We are also concerned about wars and tensions that thrive a little bit everywhere, but now more localized and in high intensity in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, to the delight of the dealers of misery, those who invest in the war industry and to the suffering of millions of human beings, especially children, women and elderly.

Or when blatant violators of women's rights are welcomed to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, often despite reservations that are incompatible with the object and purpose of the convention. Canada has consistently opposed the debasement of multilateral institutions by conduct that is inconsistent with their values.

As citizens of the global community, we have a solemn duty to defend the vulnerable, to challenge the aggressor, to Protect and promote human rights and human dignity, at home and abroad: Women, Christians, Baha'i and other victims of persecution in Iran.

Last year's 10th anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security reminded us that the promise of women's full and equal participation in ail efforts of maintaining peace and security, including in mediation processes, has not yet come true and that we ail need to intensify our efforts.

Even if she earns a comfortable living, a woman who lives in fear of daily violence and has no say in how her country is run is not truly free.

The UAE has always been keen to integrate the principles of fundamental human rights stipulated in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its own Constitution and Laws.

The UAE constitution guarantees equal rights for both men and women, where women enjoy the same legal status, preserving their own family names and titles, the right to education, and the right of employment, as their male counterparts. The UAE Constitution prohibits any discrimination between women and men in salaries.

Based on the above reasoning, the UAE sees the importance of supporting international efforts in the field of women's empowerment. In this context we would like to commend proudly the establishment of the United Nations for Women (UN-WOMEN), and we declare extending a contribution of USD5 million to this newly established organ.

The UAE realizes that the success of women's empowerment is an essential component to building a modern and tolerant society. Therefore, the UAE has achieved a number of remarkable successes in the field of empowerment of women, which represents clear evidence of the absence of any conflict between the Arab, the Muslim, and the Modern.

Women are among the most vulnerable during conflicts whether internal or otherwise, and hence, must be involved in all vehicles relating to the settlement of disputes and conflict prevention. The absence of women in the process could result in the development of peace agreements which are not comprehensive in scope and which may not address those issues which affected women during the period of conflict and which continue thereafter.