Netherlands
There are two dimensions to this subject. The first one is women and girls as...
There are two dimensions to this subject. The first one is women and girls as victims of violence. As the discussion in the Security Council last week again made clear (see S/PV.6195), such violence is often employed as a weapon of war. That necessitates a different way of operating in crisis management and peacekeeping. For instance, military patrols need to take place between villages and water points at the crack of dawn to protect women fetching water. We also need to be aware that brutal forms of violence against women in sudden outbreaks of violence can be early warning signs of instability.
But even women who have been violated have a voice. These are not merely voic...
But even women who have been violated have a voice. These are not merely voices of victims, but voices of citizens who want to contribute directly to conflict prevention, the maintenance of peace and post- conflict reconstruction in their countries. That is the second dimension: the empowerment of women in matters of peace and war.
We therefore welcome resolution 1888 (2009), which the Council adopted last w...
We therefore welcome resolution 1888 (2009), which the Council adopted last week, as well as resolution 1889 (2009), which was adopted today and which the Netherlands would have wished to sponsor. That is because those resolutions give women more of a voice in these matters — for example, through the country reports to the Security Council. They also give us new tools, such as the set of indicators that the Secretary-General is requested to submit for use at the global level to track implementation. These can be very useful for monitoring progress and for results-oriented planning.
Furthermore, we welcome the fact that, in the resolution adopted this morning...
Furthermore, we welcome the fact that, in the resolution adopted this morning, the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Support Office are encouraged to systematically include women in peacebuilding efforts and to improve the participation of women in political and economic decision-making from the earliest stages of the peacebuilding process. But enhancing the role of women in matters of peace and war is not limited in its impact to countries in which conflicts take place or have taken place, it also has consequences for the other Members of the United Nations.
As far as military operations are concerned, a study by Sweden, Norway, Finla...
As far as military operations are concerned, a study by Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan showed, among other things, that the effectiveness of the International Security Assistance Force in cooperating with, and winning the trust of, the Afghan population is improved if the armed forces of troop-contributing nations include more women. Incorporating more women into armed forces is an important element of a coherent and comprehensive approach to the issue that we are discussing today. A seminar being organized by Spain and the Netherlands, to take place on 13 and 14 October in Madrid, will focus on how to make progress in that respect.
This also implies working closely with civil society in our countries, as we ...
This also implies working closely with civil society in our countries, as we are doing in the Netherlands. We have had a very positive experience in working together with non-governmental organizations, both in developing and implementing and monitoring our national action plan.
As far as our bilateral cooperation with other countries is concerned, let me...
As far as our bilateral cooperation with other countries is concerned, let me give the Council two examples. Burundi and the Netherlands collaborate in the integration of elements of resolution 1325 (2000) into the ethics training course for Burundi's uniformed services. And in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Netherlands supports the establishment of collective funding arrangements to address sexual and gender-based violence under the stabilization plan for that country, in collaboration with its Government and with other donors.
Let me end by underlining that our discussion today forms part of the wider d...
Let me end by underlining that our discussion today forms part of the wider debate on gender issues and should also be seen in the light of the decision by the General Assembly to establish a United Nations composite gender entity (see General Assembly resolution 63/311). We look forward to an early proposal on the details of that entity, including regarding its cooperation with the relevant advisers and special representatives. The coherence of United Nations efforts with regard to gender issues should be ensured. We therefore expect the swift appointment of the new Under-Secretary-General. As the Swedish Ambassador said earlier today in his statement on behalf of the EU, we must not lose momentum on this matter.