Thirdly, the Council should obtain the most accurate and objective information and then make use of it on the ground in a timely manner, so that the establishment or renewal of a mandate related to the protection of civilians can be considered. For that reason, we should start to communicate with troop- and police-contributing countries at an early stage in United Nations involvement.

Thirdly, the control of weapons, should be strengthened, especially through the promotion of regional cooperation and the creation of a legal framework.

Secondly, with the enhancement of the response capacity of United Nations peacekeeping operations, we are pleased to see that the United Nations missions in Côte d'Ivoire, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the Sudan have developed strategies for the protection of civilians and that training modules will be completed shortly for all peacekeeping personnel.

Secondly, in light of the need to share best practices and lessons from the past, we must definitely learn from the tragic and heinous accident of mass rapes that were committed in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo earlier this year, which provided us with many lessons, including that the early warning system needs to be strengthened, communication between local people and peacekeeping missions needs to be developed, tro

Mr. Kazuo Kodama (Japan): I thank the Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Amos, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Le Roy, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Pillay, and the International Committee of the Red Cross Director- General, Mr. Daccord, for their very pertinent briefings. It is clear that civilians in great numbers become victims when conflicts erupt.

Last but not least, Mr. President, I stress the importance of the accountable approach, which stresses maintaining accountability and fighting against impunity. To those ends, the affected country should build its own capacity to establish the rule of law as a means of strengthening the protection of civilians.

In closing, I would like to emphasize the relevance of the human security approach, which can serve as a conceptual basis for protecting and empowering those in a society who are its most vulnerable members.

Fourthly, the protection of women and children is a priority. Japan appreciates the active discussions at the ministerial open debate on women and peace and security last month (S/PV.6411) and supports the utilization by the United Nations and Member States of a set of indicators in implementing resolution 1325 (2000).

When a Government lacks the resources to ensure compliance with its obligations, the protection of civilians is a moral obligation inherent to peacekeeping, although peacekeepers are not the only actors involved. Greater efforts should thus be made to ensure that peacekeeping mandates include explicit reference to civilian protection, clear strategies for pursuing it and careful monitoring of the implementation and impact of these mandates.

We share concerns over the severity and prevalence of constraints on humanitarian access, as well as the frequency and gravity of attacks on humanitarian personnel. Consistent improvements in humanitarian access will only be made if States promote a culture of protection, taking into account the particular needs of women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.