Remarkable progress has been made in terms of the numbers of women and girls in all levels of education, and the increased literacy ratio of girls to boys. Around 37% of the 7 million students in Afghanistan are female. Today, Afghan boys and girls have equal access to education. We must continue our efforts to teach girls to read, and to provide more accessible schooling for women and girls particularly in rural areas.

On the tenth anniversary of Resolution 1325, it is important to take a step back to gain a more global perspective and to celebrate how far we have come as well as recognize areas for improvement in terms of the participation and protection of women in situations of conflict. There have been ten years of overwhelmingly strong consensus around this resolution.

At the ten year mark, as we reflect on the successes and challenges of Resolution 1325, we welcome the Secretary General's report of 28 September 2010, which mentions clear, revised indicators for measuring the success of 1325. We now have an extremely useful set of tools which must be implemented in order to gauge our impact in this area going forward.

Third, if UN efforts to build peace are to be truly sustainable, they must incorporate women throughout the process. Where women's roles are ignored, peacebuilding is more likely to fail. Gender is not just a box to be checked. It's a key ingredient in the planning phase, throughout implementation, and in the evaluation of plans.

Over two and a half years have passed since the first peacebuilding report was commissioned. That report was commissioned as a result of concerns about the support provided by the international community, including particularly the UN, to countries emerging from conflict. Many of the issues that it identified were not new.

Fifth and finally, post-conflict peace building cannot be truly successful without ensuring that women are an equal part of the process. They need to be routinely involved in conflict resolution, post-conflict peacebuilding and governance in order to achieve sustainable peace.

The challenges to effective women's participation in peacebuilding are significant, but this is all the more reason for unity of effort. The Secretary-General's report sets out a clear direction for the UN system, the international community and conflict-affected states to deliver a practical difference to women's involvement on the ground.

The Security Council takes note of, with appreciation, the report of the Secretary-General on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466) and looks forward to its consideration, including with participation of relevant parts of the United Nations system, including the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

The Security Council welcomes the important role of the Peacebuilding Commission in promoting and supporting an integrated and coherent approach to peacebuilding, including women's participation. The Council reiterates its support for the work of the Commission, and expresses its willingness to make greater use of the Peacebuilding Commission's advisory role.

The Security Council stresses the importance of women's equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, including peacebuilding. The Council reiterates the importance of addressing women's peacebuilding needs and their involvement in the development and implementation of post-conflict strategies.