This Council has adopted a Presidential Statement encouraging efforts to stre...

This Council has adopted a Presidential Statement encouraging efforts to strengthen the capacities of women's organizations to engage in conflict prevention and mediation. Portugal strongly supports these specific efforts by Members States and the UN. In this regard, we welcome DPKO and UN Women's efforts to give technical support to women's organizations at local and regional level to strengthen women's civil society groups. The PRST also recognizes that those who protect the human rights of women are very often placed in situation of serious risk and calls for Members States to address these risks. In this regard, we pay tribute to human rights defenders that fight for women's human rights in so many parts of the world in extremely difficult conditions and we appeal for their adequate protection.