2. Recognizing that we also have a way to go, I will now make sure our military operations rest on a gender analysis and adjust our operational demands accordingly. We will strengthen gender education of our armed forces and our police. And we will introduce a new system of reporting on gender and the role of women in field missions, starting in December with the Norwegian led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Maymaneh in Afghanistan.

With 373 female peacekeepers, Nigeria ranks first among troop-contributing countries in the number of women among its military and police personnel wearing the Blue Helmet in ongoing peacekeeping operations. We believe that female peacekeepers have a comparative advantage when liaising with local communities on matters such as sexual exploitation, abuse and violence.

We believe that true peace can be sustained only when each individual human being achieves freedom, secures dignity and leads a fulfilled life. This is the ultimate aim of resolution 1325 (2000).

The Secretary-General's report highlights areas of strength and weakness in our current approach. His recommendations, if supported, can enhance coordination and effectiveness. The problem of fragmentation and overlap in the United Nations system demands a framework for implementation and accountability.

The members of the entire United Nations family are accountable for the change that we all seek today. It is therefore vital that the Security Council take forward the indicators and remain apprised of the ongoing challenges in implementing the resolution.

Nowhere is this failure more pronounced than in many of our decision-making structures, which underrepresent women in conflict prevention and peacemaking processes. Not only do we lose out on the unique contribution that women can make to peace and stability, but we also render ourselves complicit in their marginalization.

Nigeria is pleased to count its achievements as part of that modest progress. Our priorities on women can be summed up in four words: empower, prevent, protect and promote. We acknowledge the pivotal role that women play in conflict prevention, and we pay particular attention to their unique vulnerabilities in time of conflict.

My first words must be to commend you, Mr. President, for convening this auspicious debate to mark a decade since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). I must also thank the Secretary-General for his report in document S/2010/498 and indeed for his earlier report in document S/2010/466, on women's participation in peacebuilding.

It is a well-known fact that women rarely initiate violent conflicts, yet they suffer its worst consequences on multiple fronts: physically, psychologically, economically, socially and politically. Too often, women fall victim to predatory warlords, who systematically use rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war. Their suffering is compounded by their exclusion from key decision-making processes that might lead to peace and stability.

In spite of the hard work and oft-expressed commitments of the international community to the principles of resolution 1325 (2000), serious challenges remain. The Secretary-General observes in his report that “10 years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), significant achievements are difficult to identify or quantify” (S/2010/498, para. 3).