Peacekeeping

Secondly, however, we must match those steps at the negotiating table in United Nations peacekeeping missions and our own militaries. Women have as much of a

role to play in keeping the peace as in negotiating it. That is why the United Nations peacekeeping defence ministerial meeting, held in London last month, included such a strong focus on women and peace and security, as Siti reminded us earlier. More than 60 countries signed our ambitious communiqué, and we now need to deliver on it, doubling the number of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations by 2020, increasing the number of women in missions as a whole and tackling every single allegation of sexual exploitation and abuse until such horrific practices end. Our efforts should not stop at peacekeeping. The United Kingdom is updating the training that our armed forces receive so that everyone understands the agenda on women and peace and security and knows how to prevent sexual violence in conflict. And we will be doing the same for the troops we train from other countries, too.