Uganda launched its National Action Plan for Security Council Resolutions 1325, 1820 as well as the Goma Declaration in December 2008. The Action Plan highlights specific commitments and duties of the Government and stakeholders, identifies priority interventions for the short and medium term. It also apportions institutional responsibilities and establishes a mechanism for coordination, monitoring and reporting.

Uganda is already carrying out legislative reforms to address the remaining gender inequalities and violence against women in both public and private sectors. We are also working on integrating the principles of the resolutions 1325 and 1820 in the National Development Plan implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the landmark Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. It was the first Security Council resolution to address women's issues in the international peace and security agenda.

It is essential to empower women to enable them effectively participate in issues of peace, security and development. The Government of Uganda has taken a deliberate policy for empowerment of women through affirmative action initiatives.

In the next 5 years, Uganda will be developing a comprehensive national policy on gender-based violence to guide prevention and response efforts in all situations, including in the humanitarian and development contexts. We shall also establish sustainable and integrated systems of collecting data on gender-based violence and improve access to justice for victims and survivors.

At the regional level, through the African Union, East African Community, and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region, Uganda is committed to strengthening collaboration on enhancing women's participation and empowerment in conflict prevention, mediation, and resolution. We are convinced that women have an important role to play in ensuring durable peace, security, and development.

As we commemorate the 10th Anniversary of resolution 1325, Uganda will move beyond the reaffirmation of our common commitment to the implementation of the resolution and make strong, time-bound and measurable commitments for action.

We have to redouble our efforts in the fight against impunity. Targeted and graduated measures should be imposed against the perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence and rape. We believe that in tackling the issue of women's security, we should move from ad hoc approaches towards a systematic one.

We believe that urgent action is needed to protect and empower women. Likewise, equally strong measures are needed to increase the participation of women in the work of peace, including post-conflict recovery efforts, as that will increase the effectiveness of such efforts. Indeed, we should not forget that women in post-conflict countries are not merely victims of war.

We believe that gender equality and the empowerment of women should be at the core of our efforts. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular Goal 3 — promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women — will no doubt reinforce the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The international community should regularly review the implementation of MDG3, including its commitments in that regard.