Netherlands
The importance of women's participation in confiict prevention, conflict reso...
The importance of women's participation in confiict prevention, conflict resolution and reconstruction is clearly addressed in landmark Security Council resolutions 1325 and 1820, on women, peace and security. I would go as far as to say that "1325" is one of the best-known resolutions the Security Council has adopted. More so, it should also be one of the mostly widely implemented resolutions. Because it certainly is among the least complicated resolutions to implement. Basically, we need to:
• Talk to women - to obtain a better understanding and resolution of a conflict;
• Protect women - to keep them and their families safe from violence, to keep their communities stable;
• Involve women - to build back a more secure and economically viable society;
The Netherlands has from the beginning put its full weight behind the impleme...
The Netherlands has from the beginning put its full weight behind the implementation of 1325 and following resolutions. On 4 December 2007 the Netherlands adopted the Dutch National Action Plan (NAP) on SCR 1325, relying on a broad support base. The signatories, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence and the Interior and Kingdom Relations, civil society organisations and knowledge institutiopolitical participation, and to increase gender capacity.ns took upon themselves to jointly make a difference within the field of women, peace and security. As a result of our integrated approach - where diplomacy, defence and development are mutually reinforcing - gender has been fully incorporated in the assessment framework for Dutch contributions to peacekeeping operations. Together, we invested 23 million Euro in 2009 to support women's organizations in fragile states, to promote female leadership and to increase gender capacity.
The Netherlands is committed to strengthening partnerships with men through f...
The Netherlands is committed to strengthening partnerships with men through financial support of training efforts. An active role for women is essential in interventions aimed at ending conflicts and increase security, stability and human security globally. But is not enough. We need the partnership of men. Male leaders who speak up about the atrocities of sexual violence; male commanders that instruct their uniformed services on how to protect civilians. The Netherlands and Australia will support a UN training module on sexual violence geared towards peacekeepers. We will furthermore support a human rights training package geared towards the national Congolese army. We will also continue in 2011 our joint Foreign Affairs/Defence training on women, peace and security for our own staff. We all need to be better equipped to step up UNSCR 1325 in the next decade. As partners.
Our second commitment is the Dutch support to the Justice Rapid Response init...
Our second commitment is the Dutch support to the Justice Rapid Response initiative to bring perpetrators to justice. This muitilateral stand-by facility gives UN entities and Member States access to a roster of rapidly deployable criminal justice professionals. They perform human rights and international criminal justice investigations, undertake special political and fact-finding commissions and commissions of inquiry, as well as security sector reform assessments. Criminal investigations and forensic inquiries are of great importance to end impunity and prevent the heinous crimes against women in armed conflict. The Netherlands currently has 5 people at the disposal of the roster of rapidly deployable criminal justice professionals.
The Dutch government has summed up its efforts and results so far in a bookle...
The Dutch government has summed up its efforts and results so far in a booklet that will be launched next month: "The Dutch Do's on Women, Peace and Security." Ten years after the adoption of 1325, we can say that more perpetrators of sexual violence are brought to justice in the DRC. That more women take part in decision making processes in Sudan. That more Afghan women demand support in exchange for their vote. So these are results we can take pride in. But let's not fool ourselves...there is still a long way to go before the spirit of 1325 and following resolutions has fully permeated the work of the United Nations, member states and civil society. This is why the Netherlands pleas for strengthened accountability mechanisms for the implementation of our commitments expressed here today. We also believe that defining clear roles and responsibilities of UN members states, and within the UN system, in particular UN Women, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Peacebuilding Commission and the Department for Political Affairs, will be conducive to stepping up our efforts towards reaching the goals of UNSCR 1325 and following resolutions. We are at the eve of a new decade of promoting women, peace and security. We are jointly responsible to now implement our joint commitments.