As enshrined in its interim Constitution, Nepal is committed to setting aside 33 per cent of seats in Parliament for women. We are also committed to continuing an affirmative action policy in our civil service with a view to bringing women into the decision-making levels of the public sector. We are also committed to increasing women's participation in our army and police forces.

We will continue encouraging nations to develop national action plans and to promote the participation of women in their armed forces. In Afghanistan, in particular, we will continue to encourage women to take their rightful place in shaping their country's future.

The directive paved the way for the deployment of NATO's first military gender advisers in the headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force in the autumn of last year, complementing the network of national gender advisers already fielded in some of the provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan. Gender advisers will also soon be deployed to the Kosovo Force and begin work at the level of our strategic commands.

The Alliance currently has 150,000 women and men engaged in operations from Afghanistan to the Balkans, but also off the Horn of Africa. In these gender-sensitive environments, we have made it clear that the involvement of women in operations is crucial if we want to establish relationships and trust with civil society.

One decade on from the adoption of the Security Council's groundbreaking resolution 1325 (2000), we are confident that we can take the next steps. We will remain committed to taking practical and pragmatic actions with our allies and our partners. We will remain active and engaged, and we look forward to continuing our efforts and cooperation beyond this anniversary.

On behalf of NATO, it is a special pleasure for me to be here today with the Security Council to mark this important anniversary. Exactly 10 years ago, the Security Council adopted the important resolution 1325 (2000). It the first resolution to address the impact of conflict on women and the contribution that women can make to solidifying peace.

NATO is ready to play its full role by pursuing a pragmatic approach. With our partners, we have agreed on a comprehensive list of concrete actions to mainstream gender perspectives into NATO's partnership programmes. Resolution 1325 (2000) has become a fully integrated element of NATO's comprehensive approach to crisis management.

In September 2009, NATO issued a military directive to all NATO commanders and allied and partner nations for the integration of resolution 1325 (2000) and gender perspectives in NATO military organizations and the planning and execution of operations. It included a strict code of behaviour for all military personnel serving in NATO-led operations.

But looking ahead, NATO intends to do more. We will continue mainstreaming resolution 1325 (2000) in our operations, recognizing that mainstreaming gender perspectives requires a continuous and shared effort until it becomes the norm. We will continue developing education and training in civilian and military frameworks.

A related, important aspect is education and training; it is one of the keys to changing mindsets. Our education institutions are engaged in this process, providing predeployment training for all civilian and military personnel of peacekeeping operations.