Peacekeeping

It is also worth noting that preparatory work for the open day included workshops attended by women in several parts of the Sudan, including Khartoum and Juba, the capital of the southern province, the Warab province in the south and the provinces of East and Central Equatoria, as well as the three provinces of Darfur.

We believe that the proliferation of small arms increases the risk of interpersonal violence, including domestic and societal violence, which often continue after conflicts. Hence, curbing the spread of small arms would be a step in the right direction in minimizing gender based violence.

South Africa today stands as one of the top troop-contributing countries in the world, with the largest women's contingent deployed in peace support missions. Currently, 19 per cent of South African National Defence Force personnel deployed in peace support operations are female.

In Africa, the African Union and subregional organizations, as well as civil society, play a pivotal and strategic role in the prevention and resolution of conflict. Women are always ready to play a role in conflict resolution initiatives, such as the promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law, both of which are vital to peace, security, stability and prosperity.

Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security acknowledged that women are not just victims of armed conflict and that their equal and full participation is of vital importance in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery.

From our own experience, sustainable peace cannot be achieved without the full and effective participation of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peace processes, and post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding. A few weeks ago, the Security Council itself acknowledged the efforts that Sierra Leone is making towards the prevention and resolution of conflict and in peacebuilding.

Last week, my country deployed a delegation of 90 women police officers to the Sudan as reinforcements for their brothers there and ensure that they promote best practices, from which Rwandan women have also benefited.

In commemorating today 10 years since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we should emphasize that much still needs to be done. Our partners in the Council and the relevant agencies and mechanisms of the United Nations system should give greater attention to how to involve women in implementation by enhancing gender equality when establishing peacekeeping contingents and in other relevant issues in mission mandates.

Portugal believes that important progress has been accomplished in the implementation of 1325 and the other important resolutions that have followed. However, we all recognize that significant challenges still remain. On the one hand, women are still underrepresented at all levels of peacekeeping and peace building efforts and they are poorly represented in formal peace negotiations.

Significant steps have been taken by my country to enhance the participation of women in peacekeeping operations, and we are determined to pursue policies and programmes that would help ensure full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the international arena.