The Rwandan Government officially launched, on May 17th this year, a national action plan on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) for the period 2009-2012.

Our action plan has a number of major components. The first is our commitment to the prevention of violence and conflict. Our national programme commits us to dissemination of national and international laws dealing with women, the revision of all discriminatory laws and the identification of all existing discriminatory practices and adoption of strategies to address these challenges.

Last week, my country deployed a delegation of 90 women police officers to the Sudan as reinforcements for their brothers there and ensure that they promote best practices, from which Rwandan women have also benefited.

In line with our action plan and with the reinforcement of women's participation in decisionmaking organs relating to peace and security, I am proud to say that we have advanced in terms of women's participation, with a high level of representation of women in parliament — 56 per cent. This extends into the lower echelons such as local government, the judiciary and the private sector.

I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting and for giving my delegation the opportunity to participate in this debate, as we mark the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000). I also welcome the report of the Secretary-General on women and peace and security (S/2010/498) and endorse the recommendations in that report.

We are grateful to the Secretary-General for preparing the report before the Council (S/2010/498). At the same time, we believe that the indicators that it sets out still need to be verified against the realities and practice in terms of their effectiveness vis-à-vis full realization of the potential of resolution 1325 (2000).

The manifold crisis situations in which women suffer require that they be addressed not only by the Security Council, but also by the General Assembly, the Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council and the Commission on the Status of Women, within their respective mandates. We believe in this context that it is important to avoid duplication and to seek complementarity among the relevant functions of those bodies.

In the 10 years since the Security Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000), that instrument has become an effective reference for protecting women in conflict and enhancing the role of women in the prevention and settlement of conflict and in post-conflict recovery. Regrettably, women and children continue to be victims of deliberate attacks, including terrorist acts and other violations of international humanitarian law.

In commemorating today 10 years since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we should emphasize that much still needs to be done. Our partners in the Council and the relevant agencies and mechanisms of the United Nations system should give greater attention to how to involve women in implementation by enhancing gender equality when establishing peacekeeping contingents and in other relevant issues in mission mandates.

At the same time, the diverse nature of violence means that due attention must be paid to all its categories. The theme of women and peace and security should not be reduced to individual manifestations alone. Just such a balanced approach formed the basis for resolution 1325 (2000). We are gravely concerned at the killing or wounding of women and children, including through the indiscriminate and excessive use of force.