General Women, Peace and Security

Since its adoption 10 years ago, resolution 1325 (2000) has sparked a revolution of ideas. It has placed the role of women as agents of peace at the forefront of the multilateral agenda. It has made the case for the appointment of women to positions of decision-making related to peace and security. It has galvanized civil society and transformed the way it interacts with the Council.

Indeed, much has been accomplished in the past decade. But much remains to be done to obtain real results for women on the ground. To that end, it is of vital importance for the Security Council to continue to use all tools at its disposal for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), as appropriate.

Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes and greatly appreciates the convening of this meeting to mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). We view this anniversary as an opportunity to look back on our achievements while also assessing what remains to be done in the next decade in order to fully implement the resolution's provisions and advance women's participation in peace and security.

Belgium attaches great importance to the full and thorough implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), as well as of the follow-up resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009).

Belgium aligns itself with the statement that will be made later on behalf of the European Union (EU).

My fellow countrywomen and countrymen in the Bahamas count ourselves most fortunate, for we have no first-hand knowledge of the horrors and ravages of war and civil strife. Nonetheless, we feel the pain and suffering of our fellow human beings caught up in conflict and war in other parts of the world, particularly the women and children who are disproportionately affected by such negative circumstances.

This tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 provides an opportunity to take stock of what we have done well over the last decade and to look forward and see what more can be done, and how it can be done better.

Our resolve to take effective action on women, peace and security must not end with this tenth anniversary. We have not reached the end of the road. Australia looks forward to continuing discussions with others on how best to improve our collective response to this issue.

Despite the achievements of the last decade, there is widespread recognition that much more remains to be done to realise the promise of resolution 1325. Ten years on, gaps still remain. Resolution 1325 still needs to be addressed in a comprehensive and strategic way.

Let me start with a quotation from the Beijing Platform for Action: “Peace is inextricably linked with equality between women and men and development” (A/CONF.177/20, annex II, para. 131). Although a very simple and straightforward statement, it goes to the heart of what we are discussing today, namely, that gender equality and security go hand in hand.