General Women, Peace and Security

The European Union continues to implement its dedicated policy on women, peace and security adopted in 2008. The European Union support to various initiatives related to women, peace and security amounts to approximately €200 million a year.

I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the Council's work on the issue of women and peace and security, including in the area of sexual violence in conflict, and to confirm my country's strong support for an even more systematic and comprehensive approach to that important issue.

We all know very well that, after the chaos of armed conflict, the fundamental institutions of a country are left in a general state of weakness and dependency, with limited and low levels of economic and human resources. Such countries usually take a long time to achieve the strengthening of their institutions to a degree that would allow them to be functional at an acceptable level.

First, in all countries, it is the Government that bears the primary responsibility for women's safety and rights. Conflict situations are all different. The international community should support the countries concerned in their efforts to safeguard women's rights and interests and should provide constructive assistance in that regard.

China condemns all violence against women in armed conflict, including sexual violence. China supports the full implementation of the relevant resolutions of the Council and urges parties in conflict to abide by international humanitarian law and other relevant international law to effectively protect the safety of women and other disadvantaged groups. I would like to emphasize three points.

We believe it is equally important to continue to promote the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in our region through the exchange of experiences and international cooperation, both at the bilateral level and in the regional mechanisms for peacekeeping operations of which Chile is a part.

A key element in making progress on these issues has been the guidelines established in the Security Council resolutions that followed historic resolution 1325 (2000), which reinforce its principles and the undeniable progress that has been made on the issue of gender-based violence within the United Nations system. In that respect, it is worth highlighting the conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-seventh session.

We welcome the Government of Afghanistan's efforts to implement a law on the elimination of violence against women. However, more must be done to increase understanding and awareness of the law and its application and to end practices that imprison victims of sexual violence while allowing perpetrators to go free.

The Security Council's engagement with the issue of women and peace and security has greatly contributed to our common efforts to improve the lives of women in conflict situations around the world. The resolutions adopted by the Council have not only created a comprehensive body of norms and tools, but have also stimulated discussion, self-criticism and progress on the protection and promotion of women's rights.

In that regard, Botswana welcomes the continued focus by the Council on this thematic area and wishes to emphasize the need for increased and more systemic attention to the agenda women and peace and security in the Council's work.