Peacekeeping

The European Union strongly backs the mainstreaming of human rights, including gender equality, in the work of the United Nations — for example, through the recently established mainstreaming mechanism of the Development Group. More frequent presentations by the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Security Council would be a good way to further mainstream human rights in its work.

In that regard, when drafting mandates, the Council could place greater emphasis on the strengthening of coordination activities and structures that have a high impact on the development of national capacities. Such activities are not new in the context of peacekeeping operations.

Before concluding, let me also underline the importance of mainstreaming women's participation at all stages of the peacebuilding effort. Turkey welcomes the increasing awareness within the United Nations system and among Member States of the importance of removing constraints on women's full participation in the peacebuilding process.

The establishment of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality should further contribute to the effective implementation of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008). Last year, Slovenia adopted its national action plan for the implementation of both resolutions. One of the main objectives of the action plan is to increase the involvement of women in peacebuilding and peacekeeping missions.

Inclusiveness works in interesting ways. The decision of the Government of India to aggressively recruit women police personnel allowed us to field a female formed police unit — the first such formation composed entirely of women — in UNMIL.

Another important point for us is the enhanced deployment of female civilian experts, in the spirit of resolution 1325 (2000) and the Secretary-General's action plan on ensuring women's participation in peacebuilding. Post-conflict institutions cannot be effective unless they are gender-equitable.

The United States commends the United Nations, especially United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict, for its leadership in finding effective ways to address this problem. We have been encouraged by the United Nations response and followup to the appalling August attacks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the additional steps it has taken to build mission-wide strategies to better protect civilians.

But obviously, more must still be done. We hope that the United Nations will continue to identify women's protection advisers and put them in more peacekeeping operations, and complete a gaps analysis of United Nations protection strategies.

We also welcome the inclusion of women in peacekeeping missions in civil, military and police functions. Ugandan women, and particularly those in military and police forces, are currently engaged in peacekeeping missions in the region and around the world. We are convinced that, wherever they are based, their presence has a positive influence and may encourage women from local communities to report all acts of sexual violence.

Thus the fight against sexual violence is not only a matter of human rights but is, and should be, at the heart of our efforts to stop and resolve conflicts. For that reason, we completely share the SecretaryGeneral's assessment that sexual violence should be a priority consideration not only for humanitarian actors but also for peacemakers, peacekeepers and peacebuilders.