The vulnerable situation of civilians in postconflict societies needs special...

The vulnerable situation of civilians in postconflict societies needs special attention. For peace to be sustained, civilian victims must be rehabilitated and reintegrated into their communities more effectively, and the perpetrators must bear the resultant cost. The presence of uniformed female personnel may play a pivotal role in protecting civilians in armed conflict. I would like to take this opportunity to refer to the efforts of the all-women Bangladesh police contingent working in a peacekeeping mission in Haiti. We believe that a female police force could also play a critical role in a State's ability to protect its citizens. Finally, we would like to mention what my delegation considers to be two overarching themes for the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The first relates to prevention and the building of a culture of peace. Prevention is at the heart of protection. The preventive capacity of the Organization must be enhanced. At the same time, Member States need to take steps to inculcate the values of peace, tolerance and harmony, which contribute to long-term prevention.