Libya has therefore launched several initiatives to empower women and enhance their role in African countries. In cooperation with Nigeria and Cuba, we have established a South-South health-care programme. In 2006, we launched the Al-Qadhafi programme for African youth, women and children, which places particular emphasis on health care, education, vocational training and human rights.

In addressing the empowerment of women and their special needs, especially in post-conflict situations, we would be remiss if we failed to condemn the physical and psychological suffering of Palestinian women as a result of the Zionist occupying authority's continuous violations of their human rights, its violations of international law and its recent crimes in Gaza.

In 2004, the African Union adopted an action plan at Ouagadougou that gave special priority to the empowerment of women, their access to the workplace, their effective participation in the adoption of poverty- reduction strategies, the mainstreaming of gender issues in all poverty-reduction programmes and policies and the promotion of employment and equal opportunities for men and women in the area of employment.

Almost nine years have passed since the Security Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000), during which it also adopted several resolutions and presidential statements on the protection of women during and after armed conflict, their participation in the prevention of conflict and post-conflict decision-making and their role in the economic and social spheres. However, we are still far from reaching the desired goals.

We are also encouraged by the commitment of the Secretary-General to increase the number of women in decision-making positions, as confirmed by the Deputy Secretary-General this morning. We urge other heads of international organizations and regional organizations to do the same and appoint more women as high-level mediators and members of negotiating teams.

We welcome the fact that three women are now serving as heads of missions. Women are playing indispensable roles in some peacekeeping operations. One example is the Indian women's formed police unit in Liberia, which is very impressive. The Peacebuilding Commission, for its part, has incorporated a gender perspective in its country-specific peacebuilding strategies.

This is a major challenge the Council must address. We are therefore pleased that resolution 1889 (2009), just adopted, stressed this aspect: the importance of empowering women and girls in responding to their particular needs in post-conflict situations.

Thirdly, we need to focus not only on protection but also on the empowerment of women, who could be strong promoters of the peacebuilding process. We must find a way to ensure the empowerment of women in post- conflict situations, by improving their socio-economic conditions. This can be achieved b promoting access to health services, education, vocational training, income generation activities and land and property rights.

The Council should continue to explore how United Nations missions can better protect women and children in conflict, with adequate resources, training and logistical support. We would like the importance of protection of women to be fully incorporated into training programmes for peacekeepers and peacebuilding experts on the ground, before they are deployed.

One good example is cited in the Secretary- General's latest report: the project is funded through the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security to deliver health care, education and counselling to women and girls in Nepal who have been left vulnerable by conflict in that country.