders, including the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, which focuses its efforts on strengthening the capacity of the national rule of law and justice actors. We feel that the Team's engagement with relevant Governments would strengthen their capacity to effectively address sexual violence against women and girls.

In our effort to secure peace and security, we must move urgently to replace the prevailing culture of impunity with one that promotes the rule of law, justice and accountability. Underlining the importance of ending sexual violence, Malaysia is pleased to report that it has joined many others in endorsing the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, which makes clear the collective view on the need of greater action to address the issue.

My delegation is concerned with the often inadequate legal frameworks on women's rights in post-conflict countries. In that matter, we could take a page from the lessons learned through established courts, such as the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal of the Former Yugoslavia, which offer insightful lessons from the prosecution of sexual and gender-based crimes. Those could be applied to future tribunals and domestic judicial processes. Furthermore, Governments that have experienced conflict could consider allocating greater financial resources to investigate cases of sexual violence. There is also a need to ensure that international and national courts have adequate expertise. In that regard, countries in a position to do so should render assistance to post-conflict societies.

In addressing the issues of women's empowerment after conflicts,attention should be given to strengthening the security of women through rules and regulations. That could be done through setting up institutional and administrative machinery to plan, coordinate, implement and monitor development programmes for women. My delegation cannot stress enough the importance of increased access for women to education and employment, as well as the development of policies and services that offer equal livelihood opportunities to women. At the same time, we must also remember the importance of access to health care, especially for victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

In that regard, there is a need to increase the number of women in high-level decision-making positions in peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations. Malaysia is also supportive of appointing more women protection advisers to monitor and report on sexual violence in all relevant situations. We appreciate the positive values they bring in creating greater awareness of sexual violence issues, reporting incidents of sexual violence and implementing Security Council resolutions on the ground.

We strongly believe that the subject of women, peace and security deserves the Security Council's sustained attention. Malaysia reaffirms its commitment to the efforts to address sexual violence in conflict and post- conflict situations. Nonetheless, we must insist that gender equality and efforts to encourage and instill a gender perspective be promoted during times of peace rather than solely during times of conflict. The respect and promotion of women's rights must become part of the culture of every society. In that regard, the Council can be assured of our continuous engagement and unrelenting support for the advancement of the issue in our pursuit of achieving peace and security at the national, regional and international levels.

Resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) provide a framework for improving the situation of women in conflict, as articulated in the President's concept note (S/2013/587, annex). The impact of conflict on society as a whole exposes the vulnerability and dignity of women and children even more.

The Solomon Islands is one of the few countries that have a ministry of peace and reconciliation. We also have a ministry of women's, youth's and children's affairs. We have come a long way in implementing elements of the five resolutions on women and peace and security. In 2009 we reviewed our national policy on gender equity and women's development. In partnership with Australia, we have also undertaken a Solomon Islands family health and safety study, which has found that two out of three women in our country suffer from gender- based violence. A recent commission on the status of women found that 7 out of 10 women around the world suffer from gender-based violence. In response to that, we adopted a national policy on eliminating violence against women. Our national police have responded, adopting a no-drop policy of victim protection that deals with both victims and perpetrators. Our public solicitor's office has established a family protection unit that provides specialized services to women and children. Also, working with other non-State actors and faith-based institutions, we continue to provide shelter, counselling and support for victims of gender-based violence.

My delegation is pleased to learn from UN Women that transitional justice mechanisms are increasingly responding to war crimes against women by providing specific arrangements to protect women witnesses. We also welcome the adoption of resolution 2106 (2013), in June, which focuses on accountability for perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict and stresses women's political and economic empowerment. Those mechanisms need to be effectively utilized. The Council's resolutions and presidential statements also need to be translated into actions if we are to be successful in our attempt to protect women.

Just last month, Thailand joined other like-minded countries in endorsing the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, initiated by the United Kingdom. We will continue to cooperate with all partners to eliminate sexual violence in conflict and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Much work is being done by Member States, including by Canada, to advance the empowerment of women and girls. For example, Canada played an active role in the development of resolution 24/23, addressing child, early and forced marriage at the twenty-fourth session of the Human Rights Council, and co-hosted a side event at the General Assembly in September. Canada is leading the first stand-alone draft resolution on the important issue at the General Assembly later this year.

Prime Minister Harper and other leaders in New York recently reviewed progress on the 2010 Muskoka summit of the Group of Eight and the United Nations initiatives to improve to improve global maternal and child health. Under Canada's leadership, the Human Rights Council adopted the robust resolution 23/25 this past June on the elimination of violence against women. The resolution lays out actions to be undertaken by Member States and the United Nations to prevent sexual violence, including in conflict-related situations, and calls on States to ensure that women are active participants in decision-making processes.

Women and children continue to be disproportionately affected by armed conflicts and their aftermath. We have witnessed, in particular, an alarming increase in sexual violence, which is often used as a method of warfare. It has disastrous long-term consequences, not only for the victim, but also for the affected communities. Liechtenstein is proud to give its support to the sexual and gender-based violence work of the Justice Rapid Response initiative and is among the 124 States that have endorsed the United Kingdom initiative to end sexual violence in conflict.

Mexico welcomes the adoption of the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, and commends the initiative taken to formulate an international protocol for investigating and documenting sexual violence in conflict. We assure the Council that we will continue to support such efforts. Similarly, we consider it vital to continue to push for women's participation in mediation processes and peace agreement and ceasefire negotiations so as to encourage national reconciliation, based on respect for and enjoyment of the human, social and civil rights of the most vulnerable groups. We believe it essential to support national reconciliation and dialogue processes with judicial change that ensures that justice is impartially meted out, and including programmes for repairing and reconstructing the social fabric.

We cannot talk about women and peace and security without discussing the causes of their vulnerability. There are several aspects of this that should be strengthened, first and foremost through laws that protect women in conflict without discrimination. We should call on all parties concerned to take measures to protect women and girls against gender-based and sexual violence in times of conflict.

In Syria, women are being targeted for violence more than others. Under orders from the regime, acts of physical and psychological violence, rape, sexual violence, degradation and torture have been committed by members of the Syrian armed forces against their own families. Those are all war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Syrian regime bears full responsibility for sexual exploitation and trafficking in women; it is a regime that has killed thousands, making women into widows and children into orphans, and displacing people within the country and beyond its borders.

Rebuilding justice and the rule of law is critical to any post-conflict transitional process burdened by the legacies of mass atrocities, serious human-rights violations and a weakened judicial infrastructure. A gender perspective, as well as the participation of women, should be injected into those processes. Transitional justice processes should address the full range of conflict-related violations of women's rights. As particularly vulnerable victims in conflict-affected situations, women experience grave consequences from breakdowns in the rule of law, in the form of a range of violations including, but not limited to, sexual and gender-based violence. In that context, Slovenia particularly welcomes the reference to the need for access to a full range of sexual and reproductive health services in the resolution adopted today (2122 (2013)).

Addressing abhorrent violations by ensuring access to justice, formal and informal, as well as full rights of redress, is essential to the process of reconciliation and lasting peace. Importantly, preventing impunity for the perpetrators of such crimes decreases the chance that they will recur in the future. Furthermore, the representation of women should be ensured in the justice sector. Eliminating violence against women and violations of their social and economic rights is a prerequisite for ensuring their full participation in recovery. Gender-sensitive legal and institutional reforms that conform with international standards are therefore needed.

The role of international criminal courts and tribunals, in particular the International Criminal Court (ICC), remains crucial to the establishment of the rule of law, especially in cases where States are unable or unwilling to pursue accountability for serious crimes. Moreover, the contribution of international criminal justice, including the ICC, to the field of gender discrimination and crimes of sexual violence has been and will continue to be momentous. As stressed by ICC Prosecutor Bensouda in a panel on international criminal justice at a strategic forum held last month in Bled, Slovenia, the ICC should also be seen as an investment in the future of women and humankind as a whole. To that end, Slovenia will continue to firmly support the International Criminal Court and international instruments regarding individual criminal responsibility, and calls on States to accede to or ratify the Rome Statute and its amendments.

We cannot but express our deep concern about the deterioration of the situation in the refugee camps of our Syrian brothers, where Syrian women and girls face insecurity and are being trafficked, raped and subjected to forced marriage, all of which has been documented in international reports. Although slow and delayed, Western media reports, most recently that of Germany's RTL television, have documented the tragedy of Syrian refugees younger than 14 who have ended up in slave markets, where petrodollars turn them into concubines in the name of religion. Those who exploit the tragedy of the Syrian refugees do so deliberately in order to create a ghetto of Syrian victims and exploit them in a manner that degrades Syria and its people.

It is increasingly evident that the rule of law is all too often the second victim of conflict, the first victims being women and girls. Portugal reaffirms the view that women and girls are disproportionately affected by armed conflicts and remain particularly vulnerable in post-conflict situations. Sexual and gender-based violence, child and forced marriages and disruption in education, to name but a few of the facts of conflict, are magnified when it comes to women and girls. The Security Council has repeatedly acknowledged that fact and must continue to act on such a basis. On the other hand, there is a tendency to consider transitional justice as the second-to-last concern of peace agreements, the last being the participation of women in peace agreements.

The approach chosen today for the current debate links two fundamental principles to which Spain is particularly committed: the first is the fight against impunity for crimes against women in armed conflict, and the second is women's participation in rebuilding the rule of law in post-conflict situations in order to put an end to the structures of inequality and discrimination in the context of which those crimes were committed.

As stated on many occasions, Spain devotes particular efforts to promoting a gender perspective in conflict situations and has had a plan of action on women, peace and security since 2007. Within that framework, our country carries out various actions within the scope of its foreign policy, cooperation and defence activities in order to guarantee the correct implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In particular, I would like to refer to the International Seminar on Gender Perspective and Peace Operations, coordinated by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence of Spain and the Netherlands. The sixth edition of that seminar will take place next November in The Hague. The seminar includes a specific module on the role of women in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, as well as on the processes regarding security sector reform. Spanish cooperation plays a leading role in that regard through the plan on gender-sensitive peacebuilding, with a chapter dedicated to gender-sensitive transitional justice and the rule of law. Furthermore, the Office for Humanitarian Action of the Spanish Agency for International Aid for Development has elaborated a guide to address sexual violence in humanitarian interventions.

First, Switzerland puts particular stress on a gender-sensitive implementation of the transitional justice mechanisms. As Ms. Balipou pointed out earlier, women's perspectives and needs should be included in all four principles against impunity: the right to be informed, the right to justice, the right to reparations and the guarantee of non-recurrence. As we know from experience, violent conflict affects women and men differently, not only with respect to the types of violence suffered, especially sexually-based violence, but also based on their different biological and social roles and identities. Prosecutions for gender-based and sexist violence at the national and international levels are thus key to achieving reconciliation and reintegration in post-conflict societies. For example, when truth commissions investigate violations from a gender viewpoint, they identify the impact of those violations on women and men alike and can make recommendations that lead to specific gender- sensitive initiatives in terms of justice, reparation and institutional reform.

Secondly, archives are key to the fight against impunity, especially to the full realization of the right to be informed. Switzerland welcomes the work of the experts convoked at the initiative of the British Government on the prevention of gender-based violence, which makes good use of archives in order to expose sexual violence committed in conflict situations and to investigate crimes. Switzerland has seconded an expert to the working group and stands ready to contribute further expertise.

Thirdly, Switzerland welcomes the fact that the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/525) mentions the importance of access to safe abortion for women and girls who are victims of rape. Switzerland firmly believes that all women and girls have the right to control their own bodies and to be free from coercion and sexual violence. Given the increased exposure to sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict settings, those rights must be strictly guaranteed.

We have proposed to focus our debate on women, the rule of law and transitional justice in conflict-affected situations. In recent times, the Security Council has paid increasing attention to the issue, acknowledging that combating impunity, addressing past violations, rebuilding the justice sector and asserting the principles of the rule of law underpin efforts to build peace and stability in the aftermath of conflict. However, less attention has been paid to the gender consequences of the breakdown of the rule of law during and after conflict. While genuine gains have been made in strengthening the political will and international legal framework to secure justice and deal with conflict- related sexual violence, little has been said of the full range of violations and serious crimes experienced by women, including enforced disappearances, foreign occupation, mass forced displacement, restrictions on humanitarian aid, conflict-related human trafficking and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. There can be no tolerance for such acts. Combating impunity and strengthening both international and national justice responses are critically important in that regard.

The protection of human rights, including the rights of women, belongs to our foreign policy priorities. The Czech Republic takes an active stance in promoting the strengthening and effective realization of the rights of women and in preventing gender-based violence in various multilateral forums. We also raise the issue within the universal periodic review mechanism.

The Czech Republic fully endorses the relevant rules of international criminal law regarding “rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, enforced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity”. The Rome Statute qualifies these as a war crime, both in the context of international and non-international armed conflicts and — when it forms part of a widespread attack against a civilian population — as a crime against humanity.

While there has been significant progress in implementing resolution 1325 (2000) over the years, persistent gaps and challenges remain. For far too many women in conflict-affected societies, the mere protection of a woman's basic rights, let alone gender equality, remains a daunting challenge. In Syria, women account for the majority of the casualties and the displaced population. In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, women continue to be victimized in the conflict. Given this shared concern, I would like to highlight the following four points.

We must pay greater attention to providing better support for victims, including by ensuring protection for witnesses, victims and justice officials, providing reparation mechanisms and ensuring the systematic inclusion of women in all aspects of conflict resolution. United Nations special representatives, peacekeeping and political missions and United Nations agencies have a much greater role to play.

India is one of the leading contributors to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Based on our broad experience, we believe that the Security Council must make resources available to implement the greater scope of peacekeeping mandates, including by providing more women protection advisers. India was the first State to successfully deploy an all-women police force as part of United Nations peacekeeping operations. We hope that more Member States will contribute a greater number of women military and police personnel to United Nations peacekeeping operations.

India is one of the leading contributors to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Based on our broad experience, we believe that the Security Council must make resources available to implement the greater scope of peacekeeping mandates, including by providing more women protection advisers. India was the first State to successfully deploy an all-women police force as part of United Nations peacekeeping operations. We hope that more Member States will contribute a greater number of women military and police personnel to United Nations peacekeeping operations.

The report of the Secretary-General correctly points out the need for increased participation by women in United Nations peacekeeping missions. South Africa has played its role in that regard by contributing through its police deployment, a contingent made up of 16 per cent women, which, according to the Secretary- General's report, is the highest percentage of female deployment by a troop-contributing country.

The elimination of the root causes of conflict is the best way to prevent sexual violence and to address impunity. Combating impunity is possible only by building transparent, effective, non-discriminatory and functioning institutions and justice systems. It is vital to ensure that women and girls have access to judicial institutions and proper representation. We in the international community should pursue our efforts to support gender-sensitive judicial reform and capacity- building. It is important to provide gender expertise in peacekeeping operations and peacebuilding efforts, as well as to ensure the participation of women in those efforts.

In post-conflict settings, women's full and effective participation is fundamental to efforts to rebuild the justice sector and to security sector reform. In Solomon Islands for example, Australia supported, through the Participating Police Force, the post-conflict recruitment and retention of female officers to the local police force. The early involvement of women, and the integration of a gender-perspective, led directly to the establishmen to critical domestic violence and sexual abuse services. More fundamentally, it also underwrote the broader processes of community rebuilding.

In post-conflict settings, women's full and effective participation is fundamental to efforts to rebuild the justice sector and to security sector reform. In Solomon Islands for example, Australia supported, through the Participating Police Force, the post-conflict recruitment and retention of female officers to the local police force. The early involvement of women, and the integration of a gender-perspective, led directly to the establishmen to critical domestic violence and sexual abuse services. More fundamentally, it also underwrote the broader processes of community rebuilding.

We thank the Secretary- General, the Executive Director of UN Women, High Commissioner Pillay and Ms. Brigitte Balipou, the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, for their active involvement and valuable contributions. We also welcome the unanimous adoption of resolution 2122 (2013) by the Council earlier today, calling for higher levels of women's involvement in peacekeeping and peacebuilding. It is undeniable that the role, views and leadership of women are essential if we are to truly make and sustain peace.

The resolution 2122 (2013), adopted this morning, is another clear ref lection of the strong resolve of the Council concerning the critical role of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and peacekeeping. We are particularly appreciative of the fact that the resolution provides a good reference on supporting the development and strengthening of the capacities of national institutions in order to provide sustainable assistance to women and girls affected by armed conflict and post-conflict situations.

The critical role of women in all stages of and throughout any peace process has been reaffirmed in various United Nations resolutions and documents — not the least, of course, in resolution 1325 (2000) and its subsequent texts. The recent declaration adopted by the Peacebuilding Commission on women's economic empowerment in peacekeeping showcases yet another unyielding commitment from Member States to support the participation of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and post-conflict economic recovery. The declaration also reaffirms the primary responsibility of national authorities in identifying their priorities and strategies for post- conflict peacebuilding.

As stated in the Secretary-General's report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466), it is essential to improve the approach of the United Nations in combating sexual and gender-based violence, particularly through the training for United Nations peacekeepers. In the context of peacekeeping, the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and other related resolutions has paved the way for a gender perspective mechanism in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Increasing the number of female peacekeepers on the ground would also be a positive step in support of resolution 1325 (2000). On our part, we are happy to point out that Indonesia has deployed female peacekeepers as well as military and police observers in several missions, including the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

It is a matter of regret that respecting the rule of law in conflict situations continues to be a significant challenge for the international community. In our view, that is a strong reason for inclusive peace negotiations that produce peace that is durable, sustainable and long- lasting. It is also reason for including the participation and engagement of women in that process. We also believe that national reconciliation, as one tool of transitional justice, must benefit from the active participation of women. Indonesia, in that regard, agrees with the call made by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations last year that lasting progress on security, national reconciliation, human rights, the rule of law and sustainable development needs to occur in parallel, given the interconnected nature of those challenges in countries emerging from conflict.

United Nations field presences must fully engage with women in civil society and the community. New Zealand thus encourages a consistent practice of deploying gender advisers to peacekeeping missions, with their role continuing through any transitional arrangements to assist in post-conflict processes.

"At the continental level, Rwanda is among the leading the police-contributing countries, with female police and correctional officers serving in the United Nations peacebuilding and peacekeeping missions in Liberia, Haiti, the Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad. Those officers actively contribute to combating and raising awareness on violence against women in the communities they serve. They also serve as advisers on gender-based violence and share best practices with other officers and local authorities."

For those reasons, we support the full implementation of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1960 (2010), which insist that all peacekeeping mandates incorporate provisions that specifically identify steps to address sexual violence, including the clear identification of women's protection advisers alongside gender advisers and human rights protection units.

"The events unfolding in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the Central African Republic — as Ms. Balipou mentioned — in Syria and elsewhere around the world, where women continue to be the special target of violence committed by men, show that there is still a long way to go to protect women in situations of armed conflict. Togo nonetheless welcomes the fact that the United Nations, through its peacekeeping operations, has made the protection of civilians an essential element in the mandates of peace missions. The deployment on the ground of gender advisers arises from that determination to help the victims and guide them to the appropriate support services. My country would like to see the deployment of such advisers mainstreamed throughout all missions, with the staffing and resources that they need."

We call on the Security Council to make the best use of the time frame leading up to the high- level review of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in 2015 and to mainstream measures to enhance women's participation in its work, including in the mandates of peacekeeping and political missions. Our immediate concern must be to increase the number of women in police and military contingents in United Nations peacekeeping operations. In that regard, we welcome today's adoption of resolution 2122 (2013) and its references to the deployment of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations as well as more regular briefings in the Security Council.

Transitional justice and the rule of law are crucial elements for the prevention and solution of conflicts. We therefore very much welcome the theme of today's debate, which emphasizes the importance of gender- sensitive systems. Women need to be part of all truth and justice commissions, and women's concerns need to be addressed in those fact-finding bodies. At the same time, perpetrators of violence, crimes and human rights violations need to be held accountable for their actions. That is the most promising way to promote lasting reconciliation. Germany has supported several projects in Rwanda and Burundi to train female police officers on the prevention and investigation of sexual and gender-based violence. In Cambodia and Uganda, Germany has supported the access of women to the justice system through legal and psychosocial counseling.

Secondly, 43 countries have adopted national action plans on women, peace and security. That is an important first step. However, any progress on the ground depends on the political will to abide by those commitments. The German national action plan, which was adopted last year, covers the four focus areas set out in resolution 1325 (2000) and additionally includes the areas of preparation for peace missions and the prosecution of crimes. The implementation of the action plan is monitored by an inter-ministerial working group in collaboration with representatives from civil society. German diplomatic missions abroad have been instructed to support the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), for example by advocating for the inclusion of women in local crisis prevention, conflict management and post-conflict peacebuilding or by supporting gender-sensitive projects on the ground.

Among others, resolution 2106 (2013) underlines the importance of women's greater participation and leadership in decision-making processes in areas of conflict. In many cases, women are excluded from decision-making. Nevertheless, their full and equal participation in peacemaking and peacebuilding is indispensable for the success of those processes, since it is the only way to ensure that the needs of women involved in conflict-related situations are effectively addressed. Women must be seen not solely as victims, but as active agents of change and of peacekeeping.

My delegation welcomes the efforts undertaken by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in the protection of women in armed conflict and the consideration of gender-specific issues in the framework of the maintenance of peace. We stress that it is important that DPKO strengthen its work on the ground, in coordination with the relevant parties.

Pakistan fully supports the objectives of the agenda on women and peace and security. We have played an important role in advancing those goals as a major participant in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Pakistani women peacekeepers have served as police officers, doctors and nurses in missions in Asia, Africa and the Balkans. Gender sensitization is a mandatory part of our peacekeepers' training.

I would add that, in the past year, we supported a Department of Peacekeeping Operations project aimed at bolstering the role of women in the maintenance and building of peace, specifically by holding a regional workshop in Liberia to provide women leaders working for peace and security in West Africa an opportunity to share their experiences and to strengthen their networks.

In that regard, there is a need to increase the number of women in high-level decision-making positions in peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations. Malaysia is also supportive of appointing more women protection advisers to monitor and report on sexual violence in all relevant situations. We appreciate the positive values they bring in creating greater awareness of sexual violence issues, reporting incidents of sexual violence and implementing Security Council resolutions on the ground.

We also recognize the positive contribution of the Security Council to the rule of law, which is one of the key aspects of conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. We fully agree with the prevailing position that justice, including transitional justice, is a fundamental building block of sustainable peace in countries in conflict or post- conflict situations. Delivering justice and security in respect of the rule of law mitigates conflict, helps reduce the risk of relapse into further conflict and creates conditions conducive to sustainable development.

With regard to peacekeeping and peacebuilding, we also find encouraging examples of clearer political will and adequate allocation of resources aimed at increasing the proportion of women in uniformed components in operations and in national security sector institutions.

The Council has heard, on a regular basis and and directly from the ground, requests for further strengthening the implementation of protection mandates. We hope that the targets set by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of 20 per cent for female police participation in peacekeeping operations by 2014 will be attained. Portugal continues to develop policies to promote the recruitment and retention of women in the military and in the police forces, and looks forward to cooperate further in training and in sharing good practices with other troop and police-contributing countries.

Our country therefore urges the Security Council, among other matters, to ensure that gender advisers are deployed in all peace missions and that effective mechanisms are introduced so that information concerning the situation of women and girls can be presented in a systematic manner in reports and transmitted in Security Council debates. In that regard, Switzerland welcomes resolution 2122 (2013), adopted earlier today, which broadly accommodates the concrete recommendations in that sense. Nonetheless, it would have been better yet to have adopted the resolution after this debate in order to more fully take into account the views expressed by the participants.

In recent years, the United Nations has augmented its involvement in establishing and supporting transitional justice measures, furthering women's rights in post- conflict societies. The United Nations-supported truth commissions in Mali, Kenya and Cote d'Ivoire have addressed gender-based crimes. Yet more must be done to ensure that transitional justice addresses a full range of gender-specific crimes, including human trafficking, early or forced marriages, the links between sexual violence and natural-resource extraction, withholding humanitarian assistance, enforced disappearances and forced displacement.

"From resolution 1208 (1998), on security for refugees, which underscores the special security needs of women in camps, to resolution 1314 (2000), which underscores the importance of prevention, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration policies including a gender perspective, it is clear we have made progress. However, it was particularly through resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions focused on the situation of women in conflict and post-conflict situations that the Council underscored, as priorities in achieving lasting peace, the promotion and protection of women's human rights and their equal participation in transitional justice and reconciliation processes, as well as a human rights perspective and a gender perspective in all the efforts and programmes for development, peace, security and the building and strengthening of the rule of law."

Of the over 2 million refugees from Syria today, 78 per cent are women and girls. Having fled the violence in Syria, they are attempting to navigate a tidal wave of new threats – sexual violence, mass forced displacement, early and forced marriage, forced pregnancies and exploitation. These circumstances must not prevent their vital contribution to reconstructing a safe and functioning Syrian society, and we must ensure that their leadership is harnessed as part of the solution.

As a country that hosts tens of thousands of refugees as a result of aggression and war imposed on Armenia, we attach particular importance to this debate. It is nothing new to say that the costs of conflicts are borne disproportionately by women and girls and, since it is primarily women who pay the price when peace is absent, they are important stakeholders in peacebuilding. As such, the inclusion of women in all stages of peace processes guarantees a more lasting and representative settlement.

Particularly egregious is the practice of child, early and forced marriage, which puts the very lives of young girls at risk. That practice denies girls' rights, disrupts their access to education, severely jeopardizes their health and limits the development of their community as a whole. Conflict situations exacerbate that practice among displaced and refugee populations, such as we know to be the case in Syria. Canada encourages the Security Council to continue to provide political leadership and to take action to ensure the meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, mediation and resolution processes.

We cannot but express our deep concern about the deterioration of the situation in the refugee camps of our Syrian brothers, where Syrian women and girls face insecurity and are being trafficked, raped and subjected to forced marriage, all of which has been documented in international reports. Although slow and delayed, Western media reports, most recently that of Germany's RTL television, have documented the tragedy of Syrian refugees younger than 14 who have ended up in slave markets, where petrodollars turn them into concubines in the name of religion. Those who exploit the tragedy of the Syrian refugees do so deliberately in order to create a ghetto of Syrian victims and exploit them in a manner that degrades Syria and its people.

We have proposed to focus our debate on women, the rule of law and transitional justice in conflict-affected situations. In recent times, the Security Council has paid increasing attention to the issue, acknowledging that combating impunity, addressing past violations, rebuilding the justice sector and asserting the principles of the rule of law underpin efforts to build peace and stability in the aftermath of conflict. However, less attention has been paid to the gender consequences of the breakdown of the rule of law during and after conflict. While genuine gains have been made in strengthening the political will and international legal framework to secure justice and deal with conflict- related sexual violence, little has been said of the full range of violations and serious crimes experienced by women, including enforced disappearances, foreign occupation, mass forced displacement, restrictions on humanitarian aid, conflict-related human trafficking and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. There can be no tolerance for such acts. Combating impunity and strengthening both international and national justice responses are critically important in that regard.

Strengthening international and national justice responses to conflict-related violence against women is crucial. In the aftermath of conflict, it is vital to develop transitional justice mechanisms and institutions and to rebuild the rule of law to protect women's rights.

Women's legal status and rights must be ensured in post-conflict situations. Strengthening the legal framework to address issues of discrimination against women with respect to land ownership, access to economic opportunity and employment, education and health care is an essential component of gender- responsive peacebuilding architecture.

Sexual violence in armed conflicts, from the early stages of conflict to its aftermath, is one of the gravest human rights abuses committed against women and girls. In situations of conflict, sexual violence is often used as a weapon of war — a strategy to deprive human beings of their most basic rights, their safety, security and dignity. Sexual violence can exacerbate and prolong armed conflicts and may impede the restoration of international peace and security, as posited in many relevant Security Council resolutions to date.

"We cannot lock ourselves inside a laboratory to restore and recognize women's human rights or to build a genuine rule of law. In that connection, I would like to end with the testimony of women from various parts of the world. In this century, in one country in Africa, 1,152 women were raped every day — that is 48 every hour or four every five minutes. In another area of that continent, a woman reported that, when women tried to escape, their children were killed. She said that they raped lots of women and girls and were happy when they raped them. They even sang while they raped them and told them they had the right to do whatever they wish with women. In another country, a women's organization told us that the criminal code there still interprets rape as a form of adultery. If a women cannot prove that there was no consent and if there are not at least four witnesses who confirm her testimony, women are punished for adultery by whipping or stoning. In a country in Asia, we heard recently from a group of women who were subjected to sexual torture. Their genitals were burned, they said. They were forced into prostitution by security forces, rebel groups and members of peacekeeping missions. In Europe, a women from the former Yugoslavia testified that in the camps the soldiers raped her all day long. She would fall asleep, but when she awoke a different soldier would be in her bed."

The action plan provides a detailed regional framework to enhance women's and young women's leadership in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, mainstream gender and ensure the protection of women's and girls' human rights in humanitarian crises and in transitioning from conflict, disaster or post-conflict situations — all with a mechanism to accelerate the implementation of existing international, regional and national commitments on women, peace and security.

We view this open debate as an opportunity to highlight the policies and programmes aimed at supporting national ownership and reform of justice systems that place women's rights and access to justice for women at their heart. As the recent declaration of the Peacebuilding Commission on women's economic empowerment for peacebuilding underscores, societies that invest in women see exponential dividends from such investments. We believe that justice sector reform must start with the reform of laws to ensure that women have equal rights in all spheres. It must include reforms to strengthen women's access to the justice system and to promote and protect their rights and to protect women from the violence and insecurity that too often accompany transitions from conflict.

Recently, the United Nations has developed an increasingly sophisticated network for specialized gender experts for deployment to mediation, transitional justice and prosecutorial processes. Member States should avail themselves of these important resources. For example, the regular deployments of UN Women to commissions of enquiry over the past three years have produced a steady improvement in the extent to which human rights abuses against women are reported and acted upon. This is a direct result of the quality of expertise and the regular deployment of experts to those bodies.

The Security Council's engagement with the issue of women and peace and security has greatly contributed to our common efforts to improve the lives of women in conflict situations around the world. The resolutions adopted by the Council have created a comprehensive body of norms and stimulated progress on the protection and promotion of women's rights.

The scourge of sexual violence in armed conflict has rightly been the subject of attention by the Council. It is warranted that we also focus on the importance of furthering the equal rights of women and their right to equal participation in decision-making processes.

Brazil embraces a comprehensive notion of the rule of law that embodies a number of principles and experiences. We are convinced that the rule of law and development are strongly interrelated and mutually reinforcing. The rule of law is intimately connected to the realization of social and economic rights. In that regard, we are proud to celebrate, in 2013, the twenty- fifth year of the Brazilian Constitution, whereby we acknowledged the centrality of social and economic rights in the context of the rule of law and human rights.