Allow me at this juncture to recognize and acknowledge the United Nations for taking bold steps towards the reforms that gave birth to the new entity, UN Women, inter alia, holistically providing for improved collaboration and greater efficiency in order to achieve a speedy and positive impact.

We are happy to inform the Council that the Gambia is in the process of finalizing its national action plan and is grateful to both the Economic Community of West African States Gender Development Centre and the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women for their support in that regard.

Thirdly, the Gambia's validated Gender and Women Empowerment Policy 2010-2020 has been submitted to the Cabinet for approval before submission to the National Assembly — our Parliament — for enactment.

The various Security Council resolutions on women and peace and security allude to the necessity of ensuring the active participation of women in peace processes, particularly in conflict prevention and the protection of women from gender-based violence and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, as well as the promotion of women's and girls' rights during and after conflicts and in post-war rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Suffice it to mention that the Gambia, popularly known as the smiling coast of Africa, has — knock on wood — enjoyed relative peace and stability since independence in 1965. As a result, it has served as a safe haven to brothers and sisters from the subregion fleeing from conflict.

Secondly, the Gambia has adopted, ratified and enacted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the African Union Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, the Trafficking in Persons Act in 2007, the Children's Act in 2005 and the Women's Act in 2010.

Secondly, as women attempt to take on new political roles, they continue to be challenged by traditional beliefs and values, certain sociocultural factors and misguided religious interpretations.

It is worth mentioning, however, that no country is immune to threats to absolute peace and that no country is an island. In that regard, the Gambia continues to use various traditional mechanisms, such as the Council of Elders and religious and community organizations, to enhance peace and participation, prevent conflicts, support refugees, and continue to promote and nurture peace and stability.

In conclusion, allow me to mention some challenges that we expect to encounter on our way forward. There is still a low level of awareness at all levels of the existence and content of resolution 1325 (2000), which explains why the Gambia has yet to attain a 50 per cent involvement of women in peacebuilding and negotiation processes undertaken pursuant to the resolution.

But there is a way forward. National Governments, as far as the Gambia is concerned, must sustain the political will and momentum now being given to women's empowerment and must satisfy the need to establish genderresponsive budgeting, where it is nonexistent, or strengthen it, where it does exist,.