"And there should be a special focus on boosting the number of women police officers and peacekeepers, like the Indian women I met who were serving so well in Liberia."

"In the year ahead, major challenges will continue to place significant demands on these dedicated men and women. Peacekeepers will play a critical role supporting the referendum in the Sudan; and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo we will require still greater effort and innovation from our peacekeepers as they seek to halt attacks on civilians, and in particular on women and children."

"The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) illustrate the challenges we must face. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the protection of civilians remains the priority for the Blue Helmets' mandate.

"Peacebuilding operations should be based on an integrated approach that includes establishment of good governance, rule of law, promotion of human rights, institution-building, security sector reform, economic reconstruction and development, and full reintegration of refugees and internally displaced persons.

"These efforts must be accompanied by an increased protection of women and girls, especially from sexual violence. The Security Council has several times reaffirmed its role in fighting impunity for such violations. Let me also thank Uganda for its commitment to further advance the implementation of this landmark resolution during its presidency of the Council in the month of October.

"An equally important topic is the role of women in peace and security. We must seize the unique opportunity of the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) this October to renew our commitment and work towards the increased participation, representation and full involvement of women in preventive diplomacy, mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

Women account for more than half of the world's population. Families cannot be
homes without women playing a key role in maintaining and nurturing them.
Societies cannot be peaceful communities without the vital participation of
women. My Delegation commends the measures the United Nations has
undertaken over the past years in promoting the role of women in peace and

With women having served in the war time as generals and peace negotiators,
Viet Nam now ranks 3 " in Asia-Pacific in terms of the female ratio in the
Parliament membership, and has always had: for over two decades, a female
Vice-president of State and several female Ministers. In every State or public
institution there is a women affairs cornmiitee that oversees and promotes

I thank you for convening this open debate of the Security Council on women,
peace and security, with a focus on the participation of women in all stages of the
peace process. I thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report on the
implementation of Security Council resolution 1325, to which Viet Nam attaches
great importance.

We recommend that DPKO draw upon the inter-agency resources of the UN Action Against Sexual
Violence in Conflict, so that a wide range of experts and observers in the field can gather the
sensitive information necessary to identify and combat sexual violence as an instrument of war.