General Women, Peace and Security

Unfortunately, peace processes and accords rarely include concrete provisions for promoting access to justice and women's representation in government bodies to enable inclusive access to power or prevent and punish sexual violence. This perpetuates the exclusion and vulnerable conditions in which half of the population lives and is an obstacle to peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

Twelve years after the historic adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), Mexico recognizes the progress that has been made in creating favourable conditions for the participation of women in all phases of peace processes. The deployment of women gender advisers in all peacekeeping operations is a very positive development that we hope to see replicated in peacebuilding processes.

As a member of the Group of Friends of Mediation, my delegation welcomes in particular the inclusion of the gender dimension in the most recent report of the Secretary-General (A/66/811) on the strengthening of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution as well as in guidelines for effective mediation.

I would like to thank you warmly, Sir, for having rescheduled the open debate originally scheduled by the Guatemalan presidency, and for giving us this opportunity to take stock of progress made and the challenges remaining in the advancement of women in the framework of resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions.

“The future of men is women”, wrote Louis Aragon. I leave the poet's assertion to listeners' interpretation. In any case, the conviction that women have a specific role to play in the future of a world liberated from the scourge of war is gaining ground. It is up to us to seize this chance by continuing to support women and women's civil society organizations in their actions for peace.

Let me begin by thanking India for convening this open debate on women and peace and security. Lithuania aligns itself with the statement of the European Union. My delegation appreciates the analysis and recommendations of the Secretary-General contained in document S/2012/732, which notes the significant progress achieved at the normative level.

As a member of the Group of Friends of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and the Group of Friends of Mediation, Lithuania concurs with the Secretary-General that the gender dimension of mediation must be clearly and consistently articulated. Women must be part of the process, as mediators and peace negotiators, as that makes it possible to take into account their needs for political, economic and social empowerment.

In partnership with Switzerland, we supported the publication of a handbook on the women and peace and security agenda by PeaceWomen. The handbook has just been released in its second edition and is available at the entrance to this Chamber. And I am particularly pleased to inform the Council that my delegation will launch, in close partnership with the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-

A study recently published by the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security reveals the inconsistency with which the Council addresses women, peace and security concerns in its decisions on country situations.

The topic of today's debate is of particular importance. The sustainable political, social and economic development of a country is possible only with a strong civil society that is involved in all stages of decision-making, including in conflict prevention and resolution and peacebuilding.