When it comes to protection, international humanitarian law should be respected by all parties to a conflict. That is why, in January in Kenya, the Netherlands organized a training course for military and civilian representatives from 11 African countries on gender awareness and the prevention of sexual violence in peacekeeping.
Peacekeeping missions must be better prepared and outfitted for that part of their mandate, and we must all chip in. The Netherlands is sending a peacekeeping unit to Mali, and we deploy experts in the protection of civilians and sexual and gender-based violence in various United Nations missions