S/PV.4852 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Fiji, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, Timor-Leste, Ukraine and the United Republic of Tanzania in which they request to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. At the invitation of the President, the representatives of the aforementioned countries took the seats reserved for them at the side of the Council Chamber.

On behalf of the Security Council, I extend a warm welcome to Her Excellency Ms. Agnes van Ardenne, Minister for Development and Cooperation of the Netherlands. Likewise, on behalf of the Council, I extend a warm welcome to His Excellency Mr. Kaliopate Tavola, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Fiji. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, and in the absence of objection, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. It is so decided. I invite Mr. Guéhenno to take a seat at the Council table. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, and in the absence of objection, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Ms. Amy Smythe, Senior Gender Adviser of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). It is so decided. I invite Ms. Smythe to take a seat at the Council table. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. I should like to welcome members of the Council, our visiting speakers and our guests. I have already acknowledged the presence of the Minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, Ms. Agnes van Ardenne. I should like also to welcome Ms. Angela King and Ms. Noeleen Heyzer to this debate on conflict, peacekeeping and gender. I hope that we will have a useful discussion on this very important topic. I am especially pleased that in today’s discussion we will have a unique perspective, in addition to that provided by Under-Secretary-General Guéhenno, who will speak more broadly about the progress that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has made towards implementation. We will also hear directly from the Senior Gender Adviser to MONUC, who is mandated to work on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the field. Please allow me to begin by saying a few words about the format for the meeting. I will shortly be inviting Mr. Guéhenno and Ms. Smythe to talk to us for a few minutes about their work in implementing resolution 1325 (2000). I will then invite the 15 member States of the Security Council to comment and ask questions. I then propose to invite our guest speakers to respond to points raised thus far. We will then give the floor to those non-Council members inscribed on the speakers’ list and conclude by once more offering Mr. Guéhenno and Ms. Smythe an opportunity to respond to comments made and questions raised by Member States. In the interests of time, we would suggest that Member States try to limit their presentations to five minutes. At the conclusion of today’s meeting, the presidency will prepare a summary, on its own authority, of the main points of this meeting, which will be issued as a press statement. Of course, the record of the Council meeting itself will also be available for anyone to refer to after the fact. I should like to make one additional procedural point. The Secretary-General is having his annual meeting of the heads of the principal organs of the United Nations at 12.30 this afternoon, which I have been invited to attend in my capacity as President of the Security Council. Ambassador Cunningham will then conduct the meeting until 1.15 p.m. If it is necessary that we meet in the afternoon, we will break until 3 p.m., at which time we will hear the remaining speakers on the list. I now give the floor to the Under-Secretary- General for Peacekeeping, Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno.

Three years ago, the Security Council took a bold stance on the role of women in conflict by adopting resolution 1325 (2000). It recognized that women and girls bear the brunt of armed conflict and also that they are an essential part of any lasting solution. This has significant implications for our peacekeeping operations and calls for a radical change in the way we do our work. I welcome the opportunity offered us today to take stock of the efforts made to date to implement resolution 1325 (2000) in peacekeeping operations and to highlight some of the challenges facing us in the year to come. The Senior Gender Adviser of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), Ms. Amy Smythe, will later speak on the practical realities of implementing resolution 1325 (2000) and will provide a perspective from the field level in the Democratic Republic of Congo on this issue. I would like also to acknowledge the contributions received from our partners in the United Nations system, as well as from non-governmental organizations, for this presentation. As we all know, women and girls do not experience conflict in the same way as men and boys. Women and girls suffer disproportionately in time of war. Pre-existing inequalities are magnified and exacerbated by conflict and social networks break down, making women and girls highly vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation. We have learned that when a peacekeeping operation is deployed in such an environment, out first duty is to listen to the voices of the victims. Only in this way can we best understand how effectively to help women and girls and how to lay down the foundations for a lasting peace. Women are also a source of strength and inspiration in our struggle. We recognize the tremendous impact that they can have when their knowledge, skills and energy are harnessed in the name of peace and of rebuilding a country devastated by war. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations has greatly benefited from the support it has received from such agencies as United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which have strong links with the national women’s networks that exist in many countries. Over the past 12 months, the Department has taken concrete steps to implement resolution 1325 (2000). This is particularly true in the context of multidimensional peacekeeping operations such as those in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo, Timor-Leste and Afghanistan. In all of those missions, gender experts — working either alone or as part of a larger gender affairs unit — are playing an active and decisive role, putting gender issues at the centre of peacekeeping. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations has been focusing its efforts in particular on five main areas highlighted in resolution 1325 (2000): first, increasing the number of women in peacekeeping operations; secondly, integrating a gender perspective into peacekeeping operations; thirdly, training in gender awareness and HIV/AIDS issues; fourthly, strengthening discipline for peacekeeping personnel, both through effective preventive action and by a firm response to any misconduct; and fifthly, combating trafficking in human beings. (spoke in English) Let me start with the issue of gender balance among peacekeeping personnel. The importance of having equal numbers of men and women on our staff at all levels of the Organization is a given. But we need to lead by example. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) often finds itself in the awkward position of advocating for a higher percentage of women in national police forces than it has in its own ranks. Women make up 4 per cent of total civilian police personnel in DPKO missions, and figures are equally low for the military. I urge Member States to continue and intensify their efforts to provide more women civilian police and military personnel to peacekeeping operations. I also call for the inclusion of women and men with experience in gender-based crimes to help us address the high rates of violence against women that are common in post-conflict situations. DPKO is addressing this challenge in-house. We have started, on a pilot basis, to encourage more women applicants by targeting professional women’s associations with our vacancy announcements. At the Director level and above, the number of women has increased fourfold over the past year. In the 15 DPKO peacekeeping missions, women currently represent one third of all professional staff. We recognize, however, that our figures offer no ground for complacency. DPKO intends to be more effective in the coming year in identifying suitable women candidates for senior positions and in recruiting professional-level women for missions. But, all too often, gender mainstreaming is reduced to an accountancy exercise in which managers focus on the number of women on their staff. We tend to overlook the need to include a gender dimension in the programmes they are managing. Gender balance is essential, but it is only half of the story. We also need to make sure that our programmes take into account the different needs of women and men, and that they tap into their strengths. Let me give an example of how looking at our disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme in Sierra Leone from a gender perspective has made it more effective. In the past, adult male ex-combatants were the only focus of our attention. They were the ones registered and given a package of benefits to help them return to civilian life. This meant that women who either were ex-combatants or were working in support roles such as cooks, as well as wives — or even girls abducted and forced to work as sexual slaves — were being left out of the picture. Now, our help is also directed towards those women and girls, and is tailored to meet such special needs as trauma counselling for abducted girls who worked as sexual slaves. To help demystify gender mainstreaming, a number of practical field manuals are being produced. A gender resource package is in the final stages of being developed. It will cover a wide range of topics, from general information on gender concepts and practical checklists highlighting gender issues in peacekeeping, to guidelines on establishing gender units in the field. In addition, in the coming year we will be producing a field manual on gender issues for military commanders, as well as one on gender issues in mine action. I would like to thank Member States for having approved, this year, the post of Gender Advisor, based at DPKO headquarters. We have temporarily filled the position, until the recruitment of the post is concluded early next year. The Gender Advisor has already begun to assist us in coordinating our efforts on gender issues in a more effective way and in facilitating cross- regional learning. One of her first tasks will be to take stock of all the positive efforts made to date in the area of gender mainstreaming, identify some of the main gaps and help us identify a comprehensive strategy to move forward. A network of gender focal points will also be established in the coming year to assist in mainstreaming efforts. I would now like to turn to gender mainstreaming in missions. Some peacekeeping operations have restrictive mandates that focus on military tasks, and opportunities for gender mainstreaming in such missions are limited. However, the scope for gender mainstreaming is much broader in multidimensional peacekeeping operations. At present, we have gender advisors or specialists in five multidimensional missions: in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Timor-Leste and Afghanistan. In addition, gender advisor posts have been established for Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. Time and time again, we have seen that gender affairs units or gender specialists in missions improve a mission’s effectiveness in discharging its mandate and in helping us to have a light footprint. For instance, in Kosovo, where the mission has executive and legislative responsibilities, the Senior Gender Advisor has helped the transitional Government draft a law on gender equality. That law will have a lasting, positive impact on the lives of women and girls, and the process has provided the Kosovar transitional administration with the skills to carry out legal reform from a gender perspective, including after the United Nations Interim Mission in Kosovo is gone. In Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste, DPKO gender advisors are improving the quality of the missions’ work by training national police forces in how best to handle gender-based crimes, especially domestic violence. In Afghanistan, gender analysis has helped the mission plan more inclusive elections. The mission’s electoral unit analysed the potential challenges relating to the registration of women. It is now introducing a number of measures to facilitate women’s participation in elections, such as separate registration facilities for women. In Georgia, where there is no full-time gender specialist, many important efforts to mainstream gender into programmes have still gone ahead. For instance, the mission there is facilitating the participation of women from Abkhazia in conflict resolution and peace-building efforts. Giving members these examples may make gender mainstreaming sound easy, but it is not. Our gender experts in the missions repeatedly express their frustration about the lip service paid to gender issues. We need to move beyond empty words and actually practice what we preach. I intend to ensure that all future, multidimensional peacekeeping operations include strong gender expertise, for instance in the form of a gender affairs unit that has access to senior- level decision-making in all areas of the mission’s work. I hope that Member States will support that effort. Training on gender awareness and HIV/AIDS is another key element of resolution 1325 (2000). DPKO has disseminated a generic “Gender and Peacekeeping” training manual to all peacekeeping missions and to Member States. In the past year, nine “train the trainers” courses have been conducted by DPKO for more than 350 training officers from Member States. I urge Member States to ensure that this training package is included in all pre-deployment training for both military and civilian police. On my side, I will ensure that gender training is included in all induction courses for new personnel. DPKO continues to prevent and respond to the problem of HIV/AIDS in peacekeeping operations. At present, HIV/AIDS Policy Officers are deployed in four field missions: the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone and the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor. The focus in the past year has been on prevention through training, often carried out in collaboration with United Nations and national partners. For instance, in Sierra Leone, DPKO, together with the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Development Fund for Women, conducted four workshops in the past year on HIV/AIDS, gender and human rights for military and civilian peacekeepers. In Timor-Leste, the mission has provided voluntary, confidential HIV counselling and testing since February 2003. The grave allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation of refugees and internally displaced women and children by humanitarian workers and peacekeepers, which first arose in West Africa, have strengthened DPKO’s resolve to uphold a zero- tolerance stance aimed at preventing and effectively responding to this very serious problem, which not only violates human rights, but also undermines the very core of our mission in peacekeeping. Following a thorough review of existing policies and procedures on disciplinary issues for all categories of personnel, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) provided all missions in July of this year with an updated set of disciplinary directives. These cover the issue of sexual abuse and exploitation as well as other types of serious misconduct. In the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), senior managers recently received training on the directives. In the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), a Personnel Conduct Committee receives and investigates allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeeping personnel, and a telephone hotline has been set up for reporting incidents of misconduct. In the coming year, DPKO will ensure that each mission has an active strategy to prevent and respond to the problems of sexual abuse and exploitation. Each mission will appoint a senior focal point to receive complaints of misconduct by peacekeeping personnel. DPKO will also continue to work on ensuring that senior managers in missions know how to use and apply the disciplinary directives, and that they have the in-mission capacity to investigate allegations. Training, reporting and follow-up mechanisms will also be strengthened. Lastly, DPKO will review existing efforts to prevent and respond to sexual abuse and exploitation, and identify good practices for replication elsewhere. While we can — and should — do all of these things, we need your support to make a real difference. Personnel contributed for service in a peacekeeping operation are required to abide by the highest standards of integrity while in service for the United Nations. We expect contributing States to provide pre-deployment briefings to all of their personnel on these standards and to vigorously pursue any breaches. We also seek systematic feedback on action taken by Member States against peacekeepers repatriated for serious misconduct. Before closing, I would like to touch briefly on the issue of trafficking of women. We all recognize that this is a complex, multifaceted problem that has links to organized crime networks. Experience also teaches us that there is no single, easy solution to this problem. DPKO is currently undertaking a lessons-learned study on our anti-trafficking programmes in Bosnia and Kosovo. The results of this study will help us identify best practices and some lessons learned in tackling the trafficking of women. We have made real progress on gender mainstreaming in our peacekeeping operations. Much of it is due to the presence of full time gender advisers. We acknowledge that there is a long road ahead of us, and that gender mainstreaming in post-conflict environments is not easy. It will take a concerted effort of will. We must learn to see gender mainstreaming in peacekeeping not as an afterthought, but as the key to any peacekeeping mission’s success. We look forward to strong collaboration with Member States as well as with our United Nations and non-governmental organization partners to ensure that peacekeeping operations bring lasting and positive changes to the lives of women and girls and their communities.

I give the floor to the Senior Gender Adviser of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). Ms. Smythe: I am grateful for the invitation to bring to Council members a field perspective on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). This invitation is not only an honour for MONUC, but indeed for all Gender Advisers, mission- wide. Before briefing you on the work of mainstreaming gender in the field, allow me to briefly summarize some of the key gender challenges in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The International Rescue Committee estimates that up to 3.5 million people, mostly civilians, have perished in the past four and-a-half years of war. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that there are currently 3.4 million internally displaced persons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and around 17 million people are food insecure. Forty-one per cent of all children are undernourished. At least 1.3 million people are infected with the HIV virus, whose prevalence among soldiers and irregular combatants is around 60 per cent. The consequences for women throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been devastating, as they have suffered the most. Some key features affecting women are internal displacement; the breakdown of almost every institution, beginning with the family; the inability to take care of crops or cultivate farms; rape and sexual violence on a massive scale, and complete impunity for the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. In essence, the law of the gun has devastated the condition of women. It was in this context of one of the world’s greatest living tragedies that the Gender Unit was set up in March 2002. A small but very important office, staffed with a Senior Gender Adviser and her Deputy, two United Nations Volunteers, an administrative officer and two local officers, the Unit had to adopt a two-pronged strategy. The first was to integrate a gender perspective within MONUC itself. The second was to work with the Congolese population and society to bring the realities of the conflict, as they especially affect women, to the attention of decision makers in the peace process and the transitional government. The Unit, together with other components of MONUC, has facilitated the implementation of MONUC’s mandate through activities such as training and research, communication and dissemination of gender sensitive information, outreach to the Congolese population, capacity-building for women leaders and advocacy and monitoring and evaluation of women’s participation in the peace and transition processes. I will now comment on activities within MONUC. Allow me to begin with the activities of disseminating information within MONUC, soon after the Gender Unit was set up. The first task was to sensitize chiefs of sections and divisions to the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000), beginning with the Office of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, with the objective of seeking their personal commitment to the gender message and to take action. Once this was accomplished with both military and civilian heads, the message was shared with colleagues in the agencies and the international community. The sensitization included the distribution of information on the mandate and scope of work of the Gender Unit and the encouragement of managers to initiate a two-way exchange of relevant information with the Unit. The second task that was critical to the implementation of our mandate was the gender sensitization training of Military Observers, the United Nations Civilian Police (CIVPOL) and civilian personnel upon their arrival at the mission, as well as with contingents when possible. The need to systematically train the contingents continues to be crucial because the military and CIVPOL live and work nearest to the communities in the conflict areas. Their behaviour is therefore not only used to judge MONUC in many instances but becomes the yardstick emulated by the population and Government. The staff of the Gender Unit also provides gender training to the Congolese National Police. There have been sessions in Kisangani and Bunia which have resulted in improved awareness by the police of the rights of women, as well as men, in society. Trainees deployed in Kindu are working closely with women’s group on cases of violence against women. I turn now to the issue of recruiting more women peacekeepers. Women have had an enhancing role, especially in the work with victims of sexual violence, and as community bridge-builders. Victims, usually female, have repeatedly intimated that the sight of a male officer in uniform makes them relive the experience of the violation all over again. Thus, there is a serious need for women military and CIVPOL officers. The pattern of recruitment of CIVPOL officers in MONUC is a major concern. Regrettably, the proportion of women, instead of increasing to address the problems of violence against women, is steadily decreasing. Statistics show that, before June 2003, out of 15 CIVPOL officers there was one woman. As of 9 June, however, out of 69 officers there were three women. At present, out of 90 CIVPOL officers there are still only three women. I would strongly urge police-contributing countries to take prompt action in this area. The expectation of the gender Office is that, of the 182 CIVPOL officers that are to be recruited this year, at least 20 should be women. The low percentage of women in CIVPOL is equally reflected in the training of the Congolese National Police that has been carried out by the gender Office. Out of a total of 623 police officers trained so far, only 15 are women. In the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation or resettlement (DDRRR) programme, our major challenge was to gain the understanding of DDRRR personnel that women’s concerns were an integral part of all activities, especially demobilization. There are women commanders and combatants in the various militia. A package was also developed on gender and vulnerable groups with the message that behind every combatant, there was usually a woman. A policy paper on gender and DDRRR was circulated to the DDRRR office with recommendations on the need to take women’s concerns into consideration in policy conceptualization, as well as in implementation and monitoring. During the setting up of the temporary Reception Centre in Lubero, as well as with the Kamina exercise, the Senior Gender Advisor and staff, together with other female colleagues from child protection, human rights and humanitarian affairs, served in technical committees and worked with DDRRR colleagues. This strategic outreach was a breakthrough because combatants as well as dependants presented themselves for the DDRRR programme, demonstrating the link between gender and DDRRR. I turn now to activities outside the Mission. The first major political activity on the inception of the gender Office was to support women in the inter- Congolese dialogue in Sun City. This was done by sensitizing them to resolution 1325 (2000), which was translated into the four major languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The strategy resulted in the formulation of a plan of action, the Nairobi Declaration, that was going to be used by Congolese women as their bargaining tool to allow them access to participate in the negotiations. Following this, the gender Office, in very close collaboration with the United Nations Development Fund for Women, held several training sessions with women in readiness for their participation in the Sun City negotiations, to which only a few women had originally been invited as delegates. Because of this poor representation of women as delegates to the negotiations, it was decided that an alternative way of increasing the number would be to invite other women to participate as experts. Thus, a total of 74, comprising 37 women delegates and 37 women experts, were able to work alongside the majority 516 men to bring the women’s perspective to the negotiation process. It is widely accepted by both men and women that the participation of women in the inter-Congolese dialogue in the corridors, at commissions, as well as in plenary helped resolve and unravel difficult impasses during negotiations. The outcome of the Sun City resolutions, especially the recommendations of the Humanitarian, Social and Cultural Commission, reflects the voices of the women in the negotiations. In addition, the Democratic Republic of the Congo Transitional Constitution took into account some of the women’s concerns and the need to have them play a role in decision-making, as is evident in article 51 of the Transitional Constitution. Unfortunately, however, the constitutional provision was very vague and did not go far enough in reflecting international instruments, such as the Beijing Platform for Action, that are very specific concerning women’s representation in decision-making. The reality is that, in the transitional period, so far only 7 per cent of the representatives in Government, Parliament, the Senate and the institutions supporting democracy are women, whilst 93 per cent are men. We have also developed a network of partners, including La Dynamique des femmes politiques au Congo démocratique (DYNAFEP), which represents women from all factions and political parties. They have been articulating the political views of women on the evolution of the transition process and working to increase women’s involvement and participation in the elections through press conferences and other media activities. Recently, an assessment was made of the first 100 days of the Transitional Government. The key issues of concern were identified as follows: security, immediate and long-term; national unity and the establishment of democratic governance throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo; sexual violence against women and impunity; women’s representation in the transition and elections; and post-conflict issues, including the return of displaced persons and refugees, with special reference to women and girls. An important tool for monitoring women’s involvement in the peace process and transition has been a fortnightly forum of experience-sharing, facilitated by the gender unit, with partners in civil society, including the media, MONUC personnel and employees of the Government. Several key issues that have been discussed, reflect similar concerns raised by DYNAFEP. Sexual violence is one of the major tragedies of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The police will have to play an important role in this area. In the eastern DRC, data being collected by MONUC, colleagues in the agencies and the local communities reveal that tens, if not hundreds of thousands of girls and women are being raped as a result of the conflict. It is believed — on the basis of local sources — that in the town of Uvira alone, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 20 per cent of all women and girls have been raped. A constitutional provision setting up legal mechanisms to document women’s experiences and address impunity is now in place. However, expediting the processes will enhance healing for the victims. It will also assure victims that, despite the lack of the rule of law for the time being in a place like Bunia, justice will eventually prevail. The success of the Gender Unit will be judged by the heritage we leave behind for the Government and the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to emulate. After 18 months, it is too early to make any claims. However, we can draw some key conclusions. First, the foundation has been laid to ensure that the concerns of both men and women are reflected in the resolution of the conflict. Secondly, networking within and outside the Mission and the use of creative means are leading to attitudinal changes about women’s role in establishing peace. They are also leading to a greater understanding of gender mainstreaming. More of that will need to be seen in the post-conflict and reconstruction era. Thirdly, although comprised of a small team of officers, the Office of Gender Affairs has since March 2002 creatively used the limited human and material resources at its disposal to implement its mandate and that of the Mission. In conclusion, I should like to set out, by way of recommendation, the following priority action points that have emerged from our experience over the last 18 months. I begin with Security Council visits. The positive impact of field visits, both psychologically and otherwise, is tremendous. Missions to the field from Headquarters should see women as much as they do men, listen to them and report back on their concerns, so that decisions and policies will reflect the realities and interests of both men and women in conflict and post-conflict situations. The second point concerns appropriate staffing of gender units. If gender mainstreaming is to succeed in peacekeeping operations, it should start from the Headquarters level and proceed to the field. In that regard, the recent establishment of the position of gender adviser in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is welcome. It is hoped that that person will receive adequate support to influence policy decisions at the highest level and to support field missions. At the same time, recruiting and adequately supporting gender advisers at a sufficiently high level in field missions will enable them to influence decision-making at all levels, so that effective use can be made of a mission’s resources, to the satisfaction of the population as well as other stakeholders. Thirdly, with regard to female military observers and civilian police, troop- and police-contributing countries should ensure that there is a substantial proportion of women among personnel recruited for peacekeeping operations, including civilian police and military observers. We have come to realize that it may be necessary to review the recruitment criteria in order to enable women to be identified for field missions. The Security Council should hold national Governments accountable for implementing gender- related provisions in peace accords, to guarantee women’s participation in all decision-making arrangements. Above all, the all-pervasive cultures of impunity, including impunity for violence of all kinds against women, must come to an end.

I thank Ms. Smythe very much for her comments and observations, and commend her for the work that she has been doing. I know that I speak for all Council members when I say how valuable it is to us to be able to hear the first-hand experience of one of the observers of this very important issue in the field. I shall now call on members of the Council. The first speaker is Ms. Kerstin Müller, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Germany.

First I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting. I would also like in particular to thank Under-Secretary-General Guéhenno and Ms. Smythe for their excellent contributions to today’s debate. Allow me to express Germany’s full support for the statement to be delivered later by the presidency of the European Union. Germany, a relatively new member of the group of friends of resolution 1325 (2000), particularly welcomes the opportunity to contribute some ideas concerning the implementation of that landmark resolution in the field of peacekeeping operations. We recognize the great political and practical value of the resolution as well as the Secretary-General’s recommendations in his report (S/2002/1154) of October 2002 on women, peace and security, with regard to its implementation. Much has been said about the terrible toll women have paid, and continue to pay, in conflict situations, for which they are largely not responsible. In that context, I would also point out the importance of including gender-related crimes and crimes of sexual violence in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. My Government is convinced that the full and active participation of women in all political and economic decision-making, including peace processes, is a prerequisite for improving the current situation. Women are also indispensable agents in the process of building democratic structures and strengthening civil society. Much remains to be done to implement the thrust of resolution 1325 (2000). Whether in the context of approving peacekeeping mandates or reviewing the impact of sanctions, gender implications must be an integral part of the analysis and decisions of the Council. Unfortunately, that has not always been the case. Past Council resolutions, particularly those concerning the Middle East region, have too seldom included the necessary provisions. Sooner rather than later, we should guarantee that a gender perspective is fully integrated into resolutions and mandates. Resolution 1325 (2000) is only credible if it is set as a benchmark, and therefore visibly implemented by the peacekeeping forces. For example, each female soldier or police officer patrolling with her male colleagues in the streets of Kabul demonstrates to the local population the aim of resolution 1325 (2000) better than any general informational efforts could. Therefore, Germany attaches great importance to adequate representation of female soldiers in the German contingents. Germany will be leading a Security Council mission to Afghanistan in the coming days. We firmly intend to take up — in close cooperation with our Afghan partners — the gender perspective and to encourage them to provide for stronger involvement of women in decision-making processes, inter alia by discussing concrete measures that should be taken in order to improve the situation. We would like to ensure that the final report from the mission properly reflects this aspect. Support for women’s human rights and women’s empowerment in all spheres of life and decision- making is an overarching objective of all German projects in Afghanistan. Hence we take gender mainstreaming issues into account in all our projects, and support the equal participation of women, particularly in the fields of human rights, constitutional reform, training of police forces, access to the administration and education. We welcome the very recent nomination of the assistant to the Senior Gender Adviser of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and express our sincere wish that the post of Senior Gender Adviser be filled shortly. We welcome the encouraging developments and acknowledge the important contribution that gender advisers can make. We must ensure that the post of gender adviser is tailored in a way that also attracts high-ranking United Nations personnel. In peace operations, special gender advisers have been nominated as part of the human rights section. We understand that cooperation between the gender advisers and other human rights personnel has been very productive. Yet we note that resolution 1325 (2000) provides for a much broader mandate, including nation-building, security, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) and economic and humanitarian affairs. Recent peace-building experience has shown that national ownership of the processes involved is critical to their success. Facilitating the active participation of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict management in all relevant forums therefore commands the additional attention not only of all United Nations personnel, but of the Council as well. In closing, let me underline the important role of non-governmental organizations regarding women’s participation and empowerment in conflict resolution, peace and post-conflict rehabilitation processes. The active involvement of civil society should be further encouraged and supported.

I thank the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Guéhenno, for his comprehensive briefing on the mandate and role of the gender advisers in peacekeeping operations in implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. I also thank Ms. Amy Smythe for the information on her experiences in the field that she conveyed to the Council. That we are meeting today on the third anniversary of the Council’s adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security reflects clearly the Security Council’s ongoing interest in the role of women in peace and security, in conflict and post-conflict situations. This sends a clear message about the need to mobilize efforts and generate the necessary interest at the international level to deal with this issue. The recommendations in the report (S/2002/1154) of the Secretary-General, issued last year in response to resolution 1325 (2000), reflect an important examination of the impact of armed conflict on women and of the role of women in peace-building. Those recommendations constitute a step towards consolidating the achievements made so far and dealing with current challenges. In that regard, we recall that resolution 1325 (2000) dealt not only with the question of peacekeeping operations, but also with many other issues, such as respect for international law, the rights of women and girls and their protection during armed conflict. We reaffirm the importance of the recommendations adopted at United Nations conferences concerning women, the last of which was the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly in 2000. They all constitute milestones in the march towards promoting and strengthening the status and role of women in the economic, social and political spheres. Resolution 1325 (2000) underscores the fact that women and children account for the vast majority of those adversely affected by armed conflict. This is attributed to the fact that they are the most vulnerable groups in societies and make soft targets for attacks. We also underline that in times of armed conflict and foreign occupation, women are deprived of their most basic rights, let alone their right to participate in political decision-making. The situation of Palestinian women in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is a case in point. In that regard, we reaffirm the need to respect international humanitarian law and the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, in particular women and children, referred to in operative paragraph 9 of resolution 1325 (2000). However, the content of that paragraph has not been heeded by the occupying Power in the occupied Syrian Golan and the occupied Palestinian territories. My delegation believes that we should stress the importance of taking specific steps to implement resolution 1325 (2000), including the need for all peace agreements to deal with the outcome and impact of armed conflict on women and girls, their participation in the peace process and their priority needs once conflict has ended. It is also necessary to integrate the gender perspective in the mandates of peacekeeping operations and deal with this issue in the reports to the Security Council. In addition, there is a need to make available the necessary financial and human resources to integrate women and girls, and not to be content with paying lip service to that objective. We also believe that the United Nations agencies must have unhindered access to all areas and people — in particular women and girls — in need of their assistance. Since education and work are of crucial importance for the liberation of women and the necessary advancement of girls, it is acutely necessary to identify the legal and social barriers that deny women education and work and prevent them from contributing to economic construction; then, clear and necessary strategies and plans in that field must be prepared. We would also stress that it is of extreme importance to pay attention to the needs of women and girls as ex-combatants in post-conflict situations. There should be more programmes for women and girl ex- combatants in order to create a more favourable environment for them after the conflict and ensure their safe return to the productive workforce in society and to a decent life. Finally, the delegation of Syria hopes that resolution 1325 (2000), as well as this debate held by the Security Council, will present a serious opportunity to consider the major problems that women suffer from in general and that women and girls in conflict situations suffer from in particular, in order to put an end to their suffering and to move towards a society of equality, progress and peace.

I would like to express the Pakistani delegation’s appreciation to you for convening this open debate to mark the third anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). The resolution elevated women from being hapless victims of conflict situations to equal stakeholders in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in the rehabilitation of post conflict situations. Today’s meeting provides us with an opportunity to review the progress and to advance the implementation of this resolution. Human rights instruments — particularly the Geneva Conventions — proscribe torture, violence, rape and other forms of sexual violence and ill- treatment of women during conflicts. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court pronounces these acts in the context of armed conflict as crimes against humanity. These injunctions notwithstanding, women’s suffering in conflict situations has continued. Despite growing awareness of their plight and increased focus on their protection, women continue to be the prime victims of calamities — both natural and man-made — in conflict situations. Mention has been made here of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Afghanistan and other places. You will understand if I, on my part, address specifically the plight of women in a conflict that affects a people who are close to the hearts of the Pakistani people. The suffering of women in the ongoing freedom struggle in Jammu and Kashmir is symbolic of the suffering of women worldwide. The Indian army uses rape in this deeply conservative society as a weapon to punish, intimidate, coerce, humiliate and degrade Kashmiri women. Investigations by human rights groups into allegations of gang rape by the Indian security forces show that it has been used routinely in search-and-cordon operations. There is generally a pattern of impunity and non-accountability when it comes to incidents of rape or violence. Investigations are more a cover-up than an inquiry. Human rights organizations have testified that in Jammu and Kashmir, since 1992, rape and ill-treatment of women are usually reported to have taken place during counter-insurgency operations by Indian forces. The Asia Watch and Physicians for Human Rights have documented the extensive use of rape by the occupation forces designed to punish and humiliate the entire community. Amnesty International has reported that harassment, abduction, rape and deliberate and arbitrary killings perpetrated by pro-Indian renegades in Kashmir are also carried out with the support of the Indian security forces. We would hope that, like other peacekeeping operations mentioned by Mr. Guéhenno, the United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan will also be tasked to report to the Security Council on the conditions of women in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), like other resolutions of the Security Council, cannot be promoted on a selective and discriminatory basis. There are thousands of destitute women in Kashmir, illustrating this manifestation of a brutal conflict. They include women who have been widowed, or whose husbands have been maimed, or who have disappeared, or those who are in arbitrary detention. We urge the United Nations and non- governmental organizations (NGOs) to prepare a survey of the number of such destitute Kashmiri women. The international community should take appropriate measures to provide help and compensation to these women. We urge the humanitarian agencies, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross, to act as the instrument and avenue for such relief distribution. Political considerations and the power of certain countries should not stand in the way of international humanitarian agencies responding to the plight of the Kashmiri women and children suffering from the long and bloody conflict that has been inflicted on their homeland. Unfortunately, such crimes against women do not remain limited to situations of armed conflicts. A pattern of targeted violence against women in situations of communal disturbance within national borders has also been witnessed. Very little is said of last year’s anti-Muslim violence in the Indian state of Gujarat, which saw abhorrent illustration of the crimes against women. The report of Human Rights Watch has extensively documented these crimes, which included gang rape, burning women alive, other methods of murder and the murder of unborn babies. In Afghanistan, where the destitution of women was a pervasive consequence of two decades of conflict, violence against women has been used as a tool to terrorize populations, force displacement and demoralize adversaries. By adopting resolution 1325 (2000), the Security Council reaffirmed its deep concern at such violence against women in armed conflict. It also acknowledged women’s possible positive contribution in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in post- conflict consolidation and rehabilitation. The need to mainstream a gender perspective into peacekeeping has been affirmed. We thank Under-Secretary-General Guéhenno for his briefing on the Department of Peacekeeping Operations’ efforts to implement resolution 1325 (2000) in United Nations peacekeeping missions. We also thank Ms. Amy Smythe, Senior Gender Adviser to the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), for sharing with us her experience in the implementation of the resolution. These two presentations to the Council give us an insight into the normative and operational implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The best way to protect women from the scourge of armed conflict is to prevent and resolve conflicts. The Security Council, as the organ of the United Nations responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, must strengthen its capacity to prevent such conflicts and to resolve them. We must also stress the observance and implementation of the principles of international humanitarian law and human rights in international conflicts. We believe the Council must not only ensure prompt and effective responses to crisis situations, irrespective of their geographical locations, but also avoid selectivity in the implementation of its resolutions. We need greater international solidarity, responsibility and respect for the collective decisions of the United Nations and the determination to implement them. The Charter contains provisions, including in Chapter VI, which can be utilized for the purpose of promoting implementation of Council resolutions. At last year’s open meeting of the Council to discuss women and armed conflict, my delegation suggested a few measures for the Council’s consideration, which we believe are still valid and applicable. The first is adopting a declaration that the targeting of women — especially the use of rape as an instrument of war — will be considered a war crime, susceptible to national and international punishment. The second is initiating a study of recent and ongoing conflict situations to identify crimes committed against women, with a view to seeking redress and compensation for the victims. The third is requiring current and future United Nations peacekeeping operations to monitor, and report regularly to the Security Council, on the situation of women and girls in their mission areas. The fourth is promoting the fullest possible participation by women in peace processes as well in post-conflict peace-building, including in the reintegration, reconstruction and rehabilitation of societies in post-conflict phases. The fifth is requiring United Nations specialized organs and agencies to develop ways to address the special needs of women and girls affected by conflict, including health and psychological care. The sixth is the Security Council’s involving other United Nations bodies as well as representatives of civil society — perhaps using the Arria Formula — in a comprehensive discussion to promote such recommendations and actions. We believe that those actions should be undertaken in the Security Council’s follow-up to resolution 1325 (2000).

At the outset, I thank you, Mr. President, for initiating and convening this meeting. I also thank Under- Secretary-General Guéhenno and Ms. Smythe for their very informative briefings, which assist us greatly in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and of the current and future challenges facing us. The recommendations they set forth are also very enlightening and deserve study by the Security Council. Three years ago, the Security Council discussed the issue of women, peace and security for the first time and adopted resolution 1325 (2000). That very important resolution expresses great concern at the immense harm caused to women by armed conflicts and calls on the international community to adopt measures to protect the rights and interests of women in armed conflicts, to support their participation in the conflict resolution process and to encourage them to play an important role in peacekeeping operations. The adoption of this resolution marked a historic step taken by the international community in protecting the rights and interests of women in armed conflicts and in providing an active role for women in conflict resolution. Today, it has already become a very important guide for the international community in carrying out related work and a very important reference document for the Council with regard to deploying peacekeeping missions. Over the three years since the resolution’s adoption, the United Nations Secretariat, the relevant peacekeeping missions, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and the United Nations Development Fund for Women have all worked long and hard to implement resolution 1325 (2000) and have achieved many positive results. Today, in many conflict areas, protecting women’s rights and interests and enabling them to play a role in conflict resolution has already become very important work for peacekeeping operations. The Missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo have intensified their fight against the trafficking in women and have adopted special measures to protect its victims. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone, peacekeeping staff have improved their capacities, through the training and sensitization process, to protect women against violent attack and to address the peacetime reintegration of women soldiers. In Timor-Leste, women are playing an increasingly important role in their country’s reconstruction. Their representation in the Government and Parliament is already near 30 per cent. We welcome those positive developments. We hope that the United Nations and the relevant agencies can summarize those successful experiences and apply them to other peacekeeping operations. In order to further implement resolution 1325 (2000), the international community still has much work to do. In that regard, I should like to emphasize the following three points. First, the Security Council should intensify its conflict prevention and resolution efforts to essentially protect women from the harm of war while protecting their rights and interests as much as possible. Secondly, violent crimes against women must be addressed within the framework of law, and the Governments of the countries concerned are duty- bound to seriously pursue such cases and bring the criminals to justice. Parties to conflicts must comply with international humanitarian law and adopt special measures aimed at protecting women from violent attack. In addition, we support the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy with regard to peacekeeping personnel, and we call on troop-contributing countries to improve the training and supervision of their peacekeeping staffs that they truly comply with the relevant provisions of the United Nations Code of Conduct. Thirdly, the role played by women in conflict settlement cannot be neglected; in some conflict areas, it has even become essential. Therefore, we support participation by women in all phases of the peace process. We hope that Security Council missions and all parties concerned will undertake further efforts to create conditions conducive to more extensive and in- depth participation by women in that regard. In conclusion, lasting peace cannot be realized without participation by women. The Beijing Declaration, adopted in 1995, says: “Local, national, regional and global peace is attainable and is inextricably linked with the advancement of women, who are a fundamental force for leadership, conflict resolution and the promotion of lasting peace at all levels”. China has always attached importance to the protection of women’s rights and interests and to the advancement of women. We shall continue to work together with the international community for the genuine achievement of the objectives set forth in resolution 1325 (2000).

I thank you, Mr. President, for having organized this important meeting, which enables us to assess the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). I should also like to thank the countries — particularly Germany and the Netherlands — that had the good will to be represented at the ministerial level at this meeting, thus emphasizing the importance of the subject under consideration. The briefings presented by Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno and Ms. Amy Smythe at the beginning of our discussion were extremely useful, because both speakers refused to employ the jargon sometimes used in this field. Their view of the reality on the ground is not complacent, but also not resigned. I thank them for their recommendations, and — as the representative of China just said — the Security Council should take those recommendations seriously into account and follow up on them. As a country associated with the European Union (EU), Bulgaria aligns itself fully with the statement to be made later by the representative of Italy — which holds the presidency — on behalf of the Union. The adoption three years ago of resolution 1325 (2000) clearly represented a significant success in the international community’s efforts to ensure that the role of women in preventing and resolving armed conflicts is not underestimated. The resolution provides a very important legal framework for action by the Council, but we should not stop there. It must be said that the results of its implementation are meagre indeed. Women and children still constitute the majority of civilian victims of armed conflict. They are subjected to every form of violence and trafficking, a situation that can no longer be tolerated. Women are not just victims of violence. They are often the driving force for peace. Here I think of two personal experiences which greatly impressed me during Security Council missions to conflict areas. The first was in Bunia, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the mission met the President of the Ituri interim assembly, Ms. Petronille Vaweka, an extraordinary woman whose courage and determination impressed all the members of the Council who took part in that mission. She is an example of how a courageous woman of great moral stature can help her fellow citizens. Meeting her was an unforgettable experience for me. Secondly, an image comes to mind of a meeting of the Security Council mission in Mitrovica, Kosovo, with a local Serbian women’s organization, whose wisdom and willingness to help the inhabitants of that divided city and bring them together impressed everyone. Those personal recollections prompt me to think of one very important aspect of the activities of the Security Council, and the United Nations in general, in implementing resolution 1325 (2000): very close cooperation with women’s organizations and networks, which exist in all conflict areas. Such cooperation has proved to be very useful. We need to move forward along those lines. I believe that peacekeeping missions are becoming increasingly aware of this and are benefiting from it more and more. It is also important for women to participate at all stages in peace negotiations — preparation, planning, decision-making and implementation. Women should be the subjects, not just the objects, of peace efforts. In conclusion, I emphasize that Bulgaria hopes that the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000) will be implemented on the ground in all the missions that the Council establishes and provides with a mandate.

I welcome the initiative of the United States delegation in convening this public debate on women and peace and security. I thank the Under-Secretary-General for his detailed briefing, and welcome his personal involvement in this issue. I listened with great interest to the statement of Ms. Amy Smythe about the application on the ground in the Democratic Republic of the Congo of the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000). France fully aligns itself with the statement to be made later by the representative of Italy — which holds the presidency of the European Union — on behalf of the Union. I begin by welcoming the progress made during the past year. Last year we recommended the creation of the post of adviser on gender issues within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. I am pleased to note that that proposal was adopted. I encourage the Department to develop its local network of advisers on gender issues. It is also essential that advisers with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, the United Nations Mission in Liberia and shortly, I hope, the United Nations Mission in Côte d’Ivoire, coordinate their activities so as to ensure a better understanding of the regional dimension of the problem. Reports to the Council should include as often as possible information on the situation of women and children. I invite the Department and the Office of Ms. Angela King — to whom I pay tribute — to cooperate closely on the common objectives set out in resolution 1325 (2000). The challenges regarding the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) are not to the Secretary-General and the Security Council alone. They must be addressed by the entire United Nations system, in a spirit of cooperation and with imagination. They must be addressed on a daily basis, not just once a year during our commemorative debate. It is all well and good to commemorate the anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), but its provisions must be implemented in every new mandate and United Nations operation. We must continually try to increase the role and contribution of women on the ground in United Nations operations, particularly as military observers, members of civilian police forces, human rights specialists and members of humanitarian operations. Much remains to be done. In his report (A/58/323) on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, the Secretary-General stated clearly that the differential impact of conflict on women called for more effective responses from the international community. Here I highlight three key words: prevention, justice and participation. First, with regard to prevention, I think of all the young women and girls who suffer as a result of conflict. Even if they do not lose their lives, their childhood is stolen from them. How does such a person get her life together again? What can she do in order to re-weave the fabric of collective life? We will soon be dealing with the question of child soldiers. France will propose a draft resolution. I will personally make sure that our debates address very precisely the specific question of the reintegration of girl soldiers. Secondly, with regard to justice, women must not only be the beneficiaries of, but must take an active part in, the fight against impunity. In this regard, I would like to call attention to the advances that have been made in connection with the establishment of the International Criminal Court. The Rome Statute, through its dual aspects of prevention and punishment, is a key element in the protection of women. It is innovative in that it recognizes for the first time that certain acts of sexual violence are among the most odious of crimes punishable under international law. But the International Criminal Court sets an example in another respect as well, since it is one of the most feminized institutions among all the international courts. This precedent deserves to be noted, and I encourage each of us to draw inspiration from it. Lastly, and most importantly, let me touch on the issue of participation. We all are convinced that the stabilization and reconstruction of societies undermined by conflict cannot be lastingly successful without the active participation of women in public life. Indeed, that is one of the central themes of the Beijing Platform for Action. Accordingly, Security Council missions in the field should always include contacts with women’s associations. During our most recent mission to Central Africa, I was struck — as was Ambassador Tafrov, as he has just noted — by the dynamism of the women we met. We all were impressed by the commitment shown by Ms. Petronille Vaweka, President of the Ituri interim assembly. Such examples deserve to be better known and appreciated, for they can change the way people think and inspire them. I wish therefore to pay tribute to all those women who are not resigned to the status quo and who look to the future. Let me recall here the example of Ms. Lindh, whose political commitment cost her her life. The challenges faced in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) are a matter of collective responsibility — on the part of international organizations, States and civil society. In that respect, I would be interested in knowing Ms. Smythe’s assessment of the relations between the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and the various Congolese administrations concerned with gender issues, in particular the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Family and the Ministry of Human Rights.

I wish to thank Mr. Guéhenno for his comprehensive and informative briefing and also to underscore his personal interest in and commitment to this issue. Let me begin by emphasizing a fact mentioned earlier by other speakers. Regrettably, recent decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of women victims of armed conflict. It is estimated that today approximately 90 per cent of the victims of war are civilians, most of them women and children, which was not the case a century ago. It is true that, from the international standpoint, many measures have been taken relating to the treatment of crimes against women. Rape has thus been included in the list of crimes against humanity under the statutes of the courts relating to the former Yugoslavia and to Rwanda; the International Criminal Court has included a gender perspective in its definition of crimes; and the Beijing Conference reiterated the commitment of the international community to eradicate crimes against women in armed conflict. Although those developments are a source of hope, much remains to be done. The decisive role that women can play in peace processes must also be taken into account. My delegation is aware of the fact that, along with international commitments, a strategy is required that would ensure women’s participation at the national level in the settlement of disputes and in the promotion of a culture of peace. However, measures must also be taken to promote the participation of women in all conflict-prevention and conflict-resolution processes. In this connection, my country has expanded women’s participation as observers in electoral processes throughout the world and as participants in post-conflict reconstruction processes. Spanish military contingents participating in peace operations include increasing numbers of women. Moreover, Spain deems it particularly important in this respect for the media to play an important role in pre- and post-conflict periods, both nationally and internationally. All of this confirms the fact that, in addition to the commitment of the international community, domestic measures must also be adopted so that, together with Governments, civil society as a whole and non-governmental organizations can make valuable contributions to the two key aspects of women’s participation in peace-building: on the one hand, by protecting women who are the victims of conflict, and, on the other, by promoting the participation of women in the building of a culture of peace. This work cannot be done without the necessary coordination within the United Nations system to fulfil the important commitments entered into in resolution 1325 (2000), adopted three years ago.

Approximately a year has elapsed since the Secretary- General submitted to us his report containing a large number of recommendations, which we firmly supported, but it seems that progress towards their implementation has not been as positive as we expected. I will begin my statement by quoting verbatim an excerpt from that report, which we believe to be particularly significant because it explains in simple terms the situation we are dealing with at this meeting and which has given rise to this and other discussions. “Women do not enjoy equal status with men in any society. Where cultures of violence and discrimination against women and girls exist prior to conflict, they will be exacerbated during conflict. If women do not participate in the decision-making structures of a society, they are unlikely to become involved in decisions about the conflict or the peace process that follows.” (S/2002/1154, para. 5) We fully concur with this statement, since it makes clear that, in order to achieve the full participation of women in all stages of a conflict situation, from prevention to reconstruction, it is necessary to approach the problem from a broader perspective in which gender equity is achieved in all areas of action. Why the failure to achieve gender balance and equity? No consensus has been reached on the various explanations put forward. In the framework of a recent seminar held last November in Chile on the role of women in peacekeeping operations, reference was made to various perspectives on this topic. Some say that the problem is that women have greater difficulty in advancing within a static, rigidly hierarchical organization; others hold that the culture of an organization determines what is believed regarding what men and women can achieve. If it is believed that a job can be done only by a man, women will not be expected to succeed. Others say that it is a cultural problem, in that women are not seen as providers — that men are the primary providers. As the Secretary-General said a few years ago, if we accept that in a given society gender equality is more than a means in itself, if we believe that the empowerment of women is vital for overcoming the challenges of sustainable development, if we argue that the participation of women is a requirement for building good governance, if we insist that the rights of women are factors in the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance, if we are convinced of all these things in the context of all the societies we are trying to help at the global level, how then can we be incapable of implementing this very concept in our own society, including within our own home? The time has come to bridge the gap between paper and reality. Among the many, extensive discussions, almost all aspects have been addressed on including the gender perspective in the phases of all peace processes, because there is much information on the problems of women and girls in the field — their strengths and weaknesses. However, in practice we have not known how, or have not been able, to implement those aspects. We believe that one of paths that should be taken to achieve full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is to seek and develop effective monitoring mechanisms to enable more systematic control of implementation. If we had them, perhaps we would have a clearer view of what was achieved a year ago. I wish to raise one of the proposals made last year by the representative of the United Kingdom, which was to request one member of the Council each year to oversee the implementation of our decisions on including the gender perspective, working with the relevant Secretariat bodies to achieve that objective. Perhaps this is the time to explore that type of initiative. My country, at least, is willing to participate in that exercise. Consideration could also be given to a specific chapter devoted to gender-related items connected with resolution 1325 (2000) being included in the reports submitted by the Secretariat on peacekeeping operations. The proposals made at the seminar held in Chile included some interesting ideas that I wish to raise here. One concerned developing regional perspectives to identify implementation strategies for the resolution. In that regard, appropriate regional bodies, inside as well as outside the United Nations system, could help with implementation. Another proposal at the seminar was that mechanisms be developed for systematic linkage between the Security Council and civil society. The creation of a gender unit within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations was also suggested, and we are glad that it has become a reality, as announced by Mr. Guéhenno. With regard to civil society, I wish only to reiterate that the task of achieving full implementation of this crucial resolution is shared: Governments, the United Nations system, of course, and civil society will contribute. We must emphasize civil society in particular because many women’s networks working in the field, selflessly and devotedly, have played an absolutely crucial role, at least in my country, in improving the condition of women. In peacekeeping operations, which have moved from inter-State conflicts to intra-State conflicts with economic, social or ethnic root causes, there is much to be done so that the United Nations, particularly the Council, may progressively improve its ability to respond and continue to develop mechanisms to address these situations. Ensuring that women have their due role to play in this process is a priority commitment. The delegation of Chile reiterates its commitment to achieve that goal, jointly with the other members of the Council.

We express our appreciation to the Under- Secretary-General, Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno, for his briefing, and to Ms. Amy Smythe for her briefing on her work with the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), which gives us a clearer idea of the resolution’s impact and possible impact on the ground, as we were able to see when the Council mission to the Great Lakes region visited Kinshasa and Bunia last June. The experience gained by MONUC can be very useful in addressing the specific needs of Liberian women and children and can help the personnel of the United Nations Mission in Liberia. We also welcome Mrs. Angela King, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, and of Mrs. Noleen Hayzer, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women. The third anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) gives us an opportunity to speak once again on a matter to which the Government of Mexico attaches great importance — the inclusion of the gender perspective in dealing with armed conflict and post-conflict situations, peace processes and peacekeeping operations. We believe that the resolution is part of a broader effort to include the gender perspective in all areas of the work of the United Nations, as well as within the Organization itself. This is an effort that goes back to the World Conference on Women held in Mexico in 1975. That is the point of including gender perspective in the areas of responsibility of the main organs of our Organization. The line that separates peacekeeping tasks and processes of peace consolidation and development is so thin that this matter requires wider cooperation and greater coordination between the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Secretariat. In the past two years, my delegation has participated actively in the group of friends of resolution 1325 (2000), and it will continue to be a part of it. As friends of the resolution, we have on more than one occasion proposed the inclusion of references to it, or of aspects related to it, in Security Council draft resolutions on the mandates of United Nations peacekeeping operations. In the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly and the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, we have consistently spoken in favour of including the gender perspective in United Nations peacekeeping operations. We support the creation of the position of Gender Adviser within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which represents, finally, an important success. We hope that it will be filled as soon as possible. There has been some progress in including the gender perspective in field missions, particularly with regard to the inclusion of gender specialists. However, relatively few missions have such personnel. We are particularly surprised by the case of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which needed a gender specialist for a long time. However, we understand that that situation has just been resolved. As we all know, the high level civil service posts at the national, regional and international levels continue to be dominated by men. This situation is repeated in United Nations peacekeeping operations. It is essential for Member States to propose more women as candidates for the post of Special Representative of the Secretary-General. Currently, only one of them is a woman. At the same time, we must increase the participation of women at the middle and operational levels in peacekeeping operations, particularly in the military and civilian police components. Regarding the work of the Security Council, much still remains to be done to ensure that the question of gender is considered systematically when framing resolutions and that it is dealt with as a central matter in questions of international peace and security, and not as a marginal issue. Statistics provided by the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) demonstrates the work that remains to be done. Only 14.7 per cent of Security Council resolutions adopted since 2000 include any reference to the topic. OSAGI also indicates that 67 per cent of the reports of the Secretary-General to the Security Council omit the gender question entirely, or perhaps make a single reference. A profound change in mindset is needed, on the part of both Member States of this Organization and the Secretariat. In the area of international law, an important achievement is the classification under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) of certain acts of sexual violence as war crimes or crimes against humanity. This is fully in keeping with the contents of resolution 1325 (2000). We also acknowledge that particular attention has been given to gender equality in setting up the ICC. The active participation of civil society organizations has been a very positive element, not only in the framing of resolution 1325 (2000), but also, in particular, in the process that began once it was adopted. Non-governmental organizations view that resolution as a useful tool for promoting gender issues within the context of armed conflicts, in peace processes, in the post-conflict rebuilding of societies, in the very important sphere of disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and in our fight to eradicate the illicit traffic of small arms and for the total elimination of antipersonnel mines. It is important that in the follow-up to resolution 1325 (2000), the Security Council maintain good channels of communication with non-governmental organizations, particularly with those in countries or regions where there is an intention to establish, or where there already exist, United Nations peace operations. By way of conclusion, we would like to put forward two suggestions. First, it is important for the Security Council to consider the appropriateness of setting up a mechanism to follow up the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and the recommendations contained in the study carried out on women, peace and security, by the Secretary-General pursuant to Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), and in the study on women, war and peace commissioned by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). Secondly, perhaps an additional resolution could be adopted on this topic of women and peace and security, keeping in mind the fact that in October 2004 the Secretary-General will submit his second report under this item. While it is true that resolution 1325 (2000) has not yet realized its full potential and indeed that a great deal needs to be done to ensure its implementation, we think a new resolution would serve to update and supplement resolution 1325 (2000) and keep the attention of the Security Council and the attention of the membership of the United Nations at large focused on this issue.

The date 31 October 2003 marks the third anniversary of the Security Council’s adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). During those years it has been possible to achieve a great deal in resolving an important range of issues linked to women’s contribution to maintaining and strengthening international peace and security, to the situation of women during conflicts and to their participation in peacekeeping and post-conflict settlement. We would like to thank Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno and Ms. Amy Smythe for the detailed information they gave us about how the implementation of the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000) is being carried out. We note with satisfaction the progress made in the work to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of measures in this area in the light of changing trends and new conditions for introducing gender issues into all aspects of United Nations activities. The problem of the protection of women in armed conflict continues to remain a focus of attention of the United Nations and its Security Council. However, despite such focused attention to these problems, and the acknowledgement of their existence, we are obliged to note that overcoming their negative consequences requires that considerable effort still be made. Unfortunately, many recommendations still remain on paper and others are not being fully implemented. Here, we place great hope in the continuing inter- agency activity to formulate concrete practical measures for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), in particular to improve the protection of women and girls during conflict, strengthen their participation in peace-building and ensure the mainstreaming of gender perspectives into the various components of peacekeeping operations. The most important thing here is to avoid excessively broad and clichéd conclusions and recommendations. But drawing up wide-ranging and comprehensive approaches should not work to the detriment of a solution to specific and concrete problems in a given situation. At the same time, we cannot forget that measures undertaken solely through the United Nations are insufficient. There is a need for real, and not merely stated action, taking into account the specific needs of women and girls in actual conflict situations and their real participation at all stages of the prevention and settlement of conflicts and in post-conflict peace- building. An important contribution to resolving the entire range of problems can be played by civil society, including non-governmental organizations, many of which have considerable experience regarding gender issues. In conclusion, we would like once again to reaffirm our conviction that the problems of combating all manifestations of discrimination or violence against women, of the situation of women during conflict, and of their participation in peacekeeping and post-conflict settlement must be considered in a comprehensive manner and must remain on the agenda not only of the Security Council, but also of the other most important universal and regional international forums.

At the outset I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for having organized this public meeting today, which marks the third anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. This meeting eloquently attests to the Security Council’s continuing interest in advancing the rights of women and their role for peace. I would also like to thank Under-Secretary- General Jean-Marie Guéhenno and to pay a tribute to the Senior Gender Adviser of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ms. Amy Smythe, for their very rich, thorough and informative briefings. I would also like to welcome Ms. Angela King, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, and Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), who are honouring our debate with their presence. Since the Security Council’s adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) on 31 October 2000, genuine progress has been made by United Nations Member States and the international community at large in protecting women in conflict situations and advancing their full and complete participation on an equal basis in action to maintain and promote peace and security and to implement the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000). Moreover, this public meeting provides us with the opportunity to assess the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and the recommendations contained in the Security Council’s presidential statement of 31 October 2002, contained in document S/PRST/2002/32. That statement, like that of 31 October 2001, reaffirms the Council’s concern regarding the relatively low number of women appointed as special representatives or envoys of the Secretary-General with peacekeeping missions. It also reaffirms the commitment of the Security Council to the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and recommends a number of measures to the Secretary- General, United Nations bodies, civil society and interested players on a gender-specific approach in missions to countries in conflict, humanitarian operations and post-conflict and reconstruction programmes. My delegation welcomes the fact that the study requested of the Secretary-General in paragraph 16 of resolution 1325 (2000) contains contributions from all the bodies, programmes and funds of the United Nations system. Such a comprehensive approach will clearly allow for the drafting or strengthening of measures to protect the rights of women and the greater involvement of women in peace and reconstruction processes. That objective is shared by Cameroon. On 28 October 2002, my delegation endorsed the recommendations of the Secretary-General in his report contained in document S/2002/1154, particularly regarding strategies to advance partnership between men and women for the strengthening of the effectiveness of multidimensional peacekeeping operations. As regards the progress that has been made, I note and welcome the establishment by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of gender equality groups and gender advisers within peacekeeping missions, as well as the appointment within the Department of a Gender Adviser. We also note the active cooperation, led by the Senior Gender Adviser of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with civil society and political parties to strengthen the capacities of women’s organizations and their leaders and to allow them to play a greater role in the democratic process under way. In Sierra Leone, we welcome the efforts made by the human rights sections of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, through the actions of its expert on issues of gender inequality, to train and raise the awareness of the population on the special needs of women, their rights and the elimination of domestic and sexist violence. With respect to justice, we welcome the measures undertaken and mechanisms established to ensure that the perpetrators of all acts of violence in which women and girls are victimized do not go unpunished. In this regard, I wish to thank Mr. Guéhenno for his description of the efforts of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to implement resolution 1325 (2000) and for his emphasis on the pending tasks. These are challenges we must meet together. I also thank Ms. Smythe for her information from the field and for her work therein, the results of which are clear. Despite the progress, a great deal remains to be done towards the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). That implementation does not fall solely to the United Nations system. It requires the cooperation of all Member States, all parties to conflicts, civil society and the international community as a whole. In that vein, a regional meeting was held in Douala in May last year, led by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and in cooperation with the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa, on equality, development and the participation of women in Central Africa. The outcome of the work at that meeting, in which there was especially active participation by women and representatives of civil society from the subregion, was the adoption of a regional plan of action. In identifying certain obstacles to peace in Central Africa, the plan advocated a series of measures designed to achieve a tangible promotion of the role of women with respect to peace and security. Because of a lack of resources, its implementation was deferred to 2004. In this context, I appeal to contributors for technical, logistical and financial support for UNIFEM and women’s community groups and networks whose initiatives share common goals with resolution 1325 (2000). In Africa, women are the axes of family and social life. Everything revolves around and relies on women. Nothing solid or lasting can be accomplished without them. Let us pay due tribute to women and let them play their proper role in the maintenance and building of peace. Meeting the challenge of implementing resolution 1325 (2000) will open new opportunities for all humankind. With resolve and joint action, we will succeed.

My delegation thanks you, Sir, for having organized this meeting and for having included the item on women, peace and security on the Council’s agenda during your presidency. This testifies to the interest you attach to this issue and gives us hope that, under your wise guidance, our debates will lead to positive results. We welcome the presence here of Ms. Angela King, Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, and assure her of our readiness to engage in active cooperation with her Office. My delegation also listened with great interest to the statements made by Ms. Amy Smythe and Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno. Commemorating the third anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) provides us with an opportunity to assess accomplishments, carefully to consider the challenges ahead and to find new approaches to its implementation. At the Council’s public meeting of 28 October 2002, my delegation, while encouraging the Secretariat to strengthen its cooperation, particularly urged the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to pursue their consideration of the participation of women in those operations. My delegation welcomes the valuable information provided to us today by Ms. Smythe and notes that inter-State conflicts have given rise to a new kind of violence, with particularly disastrous consequences for vulnerable individuals, in particular women, children and the elderly. In that connection, the participation of civilians in armed combat — including women — the illegal use of small arms and the failure to respect international law, and international humanitarian law in particular, are among the factors having a negative impact on the lives of vulnerable individuals, especially women and girls. That is why my delegation welcomed the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), which was the result of a lengthy process and which represents a step forward for the international community. We welcome that achievement, and believe that the following effects emanating from the resolution’s adoption most eloquently illustrate the international community’s commitment to the process of implementing the resolution. Those effects include, among others, the establishment of groups of friends of the resolution, the Secretary-General’s submission of a report on the subject, the efforts of various members of the international community at all levels, the reference to this issue in 33 out of the 225 resolutions adopted between October 2000 and 1 October 2003, the initiative by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Development Fund for Women on the role of women in exchanging weapons for development, the drafting by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees of a code of conduct to combat sexual abuse in refugee camps, the establishment of the post of Gender Adviser within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the establishment of similar posts in several missions and the publication of a study by the Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. The varying experiences acquired highlight the impact of conflict on women and girls, their participation in combat and their involvement in conflict-resolution and peace-building processes. We should also note the importance of issues concerning national and international legal frameworks, as well as the participation of women in peacekeeping operations. While we welcome the progress that has been made, my delegation also believes that there is a need to continue to join efforts to further advance the implementation of the resolution. In doing so there is not only a need to coordinate the efforts of various actors, but also for them to share their experiences. The United Nations system has a fundamental role to play in that regard. My delegation, which is prepared to make its modest contribution to that process, would once again like to cite the example of the women of West Africa, and in particular that of the women of the Mano River Union region, who, despite numerous difficulties, are continuing their active involvement in the conflict- resolution and peace-building processes. It is in that context that the Guinean branch of the Network of African Women Ministers and Parliamentarians (REFAMP) organized a subregional conference in Conakry from 24 to 26 January 2000 on the subject of the prevention and resolution of conflicts. In order to maintain that momentum and to follow up on the recommendations of the subregional consultative meeting on strengthening the participation of women in the establishment of peace, held in Addis Ababa from 23 to 25 April 2001, the Secretariat’s Division for the Advancement of Women, in collaboration with the Centre for Conflict Resolution of Cape Town, South Africa, and the Government of Guinea, organized a training workshop in Conakry from 20 to 25 October 2002 on conflict management by women. Those examples eloquently attest to the vital role played by the women of Guinea in seeking and strengthening peace in the subregion, and in particular in the countries of the Mano River Union. They are tirelessly working in various assistance activities on behalf of refugees and displaced persons, and especially on behalf of women and girls in distress. The international community should strengthen their determination to overcome every challenge and support the initiatives that have been undertaken. My delegation believes that, despite the unique nature of the issue of women in armed conflict, there is a need to widen our thinking on this issue as part of the broader context of protecting civilians in armed conflict. The aide-memoire and road map now being finalized in that connection will serve as a point of reference in doing so. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that conflict prevention and resolution, peace-building and the establishment of new democratic forms of governance must be based on the active participation of women in all activities and at every level. It is for that reason that I hope that today’s debate will lead to specific commitments that will in fact be followed up. Finally, on behalf of my country, allow me to condemn the deadly attacks that recently took place in Iraq. I would also like to convey our condolences to the bereaved families, including innocent women and girls and those involved in the work of reconstruction.

I would like to start by commending you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting, thereby illustrating your special appreciation and sensitivity to a subject that is key to the work of the Security Council. I would also like to thank Mr. Guéhenno for his briefing. I would especially like to welcome to the Council Ms. Amy Smythe, whom we met and saw at work in Bunia. Her work is also beneficial to the Council. Finally, I would like to say that we are very honoured by the presence of Ms. Angela King, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. Of course, I also welcome the presence among us of a good number of women leaders from various countries, who have enriched our deliberations this morning. It is my delegation’s belief that the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) marked an important landmark in addressing the issue of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict situations, demonstrating a renewed awareness of this issue by the international community. The protection of women in situations of armed conflict, the promotion of their role in conflict resolution and prevention and the adoption of a gender perspective for peacekeeping operations are all issues at the centre of international concerns that hold enormous potential for renewed commitment by the international community. If fully implemented, the resolution will make an effective contribution to strengthening international peace and security. The continuing violence against women is particularly heightened in conflict situations. Women and young girls are still the prime targets of violence in armed conflict. They are the most exposed to the scourge of HIV due to the sexual violence against them. As new conflicts break out, the number of poor, defenceless women tends to increase. We commend the Secretary-General for the leadership he has shown in ensuring that gender representation in the Secretariat and in the overall work of the Organization is a reality. We recognize that the United Nations bodies have enhanced the role women can play in ensuring lasting peace in crisis situations. We are also aware of the efforts made, by the United Nations system, Governments and civil societies, to support the role of women in peace-building. Nevertheless, women are still underrepresented in political and decision-making processes. Therefore, this morning’s debate is a very special contribution in changing that reality. On the occasion of this debate on women in conflict situations, it is my duty to pay special tribute to the courage of women who have given us examples of real heroism in situations of very difficult tension and war. One example comes to mind, to which two of my colleagues have already referred — that of Petronille Vaweka, who in Bunia faced a very drastic situation, protected by some Uruguayan peacekeepers — some of whom were women — and yet who exhibited a courage that provides a very good example for all of us. It also illustrates the importance of direct, first-hand experience by Council members, as we had when we visited Bunia. I would like to pay a special tribute to Angolan women for the essential role they played during the long and extremely difficult years when the Angolan people were forced to struggle in defence of legality and their inalienable right to decide their future. Aside from the role thousands of women played at the battlefront, carrying out their civil duty side by side with their male counterparts, Angolan women were instrumental in maintaining social cohesion in the overcrowded cities and villages, in the camps for internally displaced persons and refugee camps with displaced populations, as widows and wives of soldiers absent at the battlefront and as victims of the dire economic situation and massive unemployment. They became the sole support of millions of families. Thanks to their initiative and resolve, those women ensured the survival of millions of children, ensured that their families could maintain a life with the minimum standards and ensured that millions of families could survive the oblivion of war and despair. They played a key role in maintaining the cohesion of society. By doing so, they made an immense contribution to their emancipation. Angolan women continue to face great difficulties because they are still disproportionately affected by poverty. The programmes for repatriation, rehabilitation, reintegration and post-conflict reconstruction address the question of poverty reduction and have adopted a gender perspective, as referred to in resolution 1325 (2000), taking into account the special needs of women and girls. We are aware that much still needs to be done to fully integrate women into the mainstream of post-conflict reconstruction. And we are aware that the assistance of the international community is vital if we are to overcome the immense problems still faced by women in particular. My Government has initiated several activities with a view to advancing and empowering women in political, social and economic life. Some progress has been achieved in gender equality, but much more remains to be done. There is awareness that the effective promotion and maintenance of international peace and security requires a full understanding of the impact of armed conflict on women and girls. We therefore welcome the establishment of the reporting system on sexual violence, abuse, exploitation and trafficking of women and girls among the military and civilian populations, followed by enforcement and monitoring mechanisms for peacekeeping personnel and the establishment of disciplinary and oversight mechanisms in all peacekeeping missions. We understand that reversing the situation of women in a gender perspective requires political will and determination to fulfil our commitments concerning the protection and promotion of women’s rights. Ensuring sustainable social development and improving the situation of women are objectives requiring joint efforts. In that regard, we fully support and encourage the Secretary-General to ensure the increasing participation of women in peacekeeping processes. Sir Emyr Jones Parry (United Kingdom): I join those who have already thanked Mr. Guéhenno and Ms. Smythe for their earlier briefings and in welcoming the presence among us of Ms. Angela King. Let me thank you, Mr. President, for giving priority to this discussion, further proof of the overdue sign of the Council’s intention to remain “actively seized” with the subject — in the jargon of this matter — and, in doing so, to give much needed impetus to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In what I am now going to say I associate myself fully with the remarks later to be presented by the Italian Ambassador on behalf of the European Union. All Security Council resolutions, by definition, concern themselves with issues of the utmost importance to global peace and security. But resolution 1325 (2000) has very special qualities. It was a landmark. For the first time, we broadened our gaze from the traditional political and military aspects of peace and security and rightly turned our attention to the rights of those most widely and frequently affected by conflict. Crucially, in doing so, we recognized that women were not just disproportionately affected by conflict but also in many ways held the key to peace. We resolved that gender considerations must be fully and thoroughly integrated as a mainstream component of our conflict-related work in all areas, from conflict prevention to post-conflict reconstruction. Today’s discussion allows us to pause and to reflect on the progress made, on the lack of progress made and on the challenges that lie ahead. Resolution 1325 (2000) was not just an important statement of our commitment to work for women. It has also become a beacon of hope and a rallying call. Few Security Council resolutions have resonated so widely and so deeply in the heart of civil society. As a Council, we cannot turn away from our commitments or dash the hopes that we have raised. In the three years that have passed since we adopted resolution 1325 (2000), we have returned to this discussion on a number of occasions. We have also been helped by the very useful report (S/2002/1154) and recommendations given to the Council by the Secretary-General last year. But the question is, how far have we actually got in implementation? Some progress is undoubtedly being made, but much evidently remains to be done. I would now like to say a few words about the contribution that we in the United Kingdom have been trying to make. We have identified a number of avenues for action, both directly on our own part and through support to key partners. For our part, we have introduced compulsory training on gender, child protection and human rights issues for all United Kingdom personnel embarking on peacekeeping missions. We have set about actively searching for and deploying female officers and experts to peacekeeping missions and other conflict prevention and conflict resolution missions. Most recently, for example, we have deployed female police officers to Sierra Leone and sent a senior gender expert to Baghdad to work there with the Coalition Provisional Authority. We are developing a database of suitably qualified United Kingdom-based women with experience in conflict prevention and conflict resolution work and who are willing to join missions overseas. Once that is complete, we will share that with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). My predecessor in this seat, Jeremy Greenstock, is today working hard to get the women of Iraq more fully and actively engaged in the reconstruction effort there. United Kingdom teams working in Iraq are being briefed on the importance we attach to this, and in a recent round of briefing meetings in London, Jeremy discussed the situation of women in Iraq with the United Kingdom Minister for Women, as well as meeting a visiting delegation of Iraqi women and representatives of United Kingdom non-governmental organizations active specifically in this field. In 2001, the United Kingdom Government created two conflict-prevention pools, totalling together more than $200 million, to bring together the resources and the expertise that all departments in London bring to conflict prevention. That meant that the work of the Ministry of Defence, the Department for International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and, centrally, the Cabinet Office all came together to try and produce one concerted, coherent, focused and strengthened effort to tackle conflict prevention. Those pools have enabled us to give direct support to United Nations activities, including helping DPKO to prepare a field manual for gender mainstreaming in field operations and enabling the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to gather information on women’s peace- building and gender justice initiatives. We are also working with the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights, a non-governmental organization that supports grass-roots activities in countries where there are multinational peacekeeping operations. But as well as funding specific gender initiatives, we insist that all activities supported through these pools must integrate a gender perspective. We have seen that well-targeted funding, even at a modest level, can make a big difference, for example, encouraging women to play an active role in Afghan politics by providing childcare facilities in the main parliament in Kabul. Those things in themselves may sound very small, almost trivial, but for the women actually involved, they represent the difference between being able and not being able to participate. The whole question of mainstreaming and getting this into the bloodstream of our overall effort remains basic. And that is why we are currently evaluating the work supported through the pools, including looking at gender aspects and what we have tried to achieve so far. Now, what impact are these and other efforts having? Are we still only scratching the surface? I think it is evident that we need to work much harder at measuring the impact of our work and, indeed, in doing more of the work. But there are some encouraging signs. The International Criminal Court has shown its willingness to include within its remit certain crimes against women. Women now make up over a third of the new national assembly in Timor-Leste, with two female cabinet members and a 30 per cent female police force, and a survey published earlier this month stated that the country with the highest percentage of women parliamentarians is now Rwanda. But we know that women and children remain the vast majority of those killed, wounded, abused or displaced in conflict. So what should the international community do next, and what is our role as Council members? Conflict prevention is a huge field, but the role of gender is immensely important within it. We need to keep saying that until it becomes second nature. We must also remain committed to raising awareness of the positive role that women can play in peace-building and reconciliation, not just seeing women portrayed solely as victims. We have heard today encouraging accounts of the positive impact that women are having and can have. The Council has a key role to play, both in giving real meaning to the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000) and holding both the United Nations system and ourselves to account. The Security Council should, where appropriate, include gender in resolutions, mission mandates and progress reports. The recent resolutions on Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Côte d’Ivoire are good examples of that, and we must maintain this momentum. As the Ambassador of Chile pointed out earlier on, in the past year, the United Kingdom joined a number of Member States in suggesting that the Council might establish a mechanism through which it would monitor its own progress on these issues. This might be the right time for our experts, supported by the Secretariat, to examine in more detail whether such a mechanism would be useful. An approach that is more coordinated between all the actors, the United Nations, the Member States, non- governmental organizations and other parties, is also very necessary. Undoubtedly more resources are required, as well. Improving the situation for women in conflict will not come about just with fine words in New York. The Presidential statement adopted on the second anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) asks for a comprehensive report in 2004. The United Nations Secretariat and Member States can both usefully contribute to best practice, and that should also include the possibility of widening this agenda and strengthening the coherence of our work with women with other pressing concerns related to the rights and protection of civilians — women and men, girls and boys — in conflict and post-conflict situations. These are complex but very vital issues and there are no easy answers. The Council must continue to focus on implementation. It must hold to account all those responsible for implementing resolution 1325 (2000), us included. We must continue to support the wider United Nations in its efforts — remember that these efforts are carried out by all parts of the United Nations family — and continue to welcome and demand briefings and progress reports such as those we have received today. But above all, we should pledge ourselves to continue to place gender in the mainstream of our work, actively seeking all opportunities to do so and remaining in the truer sense actively seized of this matter.

I want to say a word about the structure for the remainder of our discussion. Ambassador Negroponte had to depart to attend a scheduled meeting with the Secretary-General, so he will deliver the United States national statement at the end of our discussion. We are honoured to have two ministers with us this morning. I would like to give them the floor, then ask Mr. Guéhenno and Ms. Smythe if they wish to make any comments, at which time we will adjourn the meeting and resume with the speaker’s list at three o’clock. The next speaker inscribed on my list is the Minister for Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Her Excellency Ms. Agnes van Ardenne. I invite her to take a seat at the Council table and to make her statement.

First of all, I should like to associate myself with the statement to be made shortly by Italy on behalf of the European Union. Resolution 1325 (2000) is the framework for Dutch policy on women, peace and security. As I see it, the great advantage of resolution 1325 (2000) is that it presents women not simply as victims, but also as active agents in conflict resolution. We know that peace is more likely to last if all parties — men and women — work together to achieve it. Sadly, three years after the adoption of the resolution, women are still scarcely involved in efforts to resolve conflicts. It is good that we celebrate the anniversary of the resolution every year. But it is also up to us to make sure that there is something to celebrate. Gender must be part of the Security Council’s day-to-day business. It must inform the analyses the Council makes and the decisions it takes. The recent resolution on Liberia, resolution 1509 (2003), which refers to and also builds on resolution 1325 (2000), is a good example of how things can be — but unfortunately seldom are — done. It is good that non-governmental organizations are keeping up the pressure. It is often thanks to them that the voices of women reach the Council. In that regard, I should like to express my appreciation for the work done within the framework of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), as described by Ms. Amy Smythe, Senior Gender Adviser of MONUC. We, the Member States, need to do a number of things. We must always ask for feedback from the Secretary-General’s Special Representatives and also for feedback in reports to the Security Council. We must put women candidates forward for key posts such as Special Representative. We must see to it that we strengthen the position of women and give more thought to them in peace and security operations. The same applies to disarmament campaigns and mine clearance, from which women are the first to benefit. Finally, we must learn from one another’s experiences in the field through stronger and better cooperation and communication. Last year, my Government commissioned a study of women’s roles in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction. I can recommend that analysis, which sheds light on the complex role women play in conflict and post-conflict situations. We used it to evaluate and strengthen Dutch activities. One result is that we are now investing in a better balance of men and women in the Dutch armed forces. And we train them better to protect women and girls in warfare and to involve women in peacemaking. We are trying to persuade aid agencies to do the same, so that women and girls in refugee camps and elsewhere will be better protected. We are now providing more active support to women’s groups taking part in peace talks — as in the Sudan last year — because we have seen that that can make peace more durable. In Afghanistan and Iraq, too, we are calling attention to the role of women in the difficult process of reconstruction. In its new stability fund, the Netherlands has pooled official development assistance and non- official-development-assistance funds. The aim is to respond more flexibly to security and stability issues, laying a foundation for reconstruction and development. We must shake off our endless institutional concerns. Instead, we must focus on the needs and potential of both men and women trying to rebuild their lives and their countries. Their suffering in the Great Lakes region, the Horn of Africa and the Middle East calls for new solutions. We owe that to them.

The next speaker inscribed on my list is His Excellency Mr. Keliopate Tavola, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Fiji. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

I thank you, Mr. President, for the privilege to be here and for the warmth of the welcome. I am honoured to address the Security Council on behalf of the members of the Pacific Islands Forum on the subject of women and peace and security. In doing so, I speak on behalf of the Forum countries that are Members of the United Nations — Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. I am certainly very grateful for the briefings given earlier this morning by Mr. Guéhenno and Ms. Smythe. The Pacific Islands Forum is pleased that the issue of women and peace and security is once again on the Security Council’s agenda, and we are pleased to again intervene as a group on that important item, thus underlining its significance to our members. The debate in the Security Council three years ago, leading to resolution 1325 (2000), was a milestone. The resolution signalled that, if we are committed to conflict prevention and resolution, we must be serious about the gender perspectives of conflict — both the impact of conflict on women and the contributions of women to the prevention, resolution and peace- building processes. Our own experience in the Pacific has certainly highlighted for us the importance of implementing the principles and the framework encapsulated in resolution 1325 (2000). The recent work of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) on women, peace and security in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu highlighted the scope of the impact of conflict on women and the critical role played by women in promoting peace in our region. On that latter point, our experience has been that the contributions and leadership of women in both traditional and contemporary settings are critical to ensuring meaningful and sustainable peace. In Papua New Guinea, women played a pivotal role in the very early and fragile stages of the Bougainville peace process, and they continue to play an active role in its ongoing consolidation. Similarly, in the Solomon Islands, women played a significant role through the ecumenical church movement in brokering peace in their country, and they remain centrally engaged. I now turn to the work of the Organization. Resolution 1325 (2000) encapsulated the concept that gender perspectives must be mainstreamed into the work of the United Nations — that is, that they must be at the core of the Organization’s work. Today’s debate is an important opportunity to examine how far we have come in honouring that commitment. There has certainly been some good news. One particular highlight in the past year was the agreement to establish a gender adviser post in the Peacekeeping Best Practices Unit of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. That is an excellent outcome, which we very much hope will assist in the explicit integration of gender perspectives into all aspects of United Nations peacekeeping operations. We should like to take this opportunity to welcome the appointment of an interim Gender Adviser in the Department, and we hope that the permanent position of Senior Gender Adviser will be filled shortly. We will look forward to early feedback as the position develops. We are pleased also that UNIFEM’s gender conflict situation analysis project is now under way. We are particularly pleased that UNIFEM is incorporating a Pacific perspective into that work by undertaking one of its four pilot studies in the Solomon Islands. Elsewhere, the launch of the gender action plan of the Department for Disarmament Affairs is to be congratulated, and we would like to encourage other Departments to follow that successful example. We also welcome UNIFEM’s work to build a comprehensive web-site portal, which will pull together the diverse material available on women, peace and security for use in work around the globe. While the initiatives to which I referred are a good start, we are still some distance from where we need to be. In terms of future work, we would like to emphasize four areas. First, while a lot of positive work has been done on improving the attention paid to these issues in the Security Council, we would like the Council to pay special attention to ensuring that its mandates focus expressly on gender perspectives and that necessary resources are made available to ensure that those mandates are fulfilled. Only 15 per cent — more precisely, 14.7 per cent, as we heard this morning — of resolutions submitted to the Security Council in the past year made any reference to gender. We hope that in future all Security Council resolutions will do so. We hope in particular that, in considering its mandates, the Council will pay special attention to the importance of ensuring that women are involved in all aspects of decision-making processes with respect to conflict, including formal negotiations. As I stated earlier, our own experience is that the contribution of women is fundamental to the resolution of conflict. Unfortunately, however, all too often those with the most information and the most extensive networks are not allowed a seat at the negotiating table. Secondly, we would encourage the Security Council to include gender advisers or specialists in its missions as a matter of course. We also hope that the reports from the missions, which until now have been silent on gender issues, will in future include specific feedback on the gender issues covered in the missions. Thirdly, we would stress that the pressure to mainstream a gender perspective into peacekeeping operations must be maintained. We remain firmly of the view that gender sensitivity, and the inclusion of women, are critical elements of successful peacekeeping operations. We hope in particular that more work can be done on gender-perspective training for United Nations peacekeepers, and we would like to highlight the importance of the compulsory gender- training module for all personnel about to deploy. For our region’s part, I am happy to report that a number of our members stress the importance of deploying women to peacekeeping operations. With respect to my own country, Fiji, there is a strong emphasis on the deployment of women in overseas peace and security operations. Women from Fiji have served in Cambodia and Croatia, and are currently serving in Kosovo and Solomon Islands. Fourthly and finally, with respect to leadership and representation, we would repeat our call for the Secretary-General to appoint more women as special representatives, especially in matters relating to peacekeeping, peace-building and preventive diplomacy. As ever, the United Nations needs to realize its own goals and lead by example.

I now give the floor to Under- Secretary-General Guéhenno for any comments he might wish to make. Mr. Guéhenno: I would like first to thank all the members of the Council and other speakers, who have expressed strong support for our efforts to put gender at the centre of peacekeeping efforts in conflict areas. I want to address two specific points that were raised, the first with respect to Afghanistan. I am grateful that Germany raised the issue of the importance of filling, as quickly as possible, the D-1 post in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. We already have a P-4 in the Gender Unit there. I think it is very important that we appoint the right person to that D-1 post, and we are actually in the process of re-advertising the post to make sure that we get the right person for what is a challenging but critical aspect of our mission in Afghanistan. Several delegations stressed the importance of reporting, and I could not agree more; this is the other issue that I want to address. I think the more we can report to the Council about the issues that have been discussed this morning, the more we will prevent any abuse — reporting has a deterrent value — and the more we will be able to mobilize resources where they are needed, whether to help women in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration camps or to assist in police training or in the range of issues that have been discussed. Good reporting requires a method and a systematic approach. There, I believe that the gender resource package that is now in the final stages of development will help, because it will mean that all mission personnel — whether military observers or human rights officers — will be better guided. All personnel in the mission will have better guidance and therefore a more systematic approach in their reporting, so that the Council will benefit from more homogeneous and systematic information, which in turn will make for better engagement by the Council.

I now give the floor to Ms. Smythe for any comments she may wish to make. Ms. Smythe: I would like to underscore the fact that women in conflict are not merely victims, but active agents. I thank members for recognizing that fact. I would also like, on behalf of Ms. Vaweka, one of our closest partners and a role model for the women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to thank members for recognizing the good work that she is doing. I would like specifically to respond to the question from France concerning the relationship between the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and the Congolese Administration, especially the Government Ministry for what is known as la condition féminine, which could, perhaps, be translated as the Ministry for Women and Family, as well as the Ministry for Women and Human Rights. Indeed, the gender unit has established contact with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and we have had informal discussions and are trying to sensitize the Government on the whole issue of gender integration in every aspect of its work. We have been holding discussions with the new Minister for la condition féminine, planning a specific activity in relation to the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, from 25 November to 10 December. We plan to use that as a strategy, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which has always accompanied women in decision-making since the time of the inter-Congolese dialogue. We plan to use that as a strategy to get the women and men of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to recognize the position of the new Minister. It is critical because she comes from an interesting area. The Ministry responsible for the condition of women is trying to work internally among colleagues to sensitize the leadership on gender issues and to establish networks with agencies and interested parties to take the gender debate outside. We in the Gender Unit plan to work not only with that specific Ministry, but with all other ministries and Government agencies. We plan to carry out training programmes with the parliamentarians and the Senate and to work with the judiciary very closely. We have been approached by other ministries. For example, we have been approached by the Ministry of Education and asked whether we could do some work with the universities. We are somewhat limited in terms of capacity, but we hope that in the near future, now that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has a physical presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that, in the context of collaboration, we can do a little bit more than we have been doing. We are very mindful of the fact that ours is a very small outfit, but we are working in close collaboration with the agencies that are there. Specifically, we have collaborated with the Ministry of Health, which took the lead recently on the issue of violence against women, again in collaboration with UNIFEM. In that context, we participated in the elaboration of an inter- agency project to deal with the issue of violence against women. Here I would stress that we are merely collaborating; it is a joint effort on the part of the agencies. Our task as the gender ministry is to ensure that women’s voices are factored into the process. We are working on the ground to find out about local initiatives and what women themselves have been doing, and then serving as the link with our colleagues in the various agencies to make sure that this is taken into consideration. In summary, the gender ministry is working very closely with various ministries, not only directly but also in collaboration with agencies and with other sections and divisions of MONUC.

I thank Ms. Smythe for her comments and for joining us today.