Peacekeeping

In the implementation of peacebuilding strategies, the ways in which the international community, including the United Nations, provides support are of considerable consequence, as the ownership of the countries concerned must be respected.

By applying a gender perspective in the fields of peacekeeping and peacebuilding, the Government of Japan has been attempting to create an environment in which more women can play active roles.

Today's celebration is therefore a reminder that the high cost of peacekeeping and of reconstruction in post-conflict situations weighs heavily in favour of prevention and peacebuilding measures to address the root causes of deadly conflicts. Women have proven instrumental in building bridges rather than walls. Women are entitled to an active rote in rebuilding their societies.

Resolution 1325 reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building.We acknowledge that in some parts of the world women have become increasingly effective participants at the peace table and have continued to assist in creating an enabling environment for conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peace building and post-conflict construction.

Jamaica has played its part in ensuring the participation of women in peace and security over the years through its increased presence in UN Peacekeeping Operations. We have also been encouraging the recruitment of women police officers to peacekeeping missions being keenly aware of the impact their service and experience have had on the UN and host country's recognition of the role of women in peace and security.

One of the main objectives of the Italian action plan is to strengthen the participation of women in peacekeeping missions and their decision-making bodies. Italy has long honoured its pledge to avoid gender discrimination, enrolling women in all its national armed forces. This has resulted in an increase in the number of women in that field and in their participation at all levels and stages of peacekeeping operations.

Adopting a gender perspective for all peacebuilding activities is another essential priority of the action plan. In my capacity as Minister of Equal Opportunities, I can only stress the importance of adopting a gender-oriented approach to all peacebuilding operations, conducting gender-sensitive surveys, collecting statistics with genderd is aggregated data and carrying out specific studies on other discriminatory factors.

This Council's adoption of resolution 1325, ten years ago, was a watershed in the protection of women and girls in conflict. The international community was - and should remain - proud of this accomplishment. The resolution helped galvanize Member States' resolve to tackle this issue.

The tenth anniversary of Resolution 1325 is an important milestone in the evolution of the women, peace and security agenda. Events marking this anniversary, both here in New York and worldwide, highlight the significant progress that has been achieved but also the long road yet to be travelled. Women are more visible in many areas, including peacekeeping, mediation and post-conflict recovery.

Noting that the resolution has galvanized important efforts at all levels on women, peace and security, it is important for the Council to continue making efforts to ensure its effective implementation. The international community has every interest in ensuring the full involvement of women in all stages of the peace process, peacekeeping and peacebuilding: women as peacemakers, women as peacekeepers and women as peacebuilders.