S/PV.5556 Security Council

In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, the Security Council has extended invitations under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Ms. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, and Ms. Carolyn McAskie, Assistant Secretary-General in the Peacebuilding Support Office. It is so decided. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend invitations under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Ms. Christine Miturumbwe, Coordinator of the Dushirehamwe Association, and Ms. Maria Dias, President of the Rede Feto. It is so decided. I invite Ms. Miturumbwe and Ms. Dias to take the seats reserved for them at the side of the Council Chamber. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/2006/770, containing the report of the Secretary- General on women, peace and security. I should like to draw the attention of the members to document S/2006/793, containing a letter dated 4 October 2006 from Japan addressed to the Secretary-General, transmitting a concept paper for this meeting. In accordance with the understanding reached among Council members, I wish to remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than four minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. Delegations with lengthy statements are kindly requested to circulate their texts in writing and to deliver a condensed version when speaking in the Chamber. By way of introduction, I would like to say that it is a particular pleasure for me to open the debate today to discuss the implementation of the important resolution, resolution 1325 (2000). Our theme is the roles of women in the consolidation of peace. I wish to convey to our British colleague, Ambassador Sir Emyr Jones Parry, and other colleagues from the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom our appreciation for their dedication and professionalism in organizing the Arria formula meeting held yesterday. It was valuable for Council members and other concerned people to gain greater insight into the challenges and the lessons learned by hearing the voices of real experience on the ground as expressed by the representatives of civil society. We hope to intensify the efforts in further implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) with the cooperation and partnership of civil society. Finally, I would like to thank all speakers in advance. I can assure them that their observations and recommendations will be well received and will be a subject for future reflection in the Council. I now give the floor to Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. Ms. Mayanja: It is a privilege to address the Council at this open debate and to introduce the report of the Secretary-General on women, peace and security (S/2006/770). Let me begin by expressing gratitude to you, Mr. President, for convening this crucially important meeting on the roles of women in the consolidation of peace. I am also deeply heartened by the Council’s continued commitment to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The Council has before it the report of the Secretary-General on women, peace and security, prepared in response to the request of the Council contained in its presidential statement S/PRST/2005/52. The report contains a comprehensive and candid assessment of the first eight months of carrying out the System-wide Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), in support of activities and commitments by Governments and civil society. The assessment identifies progress and challenges in the implementation of the Plan and offers measures to redress the shortcomings. The Plan has proved to be a useful tool for strengthened inter-agency coordination. The consolidation of peace is an opportunity to redress grievances and problems that led to conflict in the first place. It holds the promise of establishing equality in a democratic environment and reforming institutions in ways that enable women to take full advantage of opportunities presented through the restoration of peace. Yet, the past year has demonstrated that our collective efforts to ensure equal participation by women in the consolidation of peace have thus far generally fallen short of what is required. From the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Sudan, and from Somalia to Timor Leste, women continue to be exposed to violence or to be targeted by parties to a conflict, as well as to be marginalized in formal processes, in particular as regards issues of war and peace. It is axiomatic that States, in particular those emerging from conflict situations, and their Governments have a vested interest in maintaining peace and security, and hence in bringing about the political reorganization of society and establishing credible institutions that can result in human security for all, in particular for women and girls. However, it is no secret that, even with political will at the top and pressure from women’s groups below, many Governments are generally hesitant to challenge pre- conflict societal values and norms that are often deeply patriarchal and wedded to customary practices. To overcome that challenge, the following four conditions should be met. First, the international community should summon all possible political will in order to meet its commitments to women in the realm of peace and security. Secondly, at the national level, Governments should establish clear accountability systems for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Thirdly, the Security Council should provide more effective leadership to monitor progress in the implementation in the field and should encourage States to do more. And finally, States and United Nations entities should allocate sufficient resources and capacities for the national implementation of the resolution. A frank and constructive discussion on how to meet those and other challenges related to national implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) was held on 23 October. It underlined the critical importance of national implementation as the key to achieving sustainable peace and the equal participation of women in peace processes. Within that framework, the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women last month released “Securing equality, engendering peace: a guide to policy and planning on women, peace and security”. The full and effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) will require all the will and creativity the international community can muster. We can succeed in achieving sustainable peace if we — Member States, United Nations entities and civil society — put our minds to it and use the tools, resources and knowledge at our disposal to fully empower women. For its part, the United Nations will remain a strong partner for Member States and civil society. I look forward to working with everyone in that quest.

I thank Ms. Mayanja for her statement. I now give the floor to Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations.

In the year since I briefed the Council on the efforts of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to implement resolution 1325 (2000), we witnessed the historic election in Liberia of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa’s first woman head of State. That election has been a source of hope and inspiration to many women and girls in Africa and beyond. In the same period, Liberia adopted a law on rape to combat gender-based violence; the women of Sierra Leone succeeded in having laws adopted in the areas of human trafficking, civil inheritance rights and property rights; and the women of Timor-Leste submitted to parliament a draft law on domestic violence. We should pay tribute to all the women in those countries for their tangible efforts to translate the goals of resolution 1325 (2000) into reality. We in the international community have a duty to extend to them our full support. Despite those positive developments, challenges and assaults on women’s rights and gender equality continue to be rife in every post-conflict situation. I would like today to highlight three priority issues facing peacekeeping missions as they endeavour to provide support for women’s participation in transitional processes and beyond. Those issues require the urgent attention of the Council. First is the problem of insecurity, a threat which many women continue to experience even after the guns have fallen silent. In many societies violence continues to be used as a way to control the movement and actions of women and girls as they work to rebuild their homes and communities. In Afghanistan, for example, attacks on schools put the lives of girls at risk when they attempt to exercise their basic right to education. In Darfur, women and girls are raped when they go to find firewood for cooking and heating. In Liberia more than 40 per cent of women and girls surveyed have been the victims of sexual violence. In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo over 12,000 rapes of women and girls have been reported in the last six months. As we know, rape has long-lasting consequences for women. Not only does it have very negative effects on their health and psychological well-being, it also places them at greater risk of contracting the AIDS virus, stigmatizes them socially and limits their freedom of movement — which affects their ability to fulfil their frequent role as household breadwinners, a responsibility that many women in post-conflict situations must often bear on their own. The persistence of sexual violence is a basic indicator of our failure to provide adequate security to human communities in post-conflict situations. The second priority — beyond the initial step of supporting the participation of women in electoral processes — entails the need for us to work to ensure sustained support for women in the political arena in order that they may be part of the decision-making process. To date, the most notable successes in electing women to political office have taken place in situations where constitutional guarantees have been put in place establishing quotas regarding the participation of women. In that regard, I should like to refer to the cases of Burundi and Afghanistan. No quota system was in place for the most recent elections in Haiti, and only five women won elective office. In Liberia only 14 of the 94 seats in the legislature were won by women, while in the Democratic Republic of the Congo women constitute only 8 per cent of the new legislature. It is not enough to ensure that women are elected. Their election — and women make up 30 per cent of the Assembly in Burundi and 25 per cent of Afghanistan’s lower house — is a significant success, but only the very first step in a lengthy process to bring women into positions of responsibility. Let us not forget that, in Timor-Leste, four female parliamentarians had to leave office three months after their election in 2002 because of the chauvinism they faced and the difficulty of surviving in an environment hostile to them in Parliament. Newly elected women must be supported by their peers to help them establish themselves and resist the pressures that may be brought to bear against their full exercise of their parliamentary activities. The third priority is to amend and reform discriminatory laws that undermine equality of rights so as to enable the effective participation of women in the peacebuilding process. In Burundi, the southern Sudan and Côte d’Ivoire, women are unable to inherit land. Even when such rights are guaranteed by law, as they are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the implementation of the law is often sporadic. That is why, for many widows and female heads of household, access to land is an essential precondition of economic equality and of their ability to emerge from the desperate economic situation of many post-conflict societies. We must therefore continue to support all legislative efforts to adopt national and customary legislation to guarantee effective equality of rights for women and girls in terms of access to resources and economic rights. (spoke in English) I want now to turn to our collective responsibilities. My Department has adopted a set of very concrete strategies to support implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We have developed a comprehensive action plan whose implementation is being monitored by my senior management team. We are making policy guidance and training tools available to peacekeepers and Member States. We have developed operational guidelines for our mission personnel to enable them to translate resolution 1325 (2000) into practice, and we have established gender components in missions and at Headquarters to oversee that work. We continue to invest in efforts to ensure that our peacekeepers adhere to the highest levels of professional conduct and discipline. As part of that process, on 4 December in New York we will be convening a high-level conference on sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations and non- governmental organization personnel to take stock of achievements to date and challenges in stemming the problem. Notwithstanding those necessary and important foundation blocks, real gaps remain in our implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In seeking to transform our working culture, there are undoubtedly pockets of resistance. We have made progress, but some of our personnel have yet to understand their own responsibility for implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) — that it is not the sole responsibility of gender advisers, nor can it be just outsourced to our United Nations partners. I also recognize the need to build a critical mass of male champions to advocate and support the translation of our commitments to gender equality into practice. In that regard, I believe that my department needs a senior male envoy to support our political advocacy efforts. Clearly, my Department can do better to implement resolution 1325 (2000) and we are stepping up our efforts to do so. Our Action Plan, and a policy directive that I shall issue in the coming days to my Department and all missions, provide the framework to guide our future efforts. We count on all the Member States to provide the support and resources required to fully implement the directive. Beyond the actions of my Department, some of the outstanding challenges can best be addressed through partnerships with Member States and our broader United Nations family. For example, our predominantly male profile in peacekeeping undermines the credibility of our efforts to lead by example in the host countries in which we are engaged. We need Member States to nominate more women candidates for senior civilian positions in missions. Fewer than 2 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively, of our military and police personnel are women, yet our peacekeepers are increasingly required to interact with women and men in the host country for purposes of information gathering, screening during disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, and monitoring elections processes, amongst other things. To engage more effectively with the local population, a greater number of women peacekeepers must be deployed. That is an operational imperative. We also recognize the need for stronger partnership with United Nations agencies to sustain the investments of peacekeeping missions during the transitional period. Our experiences from Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste have highlighted the need for a smooth transitioning of gender-related programmes to the United Nations country team, following the completion of a peacekeeping mandate. Otherwise, we risk creating a programmatic gap that can unravel the modest gains made by peacekeeping missions. Oftentimes, the only full-time and robust capacity to support gender-related activities in the countries in which we are engaged resides in the peacekeeping mission. Our United Nations partners need to be on the ground from the very beginning with the capacities and resources required to support women in the wide range of areas that fall beyond the scope and mandate of peacekeeping missions. Finally, we must continue to invest resources in creating a stable and secure environment that will allow women to restore dignity, normalcy and hope to their lives in the post-conflict period. Programmes for women’s economic and political empowerment and to support the education of girls can be sustained only under conditions of security. That means that the Member States must meet their obligations to contribute sufficient troops to enable our peacekeeping operations to deliver that much-needed security. I count on the Security Council’s support and partnership in that process.

I give the floor to the Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women. Ms. Heyzer: Thank you, Sir, for the honour of addressing the Security Council. The consolidation of peace is an uncertain enterprise. It is one thing to agree to a ceasefire, and quite another to move from there to a point at which societies can resolve conflicts through inclusive governance without reverting to armed combat. From our work in over 20 conflict-affected countries, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) has learned what is needed to implement resolution 1325 (2000) effectively in the consolidation of peace. Let me mention three points. First, peacebuilding efforts must ensure women’s physical and economic security. In peacemaking and peacebuilding, the urgent often drives out the important. The urgent is the need to stop the fighting, but parties to the conflict are not the same as parties to the peace. Peacebuilding requires that all parties with an interest in peace be engaged in negotiating a new social contract, building the institutions of a new society, and re-establishing livelihoods. Women are a crucial resource in this process. Peace agreements, early recovery and post-conflict governance do better when women are involved. Women make a difference in part because they adopt a more inclusive approach to peace and security and address key social and economic issues that provide the foundations of sustainable peace and would otherwise be ignored. The question before us today is not only what women can bring to peace consolidation but also what peacebuilding can do to promote women’s human rights and gender equality — transforming social structures so that they do not reproduce the exclusion and marginalization that underlie conflict. Women know the costs of war: what it means to be subject to sexual violence designed to destroy their communities, what it means to be displaced, to flee their homes and property, to be excluded from public life and regarded as less than full citizens. The consolidation of peace must include putting an end to impunity for sexual violence and raising the political and economic costs for those who engage in it, ensuring that they are not given the rewards of power and high-profile jobs as part of negotiated peace. Two of women’s most urgent needs are physical safety and economic security. Efforts to engage women in the public sphere will not succeed if women risk continued violence for taking on public roles, and they cannot be expected to be effective public actors if they have no source of livelihood. What we at UNIFEM are seeing on the ground — in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia — is that the public space for women in those countries is, in fact, shrinking. Women are becoming assassination targets when they dare defend women’s rights, and everywhere there is evidence that violence is brought into homes and communities after conflicts have ended, as young men return with guns, and the social norms that protect women remain broken. In all of the conflict areas where we have worked, we have witnessed women’s willingness to take risks — reaching across borders, organizing to support the kind of dialogue that leads to peacemaking and defying threats to their security. But we cannot rely on the bravery of women; systems must be put in place. In the consolidation of peace, the international community must invest in reforming the security sector so as to ensure the safety of women, particularly where armies or police have been a source of the violence they experience. In Rwanda, after the police said that they could not protect women because they lacked the vehicles for rapid response, we at UNIFEM organized an inter- agency response to set up specialized gender desks in police stations and to provide them with training and hotlines, as well as motorcycles to reach women in remote districts. Secondly, sustainable peace requires real justice for women. To consolidate peace, there must be justice for women in accordance with international human rights standards. That means striking down all laws that continue to discriminate against women, strengthening rule of law organizations to implement them, and empowering women to access those organizations. Too often, in conflict-affected countries, we see that laws on compensation for victims do not include compensation for rape, which is still regarded as a minor crime. I have just returned from Kosovo with our goodwill ambassador, Ms. Nicole Kidman, where we met with women who had been raped during the conflict. They feel that they have undergone a double violation as they seek justice, both locally and from the international system, which have promised to help them but have never delivered. If we are serious about ensuring justice, we must do more to provide training for judges and lawyers and provide support for witnesses, medical support, and compensation. Family matters and personal status issues are typically left to customary and traditional legal systems, partly because they are seen as an inexpensive system of resolving conflict, and partly to buy the cooperation of traditional or tribal leaders by giving them control over personal and family matters. The result is honour crimes, the exchange of women to resolve inter-clan fights, the denial of women’s inheritance rights. Justice for women cannot be done on the cheap, and women’s rights cannot be bargained away for other political gains. Justice for women has to be featured as an integral and achievable part of any United Nations plan of assistance. Thirdly, peace requires institutional change and stronger accountability systems. Women’s engagement in the consolidation of peace requires that the institutions engaged in the rebuilding of the governance, justice, security and economic systems have the will and the capacity to respond to women’s needs, and that women take leadership roles in influencing these processes. We have learned that, the earlier women are recognized as peace agents and engaged in the process of peace, the more they are seen as legitimate actors. That is why today in Uganda, UNIFEM is supporting the launch of a peace caravan, with women from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Uganda, to demand that the international community respect resolution 1325 (2000) and include women in the Juba peace talks. Some progress has been made in ensuring the inclusion of women in the political realm. A variety of quota systems have been put in place in Iraq, Burundi, Rwanda and elsewhere and have resulted in record numbers of women in the political sphere. But quotas alone will not ensure effective participation. This is not just a problem of the capacities of women. It is about obstacles to gender equality in the institutions that shape the ways choices are made, resources allocated, and policies implemented. Three changes are critical to bringing about greater accountability. These include top-level guidelines that ensure that women’s rights are a key element of institutional work; incentive systems to reward efforts to address women’s needs; and measures to include the issue of gender equality in individual work plans as well as in performance reviews. Although more women have been brought into the military and police forces, this is still a token effort. Appointments of women to the top levels of facilitation teams and peacekeeping missions are still rare. UNIFEM and other rights activists must negotiate anew each time to bring women to peace talks or include women’s priorities in needs assessments. Even when we have succeeded, we find that resources have not been allocated to meet these priorities. In conclusion, if we want to consolidate peace, we must stop trying to reward those who are most destructive and engage those who advocate peaceful solutions. A famous French philosopher said: “Women are not wrong when they decline to accept the rules laid down for them, since the men make those rules without consulting them”. One way of understanding the consolidation of peace is as a massive national effort to remake the rules of governance, justice, security and economic activity so as to eliminate the causes of conflict and distrust. For women of all social groups, this opportunity to participate in the rebuilding of the rules cannot be missed. Only then will we have peace under the laws of justice.

I give the floor to Ms. Carolyn McAskie, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Peacebuilding Support Office. Ms. McAskie: I am very pleased indeed to participate in the Council’s deliberations today on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. As a recently returned Special Representative of the Secretary- General in a peacekeeping mission, and now in my current role as head of the new Peacebuilding Support Office, that landmark resolution has had direct relevance for my work. The focus of my presentation this morning will be on the role of the newly established Peacebuilding Commission and on its support office, but I would also like to make reference to my experience as a peacekeeper. There is no doubt that the existence of resolution 1325 (2000) made an appreciable difference to our peacekeeping operations on the ground. The existence of a gender adviser in the United Nations Operation in Burundi, along with strong leadership from mission management and Headquarters management, had a direct impact on our work, for example, in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), in addressing the issues of women associated with armed combat, in elections, in addressing the need to support the commitments to 30 per cent targets for women in parliament and in addressing human rights issues for women. The absence of a dedicated gender adviser within the United Nations country team, however, gave us the example of how progress lags behind when special efforts are not made to ensure that development programmes are sufficiently gender sensitive. As this debate demonstrates, we are not ready to assume that women’s issues will automatically be included. Special measures continue to be required. Gender mainstreaming in the area of peacebuilding, and in particular in the work of the Peacebuilding Commission, has been recognized by Member States in various resolutions. The resolutions establishing the Commission that were adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly called on the Commission to integrate a gender perspective into its work and encouraged the Commission to consult with civil society, including women’s organizations engaged in peacebuilding. In the follow-up to Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to ensure that in supporting the Peacebuilding Commission, the Peacebuilding Support Office should integrate a gender perspective in all aspects of its work, taking into account resolution 1325 (2000). Protecting and empowering women in countries making the transition from violent conflict to lasting peace will require a deep understanding of gender discrimination. When we speak of the foundations for sustainable peace and development, women — as decision makers, as productive members of society, as caretakers and as heads of households — must be recognized as one of the pillars of that society. In achieving lasting peace beyond the mere absence of violence, we must understand the social and political fabric that makes up societies and forms the basis of communities. This requires recognition, not only of women’s key roles, but also of their work and potential as agents of change. Members will note that the Commission itself is tasked with marshalling resources and proposing integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding. In doing so, it will focus on the reconstruction and institution-building efforts for countries under its consideration. It is also tasked with improving coordination, developing best practices to ensure predictable financing and sustaining the attention of the international community on countries emerging from conflict. The Commission is examining ways in which it could benefit from civil society involvement in its deliberations. Civil society representatives participated in the country-specific meetings held on Burundi and Sierra Leone on 12 and 13 October respectively. Many Commission members favour more systematic involvement of civil society, including women’s groups, in the work of the Commission. As such, we are exploring ways by which we can engage civil society in general, and women’s organizations in particular, in supporting the process of peacebuilding. The Commission’s advisory role places it in a strong position to draw attention to critical peacebuilding challenges on the ground, including the special needs of women and girls, ensuring that space is created for women’s active participation in political, economic and social life, and strengthening the protection of the rights of women against discrimination, violence and persecution. The Peacebuilding Commission can act as a key conduit for promoting practical actions in support of women’s needs and for promoting gender equality. The Commission is a unique intergovernmental forum, focusing on specific country situations, and it therefore has a comparative advantage which will enable it to provide strategic and practical support to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The Commission can play an effective role in empowering actors on the ground to facilitate and strengthen the partnership between Governments and civil society, including women’s groups. The Commission can help build confidence and pave the way for transparent and accountable governance, by helping newly formed Governments to understand the extent to which modern concepts of democracy are based on ongoing engagement with civil society. To ensure that gender aspects and the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000) are taken into account in the work of the Commission, the Peacebuilding Support Office will have to play a vital role and provide the Commission with the analysis it needs to meet its commitments to gender mainstreaming. In this, we will be informed by the ongoing work of the United Nations and its partners at the field level and at Headquarters, including taking advantage of the available gender specific policies and data that have been developed by humanitarian and development organizations present at the field level. The process, whether through the Commission or the Support Office, will work through existing field presences of the United Nations and Member States. Peacebuilding is not another layer of activity; it is all about ensuring that what we, whether the country itself or all its partners, are doing is geared to supporting the country in staying the course with a view to sustainable peace. This represents an unprecedented opportunity to improve on past practices. What better objective than for us to get it right this time on how we include women and end gender discrimination and gender victimization? The United Nations presence already on the ground is the instrument of the new United Nations commitments on peacebuilding. It must work in close collaboration with national authorities, but also with all internal and external parties to peacebuilding: donors, institutions, regional and subregional political actors, as well as local players. Resolution 1325 (2000) can and should inform this work by being one of the fundamental underpinnings of the strategic approach mandated in General Assembly resolution 60/180, creating the peacebuilding architecture. Support to women emerging from conflict will also require the Commission’s action in its role of resource mobilization for national peacebuilding plans. The Peacebuilding Support Office will play a role in developing effective resource-mobilization strategies which address the need for gender equality in peacebuilding. The recently established Peacebuilding Fund will also be able to contribute in furthering the practical aims of resolution 1325 (2000). We must remember that the Fund, while generous, will be limited in its resources and should be seen as a catalyst to launch peacebuilding activities that will require more sustained resources. We will collaborate with partners at the field level, including national authorities, to ensure that funding for peacebuilding activities, such as that provided to national institutions and that aimed at strengthening national capacities to promote peaceful resolution of conflict, is responsive to the needs of women with a view to promoting gender equality. Six years after the adoption of this landmark resolution, much has been done to recognize women’s important role in countries affected by conflict. However, this debate recognizes that we still have a road to travel. We have a better understanding now of how conflicts have a disproportionate effect on women and girls. What we do not yet demonstrate is that in addressing the roots of conflict and in reversing its effects we need a similarly disproportionate effort to address those effects. This will require the implementation of the recommendations before the Council in the Secretary-General’s report. In closing, let me say that gender discrimination needs to be seen on a par with other forms of discrimination, and an international commitment and effort must be made to understand its roots and reverse its tragic effects. This will require leadership on the part of all of us, and accountability on the part of the United Nations system, both officials and Member States. The creation of new instruments dedicated to peacebuilding presents, as I said, an unprecedented opportunity, which must not be wasted, to do things differently. It provides a clean slate on which to re-write how we approach the needs of societies coming out of conflict. We cannot ignore the voices of the women from the time we broker peace onwards. Peacemaking is not just an exercise involving combatants; it must involve all of society. And that means women. The Commission is taking an extremely practical and substantive approach to its work. It is determined to make a difference in real terms by working with Burundi and Sierra Leone, and it will factor in elements related to the needs of women and girls as they pertain to resolution 1325 (2000) to ensure that the sustained attention and resources of the international community are effectively utilized. For the Commission to succeed, it must play a role in strengthening the understanding of the root causes of conflict and help countries identify the path to peace. A key to successful peacebuilding is to work with national Governments to ensure that consultations take into account the elements contained in resolution 1325 (2000), including those dealing with conflict resolution, protection and respect for human rights, and to ensure that these are at the core of the Peacebuilding Commission’s work. The challenge will be to bring all the resources and energies of society together to ensure the broadest possible approach, the most inclusive process and the most sustainable results. Women have a key role to play in building peace — in their own right, and not only because they are disproportionately victimized or because they are seen more naturally as agents of peace. Women’s key role must be recognized because societies where women participate fully generally enjoy more peace, more prosperity and more opportunity.

I thank Ms. McAskie for her statement. We have heard briefings from speakers from the four key relevant Offices and Departments. I shall now call on members of the Council and other speakers who have requested to participate in the discussion under rule 37, in the order established in the list of speakers.

I would like to say how pleased I am, Mr. President, that you have taken the initiative to hold this public debate on women and peace and security. France fully aligns itself with the statement that will be made shortly by the Finnish presidency of the European Union. Last year, as we marked the fifth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we took stock for the first time of the implementation of that landmark text. That review enabled us to identify some progress, especially in terms of the role of women being taken into consideration in resolutions adopted by the Security Council. Unfortunately, it also revealed a number of gaps and unkept promises. The question is whether we have made progress since then. The report (S/2006/770) submitted by the Secretary-General on the first year of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) provides us, I believe, with some useful indications. In this regard, I would like to warmly thank Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. The area where resolution 1325 (2000) has most changed things appears to be in the area of peacekeeping operations. We can see in this the result of several factors that have come together. The first of these factors is the more systematic integration of the issues of women and peace and security in the mandates given by the Security Council. The second is the relatively clear distribution of the roles of various actors in the framework of peacekeeping operations, which guarantees better coordination. The third is the extremely positive role now played by the gender advisers and gender focal points, who are present in all operations. Here, I would like again to congratulate Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno for the key role played by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in this area. At the same time, I would like to endorse the condemnation contained in the presidential statement that the Council will adopt today, concerning cases of sexual abuse committed by peacekeeping personnel. Do we have the means to move forward on other aspects, such as the protection of women against violence perpetrated in the context of armed conflicts and the participation of women in post-conflict phases? With regard to the protection of women during conflict, the Darfur crisis and the situation in Ituri show that violence, especially sexual violence, against women unfortunately continues to be widespread, and often is carried out with impunity. The Secretary- General’s in-depth study on all forms of violence against women (A/61/122/Add.1) highlights the gap between progress that we have made in the normative sphere — whether it be through Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), through progress in international humanitarian law or through the Statute of the International Criminal Court — and the continuing situation on the ground. This year, France and the Netherlands are submitting a draft resolution to the General Assembly one of whose elements will be a request to each United Nations organ to examine the means that it can employ to reduce this gap between norms and the reality on the ground. We believe that the new Human Rights Council, which is now able to follow situations throughout the year and to meet on an emergency basis, has an important role to play in this area, whether by responding to serious violations of women’s rights, by addressing recommendations to other bodies or by supporting cooperation actions undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission should also enable us to move forward on the participation of women in the post-conflict and reconstruction phases. The need to integrate a gender perspective and to involve representatives of civil society, including women’s organizations, was specifically mentioned in the mandate of the Peacebuilding Commission. The first country-specific meetings recently organized on Sierra Leone and on Burundi confirmed the validity of this reference and the centrality of the role of women in building sustainable peace. What do we see as the priority areas for ensuring the full and complete participation of women in peacebuilding and reconstruction? First is the rehabilitation of victims, particularly victims of sexual violence. How can lasting peace be restored when women, who have already been victims of violence during the conflict phase, see themselves ostracized within their own communities? It is particularly important that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes take full account of the fate of women who have been associated — most often by force — with combatant groups. The second area is the administration of justice. How can women express themselves and take part in civic life if they have to be in contact with their former tormentors and live in fear? How can we ask them to turn to the justice system if that system is synonymous with further humiliation, denial and potential reprisal? That is why the fight against impunity and the adoption of a gender-specific approach by the judicial system are indispensable. The third area is participation in decision-making processes. Women’s access to elective office is a key element. In that regard, we cannot fail to welcome the examples of Rwanda and Burundi. But we also need to make sure that women, especially through women’s organizations, are involved in all the administrative processes. The final area is the establishment of institutions that practise parity. The phase of rebuilding institutions provides a unique opportunity for countries emerging from conflict to set up institutions that conform to the most advanced legal standards. Instruments such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women must be a point of reference for all who are involved in reconstruction activities. I listened very closely to the speeches by Ms. McAskie and Ms. Heyzer. We continue to bear in mind what we were told by the NGOs at their Arria formula meeting yesterday afternoon. I would like to thank them for their contributions, which will continue to spur our action in the Council as regards the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Nana Effah-Apenteng (Ghana): I wish to thank you, Sir, for taking the initiative in organizing this debate on women and peace and security in pursuit of the objectives of Council resolution 1325 (2000). Let me join the preceding speaker in thanking the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, the Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the Assistant Secretary-General, Peacebuilding Support Office for their respective briefings. We also wish to thank the Secretary-General for his report on this agenda item (S/2006/770), which not only covers the extensive efforts made to implement the resolution but also illuminates the way forward. On 31 October 2000, when the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, it provided a groundbreaking mandate, aimed at achieving the full and equal participation of women in all peace and security initiatives, along with the mainstreaming of gender issues. The resolution also outlined the range of actions required to achieve that objective. As we mark the sixth anniversary of the groundbreaking resolution, it is appropriate that we take stock of the implementation of the resolution to assess its achievements, examine good practices and lessons learned, identify challenges and gaps and take remedial measures. On balance, we are of the view that we have merely paid lip service to the aspirations underpinning that epoch-making resolution and that its implementation has been inconsistent, giving mixed and varying results. That is especially true in most developing countries, including my own, Ghana. The way forward is within our grasp. The Secretary-General in his annual report to the Council has adequately responded to these challenges by putting forward in a number of key priority areas several concrete recommendations which merit our consideration. They include: vigorous engagement with Member States, development of an effective accountability, monitoring and reporting system, enhanced coordination across the United Nations system, and effective as well as adequate resource allocation. The ultimate purpose of gender mainstreaming is to eradicate all the factors that reinforce the vulnerability of women in society. To that end, we need to change our mindset and to be more determined, especially at the national level, about making optimal use of existing structures and creating new ones where necessary. In that regard, I would like to comment briefly on some of the proposals that my delegation believes are key in addressing our concerns. First and foremost, we must take seriously implementation at the national level. In designing programmes for our women, we must take into account the high prevalence of illiteracy, which places them outside the mainstream and therefore out of reach of most programmes. Indeed, the overall implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) has been ad hoc and haphazard at the national level. To date, only a few Governments have developed national action plans for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), most of them, ironically, in the developed world in countries that are neither conflict-ridden nor post-conflict. It is easy to call on the United Nations and the international community to act, but as Member States we must acknowledge our own role and heed to the call to implement resolution 1325 (2005). Achieving the goals we have set for ourselves simply requires a concerted response to accountability, at the national level. There should be better cooperation and coordination between the relevant public institutions that deal with peacekeeping and women’s affairs, which in my country would be the Ministries of Women’s Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs and Defence. Troop-contributing countries should mainstream gender issues in their recruitment, training and development, including in United Nations peacekeeping operations. In that respect, consideration should be given to the particular needs of conflict- ridden or post-conflict countries in order to translate the commitments made into concrete measures that will improve the situation of women. Member States and their partners must continue to provide any necessary financial support for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). An effective and robust accountability, monitoring and reporting system should be developed. However, without timely and clearly earmarked resources, it may not move beyond the drawing table. It is also of cardinal importance that those drawing up national action plans provide for women at the grassroots level or in communities to be encouraged to play a positive role in partnership with civil society. At the global level, in the current climate of United Nations reform, the time is propitious to thoroughly examine and strengthen intergovernmental oversight and to provide a top layer of oversight to review implementation by both national and United Nations entities. Further, intergovernmental oversight is woefully inadequate. The only mechanism developed by the Security Council to track implementation has been the annual open debate and the Arria formula meeting on women, peace and security. The Council should play a more proactive role by setting up a mechanism for a more systematic, effective and coordinated implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in its work, by designating a Security Council member to serve as a focal point and an expert working group on women, peace and security consisting of Council members. It is our view that wholly missing from the recommendations of the Secretary-General is action at the regional level. We recognize that in some developed countries, efforts have been made to implement resolution 1325 (2000), but again, ironically, not much has been done in the developing world. Given the history of conflicts in West Africa, a region like ours would benefit from such an undertaking. The main instrument for implementing resolution 1325 (2000) at the United Nations system level is the Secretary-General’s United Nations System-wide Action Plan developed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Women, Peace and Security. However, its shortcomings have detracted from its overall purpose, thereby making it ineffective in accurately tracking progress, as clearly articulated in the report of the Secretary-General. It is also not encouraging to read that a third of the entities within the United Nations failed to respond to the questionnaire on the issue, which may be interpreted as a lack of commitment on the part of those bodies. We fully support the call of the Secretary-General for the System-wide Action Plan to be revised — and renewed beyond 2007 — in order to remedy its shortcomings and make it more supportive of the ideals and goals of resolution 1325 (2000). The recently established Peacebuilding Commission has an important role to play in this and we must ensure that our core commitment to gender equality, in line with resolution 1325 (2000), is fully integrated in its work. We expect, in that connection, to be more proactive. The Inter-Agency Task Force could be replicated at the country level where that aspect of their work could be enhanced. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) holds us all to a new standard of accountability both during and after conflict. What we should do is to reinforce the political momentum and start more conscious initiatives and activities to intensify the implementation of the resolution. This is the surest way to translate gender equality commitment into reality.

Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) continues to be relevant as a guideline in defining the role of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction. We must apply the provisions of the resolution in the process of creating equal opportunities for the women to participate actively in peacebuilding and security, as well as to play a growing role in decision-making. The issue is being mainstreamed in the work of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on the Status of Women and should occupy an appropriate place in the work of the Peacebuilding Commission and the work of the Human Rights Council. It is certain that women already have an important role and are capable of playing an even greater role in all issues relating to conflict prevention and conflict resolution. In that context, we support the development of a strategy to ensure women’s fully fledged participation in peace talks and in the electoral processes. During post-conflict reconstruction, there must be broader use of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) as the basic reference instrument. The United Nations System-wide Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) was adopted in 2005 and helped us to implement the United Nations strategy on women, peace and security. The Action Plan made it possible to enhance interagency coordination and structural accountability. However, its potential has not been fully utilized. We agree with the observation made by the Secretary-General in his report (S/2006/770) that there is a need to close the gaps in the implementation of the Plan, which are due in part to the problems throughout the United Nations system. Closing those gaps does not mean establishing new structures, since that would only worsen duplications and inconsistencies. Instead, we should enhance the effectiveness of existing mechanisms and special procedures by improving their coordination and accountability and ensuring that they use reliable sources of information, which would enable them to avoid bias. Here, we should highlight the role of the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality and its Task Force on Women, Peace and Security. We also agree that there is a need to make greater use of the expertise of the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. The work of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women is not above criticism. Here, too, we must ensure an objective and depoliticized approach. We support an extension of the Action Plan. In particular, it should cover all issues related to promoting women’s participation in peace processes and ensure that this issue will remain at the centre of the attention of United Nations bodies.

I now give the floor to the representative of Papua New Guinea.

I speak on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum group based in New York: Australia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and my own country, Papua New Guinea. Pacific Islands Forum members continue the important task of implementing resolution 1325 (2000). This year, the Forum secretariat convened a Pacific regional workshop on gender, conflict, peace and security, which emphasized the need to strengthen partnerships among key Government portfolios and their respective ministries, civil society, regional and international organizations and the donor community. Organized in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), femLINK Pacific and the International Women’s Development Agency, the workshop called for a number of measures, including an annual update on gender, peace and security issues; the commissioning of research on the gender dimensions of regional conflict and peace processes; the development of a database of Pacific women peacemakers; audits of compliance with resolution 1325 (2000) by regional assistance missions and peace agreements; technical assistance to Forum members for national implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), including capacity-building in the area of gender awareness; support for women’s non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working on resolution 1325 (2000); and improved gender-sensitive early warning systems. Those outcomes were subsequently endorsed by the Forum Regional Security Committee, and follow- up action has been integrated into the Forum secretariat’s work plan. Other action is progressing. AusAID is funding a programme in Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji to train key civil and governmental representatives on the importance of resolution 1325 (2000) and to translate the resolution into local languages. A number of vibrant women’s NGOs in our region — including femLINK Pacific and the Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and Advocacy, in Fiji, and Vois Blong Mere, in Solomon Islands — are working on promoting the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). That progress illustrates what is possible when local and regional initiatives are supported by the international donor community. This was never more apparent than when the Women, Peace and Security programme, established by UNIFEM in Melanesia, established committees on women, peace and security in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. In addition, UNIFEM piloted a valuable gender- sensitive early warning indicator pilot project in Solomon Islands in 2005. Regrettably, I have to report that some of those projects have stagnated of late or even ceased to function. The analysis undertaken in these countries as part of this initiative continues to be used and built on by development organizations. It provides valuable information for building national strategies and action plans for conflict prevention, peacebuilding and post- conflict reconstruction and, more important, for ensuring that the instrumental role that women can and do play in those processes is recognized and taken into account. The sustainability of funding is vital to ensure the success of all our programmes related to resolution 1325 (2000). Efforts to implement resolution 1325 (2000) in the Pacific are part of a long-term commitment. In 2000, the Biketawa Declaration mandated the Pacific Islands Forum to respond to issues of security at the regional level and reaffirmed the liberty of the individual under the law; the equality of rights for all citizens, regardless of gender, race, colour, creed or political belief; and the individual’s inalienable right to participate, by means of a free and democratic political process, in framing the society in which he or she lives. Moreover, the landmark Pacific Plan, adopted by Pacific leaders in October 2005, adopted a broad definition of security to include human security as one of four priority goals for the region, and included the cross-cutting strategic objective of improving gender equality. Next year, women from all over the Pacific region — including from non-Forum countries and territories — will come together at the Tenth Triennial Conference of Pacific Women and the Third Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Women, to be held in Nouméa, New Caledonia, to review progress made on the Pacific Platform for Action on Advancement of Women and Gender Equality 2005-2015. In 2004, this gathering of Pacific ministers, Government officials and civil society representatives recognized peace and security as a critical and emerging issue and added it to the Pacific Platform for Action on Women. They called on Governments to promote peace by integrating content on peace and conflict resolution into educational programmes; to implement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000); to promote peace by integrating traditional methodologies of reconciliation into the peace process; to recognize and enhance women’s inclusion in early-warning systems, conflict prevention peace processes and negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction; to recognize the need to address the processes of peace and justice in decision-making and conflict resolution; to make use of regional and international organizations in conducting gender- sensitivity training for peacekeepers to ensure that they are sensitive to issues on the ground; to utilize the provisions of the Biketawa Declaration to proactively monitor national security situations with a view to averting potential conflicts and resolving possible conflicts by peaceful means; and to develop and finance national disaster mitigation and response plans to protect against loss of life and property in the event of natural disasters. The meeting to be held in May 2007 will provide an opportunity for Pacific women leaders to review progress made towards those goals. While those processes continue, it is important to ensure that countries in our region embrace resolution 1325 (2000) as a framework for the development of national peacekeeping policies, given the reputation of some of our member countries as quality providers of international peacekeeping forces and the increasing involvement of Forum member countries in regional assistance missions. Additionally, at their recently concluded summit, held on 25 October 2006, leaders of our Forum agreed that greater attention needed to be given to implementing international conventions on human rights. Here, I wish to note that one of the Pacific Plan’s initiatives refers specifically to resolution 1325 (2000). Our leaders said that such conventions are essential tools for underpinning improvements in institutional governance. They also supported the recommendations of the Forum Regional Security Committee and other regional bodies working to enhance regional safety and security, including a focus on broader political and human security issues, and emphasized the need to match those recommendations with national efforts. Finally, I should like to take this opportunity to congratulate one of our members, Fiji, on its recent election to the newly formed Peacebuilding Commission, which we trust will provide further impetus for the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the Pacific. In that regard, we also welcome the creation of a senior gender adviser position at the Peacebuilding Support Office to ensure that gender is mainstreamed into all aspects of the Peacebuilding Commission’s work. I thank my colleagues for their presentations this morning.

I call on the representative of Norway.

Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) has led to progress. However, much more can and should be done at all levels. In order to gain a clearer understanding of how resolution 1325 (2000) translates into change on the ground, a review team made up of representatives from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Norway, in close cooperation with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), visited four major United Nations peacekeeping operations — in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Kosovo. The review team was impressed by the dedication of the gender advisers in the missions visited. They and their staffs have clearly raised awareness of gender issues within United Nations missions. They have also made significant progress in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the field, particularly in the areas of the rule of law and political participation. A number of challenges were common to all four missions. The gender focus was missing from the earliest stages of mission development; resources were inadequate; accountability was still limited; and the sustainability of gender efforts was still in doubt. Some gender advisers in the missions enjoyed excellent access to the Special Representative of the Secretary- General and were well supported. Others had more difficult working conditions. The review team found a strong correlation between the inclusion of gender perspectives in the missions’ activities and the level of cooperation between the individual mission and the United Nations country team. Although there are examples of best practices, there is a clear need for a more systematic approach to gender issues, starting with the mandates. There is a need for better indicators of successful gender mainstreaming in integrated planning processes. A clear and visible implementation plan is necessary. Adequate financial resources must also be allocated. It is also important to plan for the longer term. It is critical to keep the long-term objectives in mind in order to ensure a smooth transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding, in which the United Nations country team should play a key role. Strategic partnerships should be developed with the country team at an early stage, and the missions should draw on the comparative advantages of agencies such as the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the United Nations Development Programme. The United Nations country team should strive for a fully integrated gender plan that reflects the objectives of resolution 1325 (2000), including clear accountability, division of labour and specific actions to be taken. The strategic plan should include an outline for how to cooperate and coordinate activities with the national Government. This is essential for the sustainability of gender efforts. We are encouraged by the growing number of highly qualified women in DPKO, but the relatively low number of women in senior management positions should be remedied. We know that wars and conflicts affect women, men, girls and boys in different ways. We also know that women’s full participation in peace processes and peacebuilding is necessary for lasting peace. These facts must guide the planning and implementation of both United Nations and our own efforts for peace and development.

I give the floor to the representative of Canada.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to thank Japan for having convened this open debate today. I would also like to thank today’s speakers for having demonstrated how important our continued commitment is in moving the women, peace and security agenda forward. Canada fully endorses the statement to be made later today by the representative of Slovenia on behalf on the Human Security Network. As we mark the sixth anniversary of the adoption of Council resolution 1325 (2000) and welcome the Secretary-General’s in-depth study on violence against women (A/61/122/Add.1), Canada calls on the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission to intensify efforts to address all acts of gender-based violence against women and girls and to eliminate impunity for such violence so that women can play a full role in the reconstruction of their communities and benefit from the dividends of peace. In this respect, we have seen some positive steps forward. In April of this year, the Council adopted resolution 1674 (2006), on the protection of civilians. That resolution includes strong provisions for prioritizing civilian protection as part of peace support operations and for addressing sexual and gender-based violence. As with many issues that come before the Council for action, the women, peace and security agenda is not an abstract political concept. In Burundi, we have witnessed the positive impact of women’s participation in peace negotiations. In Afghanistan, we have witnessed the strength and commitment of women who fought to enshrine equal rights in their constitution. In post-genocide Rwanda, women have captured a record number of seats in the elected assembly. Such gains need to be protected and built upon so as to ensure their long-lasting positive effects. The Council is well aware, however — as is the wider international community — that effective and sustainable peace, justice and security will not be achieved if we do not consider all the related activities through a gender lens. In order for peace consolidation to integrate gender equality and women’s rights effectively, we need to focus both on the increased direct participation of women in peace processes and on institutional reform that is aware of gender. Without this two-pronged approach, peace consolidation will not be realized. Last week, Canada co-hosted a panel discussion with the United Nations Development Fund for Women to discuss women’s priorities in peace consolidation, especially in the areas of gender justice, security-sector reform and good governance, and to discuss the critical nature of operationalizing resolution 1325 (2000) in its work. Canada warmly welcomes the recent appointment of Carolyn McAskie as Assistant Secretary-General, Peacebuilding Support Office, and would like to thank her for her deep commitment and her continuing engagement on this important agenda. The Council’s direct role in ensuring that women participate at all levels in peace consolidation and that gender equality is integrated throughout all peace and security activities is now well established. The Peacebuilding Commission also shares this responsibility and recently reaffirmed — at its first country-specific meetings on Burundi and on Sierra Leone — the centrality of resolution 1325 (2000) to its work. Canada welcomes the Council’s pledge, and that of the Peacebuilding Commission and the wider international community, to take steps to promote gender equality and support the empowerment of women. However, Canada is also aware that, as noted by the Secretary-General in his current report to the Council on women, peace and security (S/2006/770), attention to gender equality has not been systematically integrated. In this regard, Canada would like to stress the increasing need for effective monitoring systems, including systematic sex-disaggregated data collection, and more concrete accountability and reporting mechanisms in all areas related to resolution 1325 (2000). In addition, it is important that we build an effective international capacity to prevent and respond to situations in which civilians, particularly women, are at high risk. Canada will continue to monitor the implementation by the Council of its commitments, particularly in country-specific contexts, and to support work that enhances the efforts of the Council and the wider international community in this area. Such efforts include ensuring that gender-equality concerns are integrated into Council resolutions establishing or extending peacekeeping missions and are included in terms of reference for Council missions and mission reports. In addition, Canada urges the Peacebuilding Commission to develop modalities to ensure the active participation of civil society and representative women’s organizations in all areas of its work and to make sure that women’s groups actively contribute to peacebuilding and long-term development strategies from the outset. Canada also calls on the Peacebuilding Commission to adopt an internal policy on gender mainstreaming in its structure and operations. This could include integrating a gender-based analysis in its arrangements for the management, disbursement and use of the new Peacebuilding Fund. Additionally, Canada believes strongly that the Peacebuilding Support Office would benefit from a permanent gender adviser position at the senior management level. The Council can succeed in establishing sustainable peace and security only if it fully recognizes the contribution that women make to their future and to the future of their nations.

Let me begin, Mr. President, by thanking you for initiating the discussion of this issue. I wish to thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2006/770) and to express my appreciation to Ms. Mayanja, Under- Secretary-General Guéhenno, Ms. Heyzer and Ms. McAskie for their statements. This year marks the sixth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). It is also the first anniversary of the introduction by the Secretary-General of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan for implementation of that resolution. The resolution constitutes the basis for the Council’s work in the area of women and peace and security and also orients the Council’s efforts in this regard. As described in the report of the Secretary- General, six years of efforts and one year of practice show that the relevant bodies and agencies of the United Nations system have done a great deal of work in early warning and conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacebuilding, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, post-conflict reconstruction, implementation of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programmes and the protection of women’s rights and interests in armed conflict. Through the implementation of myriad specific projects, they helped elevate the status and role of women and protected and bolstered their legitimate rights and interests. Nonetheless, we also realize that the question of women and peace and security covers many levels and facets, involves many institutions and agencies and finds expression in conflict situations with varying characteristics. What is more, in carrying out their own current mandates, those institutions and agencies have encountered institutional and organizational challenges and inadequacies. In some conflict situations, women remain in tragic predicaments, lacking guarantees of their personal safety and security and unable to participate effectively in the peace process and political life. The Chinese delegation attaches great significance to this issue. In that regard, I wish to stress the following points. First and foremost, the existing outcomes in the area of women, peace and security should be followed up proactively and comprehensively; the Security Council should play a critical role in its own right. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), the 2005 World Summit Outcome (General Assembly resolution 60/1), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and a series of other outcomes in this area set out for us clear long-term requirements that need to be met jointly through collective efforts by Member States and various United Nations bodies, agencies and programmes. As the organ that bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the Security Council should strive to remove the root causes of conflicts and intensify conflict prevention and peacekeeping so as to create an enabling environment for the survival and development of all vulnerable groups, including women, children and civilians. For their part, countries should formulate their own national strategies or programmes of action in the light of their national conditions with a view to fulfilling the aforementioned commitments. Secondly, the status and role of women should receive adequate attention in all phases of the peace process. In this regard, an awareness and a culture of paying heed to and respecting women should be formed. Pursuing gender equality is a demand that is enshrined in the Charter and resolution 1325 (2000), and it is an obligation for all Member States. It is imperative to heed women’s special needs and concerns at the various stages of conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Their potential and their role should also be fully recognized and tapped. Women should enjoy full decision-making power in the peace process, as they can provide firm support and a solid foundation for a hard-won peace. A peace process in which women are accorded attention and respect is a promising peace process; a social system in which women are valued and respected is a mature and durable social system. The Peacebuilding Commission, on which all parties place high hopes, has come into being and has had a smooth start in its substantive work. In its work in the years ahead, it should accord priority to women in post-conflict situations and encourage them to participate in peacebuilding-related activities of all kinds. Thirdly, in the process of United Nations reform, efforts should be made to enhance the Organization’s inter-agency coordination and capacity-building in the field of women and peace and security while optimizing resource allocation. The Secretary-General’s United Nations System- wide Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is a meaningful experiment as it involves dozens of United Nations bodies and encompasses hundreds of specific actions. We hope that the Plan will be followed through and integrated with the United Nations reform process so that the various bodies within the United Nations system and the Secretariat will be better adapted, systemically and in their practices, to implement the resolution fully. Having deliberated over the years on the complex of issues related to women, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council possess vast experience and systematic agendas of work. For that reason, the Security Council should coordinate with them in its work and focus on questions within its own terms of reference in order to achieve the overall result of a clear division of labour and an emphasis on key issues. There will be no lasting peace and social stability without the effective participation of women. The Beijing Declaration announced that “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.” (A/CONF.177/20, annex I, para. 18) More than 10 years later, that Declaration still provides guidance and is of profound significance. The Chinese Government always attaches importance to the protection of women’s rights and interests and to the advancement of women, having taken an active part in all United Nations processes in the field of women. We are ready to work in concert with the international community in a continued effort to achieve all the goals in the area of women and peace and security. Finally, China supports the Council’s issuance of the draft presidential statement on this item, which now commands consensus.

Let me begin by thanking you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting and thereby once again directing the attention of the Security Council to the indispensable role of women in all efforts to build and maintain peace and security. Let me also thank all four speakers for their introductions to our debate this morning. Furthermore, I would like to associate my delegation with the statement to be delivered later by the Permanent Representative of Finland on behalf of the European Union. Last year, Denmark warmly welcomed the United Nations System-wide Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). This year, the report of the Secretary-General (S/2006/770) presents an overview of achievements, gaps and challenges, as well as recommendations for future action for implementation of the Plan. The report clearly indicates that much has been done but also that much more needs to be done, and done better. Guidelines, workshops and new gender-inclusive procedures are important stepping-stones, tools for proper implementation and for achieving the objectives. But what is the impact of such initiatives? Have they made a difference for women and girls on the ground? The sad answer is, we do not really know. According to the report, a number of gaps and challenges remain. Let me underline a few of these. Strong commitment, leadership and accountability at the highest level in the United Nations are key to progress. To this, we can all agree. But the report underlines that lack of leadership and commitment to pursue the implementation of the Action Plan both in intergovernmental bodies and in the United Nations system is one of the serious weaknesses affecting the implementation of the resolution. Despite the Security Council’s many strategic initiatives to promote gender equality and support the empowerment of women, its attention to gender issues is not systematic. It is furthermore incomprehensible that, in the United Nations in 2006, there is, in the words of the report, “lack of a common understanding of gender and gender mainstreaming and especially of their practical application” (S/2006/770, para. 23). The use of gender advisers in peacekeeping operations by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) has improved capacity. However, to really make a difference, gender advisers must be appointed at the senior level, and their efforts must be matched by the allocation of necessary resources. It is a management responsibility to implement resolution 1325 (2000). I welcome the efforts undertaken by Under-Secretary-General Guéhenno in this regard. The report must be credited for unveiling weaknesses in accountability mechanisms. We all know that what is measured gets done, and Denmark strongly urges that the Action Plan be transformed into a results-based programming, monitoring and reporting tool. Denmark places high expectations in the Peacebuilding Commission’s ability to further develop and strengthen the necessary cooperation and coordination between the various actors involved and their civilian and military instruments and capabilities. Needless to say, the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000) must be important guiding principles for the work of the Peacebuilding Commission. At the national level, in 2005, Denmark launched a National Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The Plan will now be revised in the light of experiences gained by all relevant Danish actors and their partners working in situations of crisis and conflict. We also co-sponsored a workshop in Dubai, at which the United Nations Mine Action Team worked with the United Nations and national staff from Yemen, Jordan, Afghanistan, Iraq and the occupied Palestinian territories to ensure that their mine action programmes promote gender equality. We intend to follow up on the conference to further promote gender equality in mine action. In another effort to implement resolution 1325 (2000), Denmark requested the International Crisis Group to examine the role of women in peacebuilding in three of Africa’s most deadly conflicts. The report contained discouraging findings that women are marginalized in peace processes, grossly underrepresented in the security sector as a whole, and largely excluded from the formal economy. And what about resolution 1325 (2000)? The resolution was by and large unknown among the actors at the country and grass-roots levels. Six years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) the challenge remains. Our political support for the resolution must be transformed into visible and documented impact for the millions of women and girls affected by conflicts.

First of all, let me thank the Japanese presidency for the organization of this open debate that reflects the commitment of the Security Council to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). I am also grateful for the participation of those speakers who preceded me, whose statements give us a clearer picture of the progress and the gaps in this process of implementation of the resolution. From a human rights perspective, Argentina attaches high priority to the situation of women in conflict and the participation of women in peace processes and in the peacebuilding phase. Resolution 1325 (2000) is the legal framework that allows us to make this participation effective at both the national and international levels. At this time, the debate should focus on the role of women in peacebuilding. On behalf of my delegation, I would like to recall here once again the important role that women played in the democratization process in Argentina when they fought for human rights and decided to unite in the search for the truth as to the whereabouts of their children and grandchildren who had been victims of the forced disappearances or kidnappings which characterized the military dictatorship in Argentina. However, at the time, these groups of women had no international legal framework to protect them on their path towards the truth. At the time, the international community looked upon the women as victims of conflicts rather than protagonists of a peace process or fundamental participants in the building of a lasting peace. Our own experience makes us aware of the importance of carrying out national action plans for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). These plans should be drawn up through a participative process that should include monitoring and accountability mechanisms whereby Governments would ensure not only that a greater number of women participated in decision-making but also that their demands and needs were taken into consideration at all levels of State, especially in the process of institutional reform, including the reform of the legislative, judicial and security sectors. From the perspective of the United Nations system, we feel that it is necessary to ensure a systematic implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in all areas of its work, starting with the inclusion of a gender perspective in all resolutions of this Council, including resolutions that establish or extend a peace operation, and in the terms of reference of the missions undertaken by its members. We hope that the now functional Peacebuilding Commission, with the support and assistance of Carolyn McAskie, will prove a useful instrument which will allow us to incorporate a gender policy in all post-conflict situations that come before this body for consideration. Although the subject of this debate is confined to the roles of women in the consolidation of peace, my delegation would nevertheless like to refer to the violence suffered by women and girls in armed conflicts solely due to their gender. We support the publication of the report of the Secretary-General on all forms of violence against women (A/61/122/Add.1). We believe that it is essential that the Security Council be regularly informed of instances of such violence, so that it can contribute to putting an end to the impunity often enjoyed by perpetrators and to holding accountable the parties to the conflict responsible for such violations. In conclusion, we believe that the commitment so often expressed vis-à-vis the situation of women and gender equality must be translated into real efforts to give women a voice in peace-consolidation processes; lead to the reform of institutions, to take into consideration the needs of women; and bring about the establishment of national and international mechanisms for accountability as regards the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). My country supports the draft presidential statement on this item, which will be read out by the President at the end of this meeting.

The next speaker on my list is the representative of Australia, to whom I give the floor.

Australia recognizes the critical role women play in peace and security. We are a strong supporter of, and advocate for, Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), and have been ever since its adoption. We demonstrate that commitment both in our domestic actions and through our support of countries in our region in their efforts to understand and implement the resolution. For example, we have an ongoing programme of training on the implementation of the resolution for personnel from within the Australian Defence Forces and military personnel from other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This year we also supported a Pacific Islands Forum regional workshop on gender, conflict, peace and security — the first of its kind in the Pacific. It was attended by policymakers and representatives from military and law enforcement agencies and from women’s non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all 16 Pacific Islands Forum countries. The workshop outcomes are now guiding follow-up work on gender, peace and security. We stand ready to assist with those activities wherever appropriate. Also in the Asia-Pacific region, we are supporting two NGO projects that aim to enhance advocacy and action towards the full implementation of the resolution. They focus on strengthening regional information-sharing, increasing awareness of the role of women in national, regional and international peacebuilding efforts, and the training of key policy- makers in the region and NGOs on the implementation of the resolution. They will also develop a regional network of women whose names can be put forward by their respective Governments for nomination for positions in United Nations peacekeeping missions. Domestically, Australia is also taking steps to back our support for resolution 1325 (2000) with concrete action. We actively engage women in our peacekeeping efforts, and women military, police and civilian personnel play a key role in our assistance to United Nations peacekeeping missions and bilateral and regional endeavours, such as the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands. More broadly, gender equality has been clearly articulated as an overarching principle in the new white paper on Australia’s aid programme. A new gender policy is being developed to underpin that commitment, and practical guidelines have been developed to address policy issues and operational strategies to promote the role of women, including in peacebuilding. Advances have been made in understanding and operationalizing the links between gender, development, human rights, peace, security and justice. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) reaffirms the role of women in preventing and resolving conflicts and encourages making women central to negotiating peace agreements, to peacekeeping operations and to reconstructing societies stricken by war. It makes the gender perspective and gender equality relevant to all Security Council efforts. We stress, however, that the concerns of women must be addressed not just in the early stages of peace processes but also in post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction and in broader development efforts. Gender equality is fundamental not just to achieving peace but also to longer-term development and the prevention of conflict. Australia strongly supports resolution 1325 (2000). We will continue to find tangible ways through our aid programme, our involvement in peacekeeping missions — including regional missions — and at the domestic level to implement the resolution. In conclusion, I would like to congratulate our regional neighbour, Fiji, for setting an example in the region by including key elements of the resolution in its national women’s plan of action. We are confident that Fiji will also make a valuable contribution on these issues through its membership of the Peacebuilding Commission, which is tasked with integrating the gender perspective into all of its work.

I now call on the representative of South Africa.

We would like to thank the delegation of Japan for organizing this very important meeting. We are also pleased by the participation of Ms. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), a body that has already been involved in the implementation of this important resolution. We also welcome Ms. Carolyn McAskie, Assistant Secretary-General, Peacebuilding Support Office. We look forward to the further strengthening of the work that has been done on this important issue. My delegation is indeed pleased to address the Security Council on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security. We associate ourselves with the statements to be made later on by the representative of Lesotho on behalf of the Southern African Development Community group, and by the representative of Slovenia on behalf of the Human Security Network. With the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we came to realize the important contribution made by women in the maintenance of peace and security. We have also come to accept that women are not simply victims of war and conflicts, but important role-players in the resolution of those same conflicts. Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we have seen a growing demand for the inclusion of women in peace negotiations. Women are gradually finding a place in the implementation of peace agreements, post-conflict rehabilitation, reconstruction and disarmament. What remains is a lack of much-needed political will to allow women to fully participate in, and contribute to, the resolution of conflicts. Promoting the role of women in the consolidation of peace underscores the four main principles of resolution 1325 (2000). First, there is a need for the full and unrestricted participation of women in all decision-making and peace processes. Secondly, it is important to integrate gender perspectives and training into peacekeeping operations. Thirdly, there is an obligation to protect women and girls from human rights abuses, including gender-based violence in conflict zones. Fourthly, there is a need to mainstream the gender perspective into United Nations reporting systems and programme-implementation mechanisms. The Beijing Platform for Action long ago stated the need to include women in decision-making and to ensure that policies were gender-sensitive, as a fundamental process towards the acceleration of women’s emancipation. In recent years we have seen women coming together by themselves in the Great Lakes region and in the Mano River Basin to decide on their own future and to organize their participation in the national reconstruction of their countries. The South African Women in Dialogue initiative has organized consultations with women from several African countries emerging from conflict to forge strategies that seek to make certain that women’s concerns are taken into account in peacebuilding efforts. Yet, it remains disheartening that sexual and gender-based violence, including trafficking in persons, continues in conflict areas. In some parts of the world, gender-based violence has reached almost epidemic proportions. Every effort must be made to halt that inhuman practice and to bring the perpetrators to justice. Efforts to monitor and report gender-based violence in situations of armed conflict must be complemented by practical measures at the national and international levels to end impunity and to bring those who are responsible for crimes against women and girls to justice. In that regard, South Africa supports the efforts of the United Nations to fully implement codes of conduct and disciplinary procedures that prevent and respond to sexual exploitation, while enhancing monitoring and enforcement mechanisms in peace missions. The full achievement of the goals contained in resolution 1325 (2000) can become a reality only through better information, coordination and cooperation, as well as strengthened commitment and accountability at all levels of the United Nations system. Enhanced cooperation with regional organizations, as well as with civil society and women’s national machineries, is also essential. My delegation therefore notes with appreciation the progress made in the implementation of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan proposed just last year. Finally, the Peacebuilding Commission also presents an opportunity for the integration of the gender perspective in all phases of consolidating peace. We urge the Peacebuilding Commission to pay particular attention to the knowledge and understanding that women can bring in peacebuilding processes. That is the least we can expect from that newest and important organ of the United Nations.

I call on the representative of Slovenia.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the States members of the Human Security Network, namely, Austria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Mali, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Thailand and South Africa as observer. The role and contribution of women are critical to the promotion of the human security agenda, shifting the traditional emphasis from inter-State security to people-centred security. The Network thanks the Japanese presidency of the Security Council for organizing this open debate and welcomes its wider format, in particular the inclusion of voices of civil society representatives from Burundi and Timor-Leste. Six years after the adoption of the landmark Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), there is not much room and not much reason for complacency. Women are still not equal partners in peace processes and gender-based violence is increasing. We stress the importance of better implementation of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We therefore strongly call for the creation of a Security Council mechanism to monitor its own actions in integrating resolution 1325 (2000), as well as other related resolutions, into its daily work. We also expect the Security Council to meet with civil society organizations, including women’s groups, when on a mission to conflict-affected countries or regions. That will underpin the commitment to developing national- level coordination strategies or action plans on the implementation of the resolution. In many post-war situations, women’s organizations will be among the first to organize themselves as civil society voices, yet among the last to be able to access formal decision-making structures and processes. That trend needs to be reversed and, while recognition of the contribution of women’s networks and grassroots peacebuilding initiatives to peace consolidation processes is growing, we still need to integrate them much better. Both the Security Council and the newly established Peacebuilding Commission need to pay special and full attention to integrating women equally into formal peace processes. If we wish to aim at long- term and durable peace, all parts of society need to part take in it, including women. Looking at different cases of negotiations in the past, it is striking to note the near total lack of women peace envoys to date. It is clear that at all levels — local, national and, indeed, the highest international level — women should be included in conflict-resolution efforts in accordance with resolution 1325 (2000). It is vital to operationalize resolution 1325 (2000) in the work of all United Nations bodies, particularly in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in particular has done a lot in recent years to support the mainstreaming of the gender perspective in conflict prevention, resolution and reconstruction, including by supporting grass-roots women’s organizations. The Peacebuilding Commission and other United Nations bodies would be wise to draw fully on that expertise and experience and to include the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, UNIFEM and other relevant actors into the Commission’s discussions on integrating the gender perspective fully into its work. We have noted in previous open debates of the Security Council the alarmingly pervasive nature of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict-affected areas. Sexual violence is repeatedly and with frightening persistence used as a deliberate method of warfare. Therefore, the issue of violence against women needs to receive adequate attention during and after armed conflict. Members of the Network urge the Council to systematically incorporate gender considerations in all aspects of mission planning and execution, particularly from the outset. All peacekeeping missions need to strictly obey the zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse and to put in place disciplinary measures to address any violations. We need to prevent violence against women and to ensure accountability for it. We welcome the release of the Secretary-General’s study on violence against women and we fully concur that there is a need to eliminate impunity for gender-based violence so that women can play a meaningful role in the reconstruction of their communities and benefit from peace dividends. As stated in the report of the Secretary-General, awareness and action on the System-wide Action Plan are still being promoted in a sporadic rather than a systematic and holistic approach. Insufficient gender mainstreaming and gender empowerment are true of the international community as a whole when dealing with conflict resolution and peacebuilding. We call on both the Security Council and the new Peacebuilding Commission to take the lead towards creating a genuinely gender-blind culture, which will provide benefits to individuals in society and to society as a whole.

Peru thanks you, Sir, for your initiative of organizing today’s open debate on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and the role of women in peacebuilding. We also thank the Secretary-General for his report on the United Nations System-wide Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), and welcome the statements made by the four senior United Nations representatives that we heard this morning. Six years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), which involved a change in the way we think about and deal with the issue of the participation of women in conflict prevention and in promoting and assisting in the peacekeeping process, we see that, despite the efforts made to implement it, realities on the ground show that we are still a long way away from achieving the goals that we set ourselves. It is regrettable that women are continuing to suffer as a result of armed conflict, during which they are subject to all forms of physical, sexual and psychological violence committed by both State and non-State actors. Increasingly violence and sexual abuse, as well as the transmission of HIV/AIDS, are used intentionally as weapons of war. That statement is corroborated by the in-depth study on all forms of violence against women that the Secretary-General has submitted to the General Assembly. That is why we feel that the international community must continue to use all instruments available to it so as to put an end to violations of the human rights of women and girls in situations of armed conflict. This must be done through coordinated strategies and policies at the national and international levels. For example, although it is important that such situations be brought systematically before international tribunals, States themselves have the primary responsibility for providing justice and for punishing those responsible for crimes. Only the rule of law and justice can create a safe and sustainable environment that will enable the full participation of women in the peacebuilding process. With regard to the Secretary-General’s report, Peru welcomes its consideration of the Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In the light of the conclusions reached, we support the proposal to continue working to speed up the implementation of the resolution in the five key areas. Likewise, we agree with the Secretary-General that the Action Plan, at all levels of the United Nations system, should be renewed beyond 2007 and redesigned to take into account the conclusions and measures contained in the report. The establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission and of its Support Office gives us a fresh opportunity to help countries in the process of their economic and social reconstruction and to prevent them from slipping once again into armed conflict. Likewise, it is important that States shoulder their responsibilities and take the necessary and firm steps necessary to remove those barriers preventing women from being effectively involved in the political sphere, in decision-making bodies, and in the peacekeeping and peacebuilding processes. We also deem it important that the agencies of the United Nations system and civil society organizations continue to implement innovative projects to prevent gender-based violence in situations of armed conflict and to address every kind of violence against women. In that respect, we are pleased to lean that peacekeeping missions are increasingly incorporating a gender perspective in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process. Likewise, we would like to highlight the fact that many peacekeeping operations already have offices on gender issues, thus contributing to the promotion of national, governmental and non-governmental capacities in conflict areas. There is much to be done, and the task must addressed jointly by States, by the United Nations system and civil society, in particular by women’s groups. In that respect, we would like to underline the fact that an Arria-formula meeting, convened by the delegation of the United Kingdom, was held yesterday, on Wednesday, 25 October, on the role of women in peacebuilding. That meeting helped us to obtain firsthand knowledge of the work done by women’s organizations in the field, with a view to ensuring that resolution 1325 (2000) is fully known and implemented.

First of all, I would like to thank all four briefers for their presentations and the Japanese presidency for having convened this important debate. Slovakia fully associates itself with the statement to be delivered shortly by the Permanent Representative of Finland on behalf of the European Union. I will therefore limit myself to a few additional remarks. Slovakia strongly supports the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), which represents a concrete tool for the promotion and protection of the rights of women in conflict and post- conflict situations. Thanks to the activities and programmes connected with the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), there is a growing awareness and understanding of the fact that lasting and sustainable solutions cannot be achieved without the participation of women and the inclusion of gender perspectives in peace processes. We welcome the integration of a gender- perspective focus into the projects of various United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations active in conflict and post-conflict situations. We attach a high value to projects promoting dialogue between communities and the active participation of women in ongoing decision-making processes. In that regard, let me highlight here, for example, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) programme on advancing women’s rights to democratic governance and peace in South-East Europe, prepared by the UNIFEM regional office in Bratislava, under whose scope the agency, inter alia, facilitates dialogue between various women’s organizations in Kosovo. Slovakia fully supports the efforts of the Secretary-General and of the United Nations system as a whole to mainstream gender issues in the agenda, especially in the field of conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, and the systematic approach taken to this task through the United Nations System-wide Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), as reflected in the Secretary- General’s report. In that respect, we welcome the inclusion of the issue of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) on the agenda of recent meetings of the Peacebuilding Commission on Burundi and Sierra Leone. However, despite all the efforts of the international community, women in conflict situations continue to face violence, including sexual violence, and abuses. The situation of the hundreds of thousands of women affected by conflicts and wars and the worst abuses of human rights committed against women and girls around the world are a reminder to us that a great deal remains to be done to eradicate the evils of gender-based violence. There are still too many gaps in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In our view, a more coherent and systematic approach on the part of the international community is needed to address the requirements and obligations of resolution 1325 (2000) in order to improve the situation of women and increase their participation in peacebuilding activities. When the Security Council visited Darfur and refugee camps in eastern Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo last spring, we met with women’s groups, refugees and non-governmental organizations. We heard horrific stories about gender- based violence used as a weapon of war. United Nations agencies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo indicated that more than 30,000 survivors of sexual violence have been identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since mid-2005, and their number, as we have heard from Mr. Guéhenno, continues to grow alarmingly. Only some have benefited from some form of assistance. In western Darfur and eastern Chad, the situation is even worse; there is almost no access by victims to judicial and medical services. That situation, in our view, requires urgent and effective action so as to help and protect women from further abuses and violence. Slovakia strongly condemns the continued widespread sexual violence and all other forms of violations of the human rights of women and girls in situations of armed conflict. Impunity for such acts is unacceptable. If the national authorities are unable or unwilling to act, the international community has the responsibility to use all available tools to put an end to the impunity of the perpetrators of those crimes. We believe that the international community and national authorities must respond more effectively to widespread, continued sexual violence in situations of conflict. That response could include the prevention of sexual violence through advocacy and sensitization campaigns; the training of workers in the medical, psychological and legal assistance fields and law enforcement institutions; the identification of survivors through community-based networks; medical, psychological and legal assistance to victims; and efforts to curb impunity, including by supporting the prosecution of crimes involving sexual violence. We also reiterate our full support for the zero- tolerance policy with respect to crimes committed by United Nations personnel. We believe that the appropriate presence of women and gender training in armed forces, including in peacekeeping forces, clearly has a positive effect on the behaviour and actual conduct of the troops on duty. In this respect, we are convinced that the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000) are fully relevant for carrying out security sector reform plans. That issue needs to be properly addressed. It is closely related to other phenomena that are natural parts of the comprehensive approach to security sector reform, especially child soldiers, gender-based violence and sexual exploitation amongst others. Otherwise, there is an imminent danger of countries falling back into a violent conflict. Sustainable solutions require a holistic institutional approach. Addressing sexual violence requires mainstreaming the issues into security sector and other reforms of governance and creating a permanent mechanism that brings victims, civil society, Government and donors together in order to coordinate policies and actions more effectively on the domestic and international levels. Finally, as far as Slovakia’s own implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is concerned, the long-term reform plan of the Slovak Armed Forces called “Model 2015” also addresses the gender issues and refers specifically to resolution 1325 (2000). Its implementation has already led to a moderate increase of the number of female officers, currently at 7.5 per cent, in all kinds of army units, including the Slovak troops deployed in the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Union (EU) missions. Women in the Slovak Armed Forces undergo the same training as men. The predeployment training of our peacekeepers includes special gender training with particular emphasis on the promotion of gender equality and the prevention of sexual crimes. In conclusion, I would like to use this opportunity to congratulate the Government of India on its decision to contribute to the first-ever female Formed Police Unit, which will join the United Nations Mission in Liberia later this year. We believe that it will serve as a positive example, and the presence of that unit will have a significant positive effect on post-conflict Liberian society. Sir Emyr Jones Parry (United Kingdom): I welcome this debate on a vital resolution. It was good to hear, this morning, from members of the United Nations family and, later this afternoon, we will hear from civil society representatives. My thanks, as well, to those who contributed so valuably to the area meeting that we held yesterday. I wish to align myself with the statement to be made in a little while by the representative of Finland on behalf of the European Union. The United Kingdom is committed to ensuring that women are provided with the opportunity to participate fully in all stages of the peace process — from early ceasefire negotiations to reforms of the security sector and restoration of the rule of law, through all stages of a conflict. The full participation of women in peace consolidation is vital to sustained and long-term stability. But it is much more than that — it is essential that the rights of women, so often the victims, be respected. This means responding to all the problems that women confront in post-conflict situations, and encouraging their empowerment through education, employment and participation in the political process — the areas identified in resolution 1325 (2000). Peacebuilding is difficult enough; 50 per cent of the countries involved will relapse into conflict within five to ten years. Excluding women from the process only makes peace more uncertain. We have high expectations of the Peacebuilding Commission. It should produce greater coherence in the total peacebuilding effort. That includes ensuring that gender is integrated at the very start of our efforts to establish peace, and carried through in all its different aspects: disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, security sector reform and the rule of law. The recent meetings on Sierra Leone and Burundi have identified the need for a more gender-sensitive approach. We must now see this through, while concrete steps are taken to build peace in these countries. As my Norwegian colleague described, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom recently participated in a joint donor review of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the United Nations missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Kosovo. I am happy to note that progress is being made — but six years on, that should be the norm and not the exception. Gender mainstreaming is not taking place; there is an absence of clear monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and therefore accountability is weak. Gender is not included in a systematic or coherent way in either the establishment or the running of peacekeeping missions. The problem is implementation: implementation by Member States, where national plans are much needed; implementation by the countries emerging from conflict; and implementation by the United Nations family. We all have a responsibility. Within the United Nations system, there are many dedicated and serious efforts being made to cope with the issues in resolution 1325 (2000), but they lack coherence — they are not necessarily coordinated; it is not always clear who is responsible for doing what; and I am not sure that we can consistently say that relationships are cooperative and not conflictual. Let me end with a challenge to the United Nations system: Can we set clear objectives for each of our peace support operations in every post-conflict country? The objective is simple — to implement resolution 1325 (2000). In setting that objective, can we then develop an action plan, specific to each country with the consent of the Government of that country, in which the individual funds, programmes and agencies assume particular responsibility, designated so, for the separate elements in resolution 1325 (2000)? If that were done, as we then looked at country situations, the Council would be able to assess the objectives, the intended implementation and the success in achieving precise outputs. This would be a systematic application of the resolution and represent accountability for how it was actually being implemented. I hope that in response to this debate the Secretariat can endorse such an approach, and take on the responsibility of putting a degree of order and planning into the way in which this issue is addressed and the way in which we give effect to resolution 1325 (2000). As the United Nations looks to new ways to ensure peace consolidation and to reform our service delivery, we must accept that women should be full and equal participants in all parts of the process. To do otherwise is an injustice to them and an injustice to the cause of peace, which we seek to serve. We are all obliged, therefore, to work together to ensure the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). That should be only too apparent. We all have a part to play in it. So, now let us plan and be clear that we are doing it, and that we know how we are doing it.

I now give the floor to the representative of Finland.

It is a great honour for me to address the Security Council on resolution 1325 (2000), a resolution to which I personally have devoted so much time and passion. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). The following countries align themselves with this statement: Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Croatia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Iceland, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. On behalf of the European Union, I would like to extend my thanks to the Japanese presidency for holding this open debate. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) is, in many ways, a milestone in the recognition of the role of women in peace consolidation and has been welcomed by women all over the world. However, six years after the resolution’s adoption, there are still serious gaps in its implementation. We need to analyse these gender gaps, prioritize women’s role throughout the peace process and show leadership which ensures women’s empowerment, participation and protection. The European Union believes that it is critical to move from marginalization to action. We encourage increased attention to the equal participation of women from the first stages of negotiating peace through reconstruction and political participation. The number of women in higher posts in United Nations peace operations remains low. We urge the Secretary-General to continue to identify and nominate women for senior posts. We also urge all other parties to increase the number of women staff in the areas of peacebuilding and peacekeeping. We must also engage in gender-specific institutional reform to make the institutions more responsive to women. Post-conflict reconstruction provides an opportunity for legal and justice reform. The legal framework and the judicial system should better protect the rights of women and girls, ensure their access to justice and remove gender-discriminatory statutes and practices concerning rights to land, property and inheritance. Promoting the rule of law and true access to justice for women is crucial. The European Union reiterates its support for the establishment of a rule of law assistance unit and requests that the unit be established without further delay. We hope that the unit, once established, will adopt a strong gender focus. The EU emphasizes that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes should include women and girls. Reconstituted police and armed forces should seek gender balance and should be reformed to introduce gender equality. We also believe that gender should be an integral part of security-sector reform programmes. We believe that the Peacebuilding Commission provides a unique forum for strong institutional and strategic leadership and prioritization regarding the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We are very pleased to see that the role of women and resolution 1325 (2000) were included in the Commission’s first country-specific meetings. The EU believes that gender should be incorporated into every aspect of the work of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Support Office. The Commission should also ensure open and inclusive participation and representation of women’s organizations and civil society in its work. The EU strongly believes in gender equality as a prerequisite for peace and security. Resolution 1325 (2000) is currently being implemented also within the context of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The EU is committed to increasing women’s representation at all decision-making levels and in peacekeeping operations, increasing the dialogue with local and international women’s groups, protecting women and girls affected by conflict and incorporating a gender perspective into all ESDP operations. Gender inclusion has to start at the highest levels, and it has to be done systematically. The EU has adopted a checklist for gender in ESDP operations. In addition, all the operations are bound by the Generic Standards of Behaviour, which prohibit any involvement in sexual exploitation, trafficking in women or prostitution. We believe that all peacekeeping personnel should act in an exemplary manner, and we encourage the training of all United Nations personnel, at all levels. Armed conflicts have increasingly been characterized by the use of sexual violence against women and girls. Violence against women in and after armed conflict constitutes a grave human rights violation. The EU, in line with decisions of the Security Council, strongly condemns all gender-based violence in situations of armed conflict and further condemns all violations of the human rights of women and girls. We urge that impunity be ended for all perpetrators by strengthening the legal and judicial systems and by enacting and enforcing legislation to ensure investigation, prosecution and punishment of perpetrators. The EU stresses that impunity must be excluded from all war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and gender-based crimes, and it reiterates its support for the International Criminal Court in this regard. The response to gender-based violence requires long-term and coordinated efforts, including protection, health care, education and psycho-social, social, economic and legal support. The EU also underscores the importance of preventing gender-based violence. In line with the proposal outlined in the recent report of the Secretary-General on all forms of violence against women (A/61/122/Add.1), the EU supports the establishment of monitoring mechanisms within the Security Council to address the prevention and redress of violence against women in armed conflict. The European Union takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the review of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan (S/2006/770). We encourage strengthened coordination between United Nations agencies, both at Headquarters and in the field, and urge the development of a regular monitoring and reporting mechanism for the Action Plan. Incorporating resolution 1325 (2000) into the Security Council’s work in order to ensure a gender- sensitive approach in all such work is crucial, but there is often a lack of understanding of the concept of gender mainstreaming. The EU therefore welcomes the current efforts by the United Nations and Member States to train permanent missions and Security Council members on how to translate the resolution into concrete action. Additional measures to include resolution 1325 (2000) in the work of the Security Council should also be considered, such as establishing a working group or focal point. Member States need to take responsibility for the success of resolution 1325 (2000) through ensuring that it is integrated into national policy and training programmes. A number of EU member States, as well as other countries, have developed national action plans on the implementation of the resolution. We encourage countries to develop such plans, as well as to apply a broad gender mainstreaming approach across government. Finally, the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) is closely linked to achieving gender equality and equal participation by women at all levels of society. In post-conflict societies, indeed, women constitute much more than half of the population. Women are entitled to an active role in rebuilding their society.

I now give the floor to the representative of Sweden.

Let me first associate myself with the statement just made by the representative of Finland on behalf of the European Union. By adopting resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, the Security Council affirmed six years ago that the strengthening of women’s participation in conflict prevention and conflict management is of central importance for the promotion of international peace and security and human rights. The implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) is not only an aim in itself, but is also fundamental, because it is a way to reach the objectives of security, development, human rights and gender equality. It should therefore also be seen as an important basis for the work of the Peacebuilding Commission. The United Nations system has undertaken considerable efforts in developing a comprehensive action plan to implement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). Sweden strongly supports the implementation and follow-up of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan for resolution 1325 (2000), adopted in 2005. During last year’s open debate (see S/PV.5294), Sweden emphasized that we all have a responsibility to provide ideas and good practices, and must not only expect initiatives from others. In order to fulfil that responsibility, Sweden has completed a national action plan aimed at intensifying our implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). The action plan was developed in cooperation with governmental agencies and civil society. The Swedish action plan recognizes the importance of implementation at the national, regional and global levels. At the national level, a number of specific guidelines have been adopted for Swedish participation in peacekeeping and other activities in conflict-affected countries. The Swedish armed forces has launched a more systematic effort to increase the number of women conscripts and officers able to participate in international operations. The Folke Bernadotte Academy has systematically incorporated resolution 1325 (2000) in the planning and implementation of its training courses and in special projects with regard to missions abroad. Furthermore, the Swedish police has implemented special initiatives that have resulted in the percentage of women participating in peacekeeping operations being close to or the same as at the national level. At the regional level, the European Union is currently working towards a more gender-sensitive atmosphere to encourage more women to apply for European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) missions and positions. The appointment of a special adviser on gender issues in the European Union operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one concrete example. Globally, in the United Nations, Sweden has given political and financial support to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in United Nations peace support operations, as well as in security-sector reform measures and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes in a number of countries through our bilateral development cooperation. When it comes to missions abroad in general, whether European Union or United Nations missions, we must all be aware of and condemn sexual exploitation and abuse. For that purpose, we should not stop asking for reports and documents that highlight gender equality issues. Sweden has put forward a proposal about civilian observers in peacekeeping missions. The proposed new category of seconded civilian personnel has the potential to significantly increase the number of female mission members at the field level, where military observer teams very often constitute the only presence of a peace mission, and would thus be an important contribution to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Sweden, together with South Africa, and with the assistance of the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the International Legal Assistance Consortium is co-chairing the global initiative on partners for gender justice in conflict-affected countries. The partners have organized international meetings in Sweden and Liberia, as well as here in New York. The report from the high-level meeting on gender justice in Liberia has recently been presented to the Secretary-General. We have asked that the report be brought to the attention of the members of the Security Council. Finally, we look forward to seeing the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Support Office working to implement the commitments of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), in order to include women in all peace consolidation initiatives. Women should be seen as agents of security and development.

I now give the floor to the representative of Germany.

Germany associates itself with the statement made earlier by the presidency of the European Union and would like to add the following remarks: Peacebuilding and peace consolidation require patience and determination. Without any doubt, they also require the involvement of both men and women. Far too often, however, the full potential of women is not used, or they may even be completely left out of the process. And far too often, women who actively work for peace and reconstruction are discriminated against or even become targets of violence. One month ago, the head of the Department of Women’s Affairs of the southern Afghan province of Kandahar was brutally murdered. We must not recede in the face of those obstacles. The international community, national Governments and all actors at all levels must all continue their efforts to make women matter in the building and consolidation of peace. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) has been a landmark decision to that end. We must continue to strive to achieve its full implementation. It is important to ensure that the special experiences, abilities and needs of women are taken into consideration when designing and developing new instruments, policies and projects in the area of conflict prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding. Therefore, we welcome the call for the new Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Support Office to integrate a gender perspective into their work. This must be implemented now — in the field as well as in New York. Let me point out some indispensable elements. Women need justice. A gender-sensitive judicial system will benefit all, not only the victims of sexual violence. Women need safety. Germany has therefore launched various projects aimed at promoting the presence of women in the Afghan police force. And women and women’s non-governmental organizations must be active agents in the construction of civil society and democratic institutions. In that context, they can also make valuable contributions to the work of the Peacebuilding Commission. Sexual exploitation and abuse and the solicitation of prostitutes in peacekeeping operations is still an issue. It is extremely unfortunate that, six years after the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), we have still not come to grips with that issue. We strongly support the zero-tolerance policy of the Department for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and welcome the Department’s efforts to effectively fight sexual exploitation and abuse of the most vulnerable by those who have come with a mandate to protect. To that end, I am glad to announce, Germany will finance the Department of Peacekeeping Operations’ anti- prostitution campaign by contributing more than $300,000. We hope to formalize that pledge in the coming days. We are confident that that campaign will have a real impact. Finally, I wish to return to my initial assessment. We have witnessed some progress in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the past year. We have seen promising examples of women’s involvement in the consolidation of peace in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Burundi. We welcome the inclusion of a strong reference to resolution 1325 (2000) as a cross-cutting issue in resolution 1719 (2006) on Burundi, which was adopted this week. In Afghanistan, under the Bonn Agreement and the new constitution, women are taking an active part in the consolidation of peace and in the building of a new political reality, be it in parliament or in the Government, at the national and provincial levels. But much more needs to be done. Germany, as a member of the group Friends of resolution 1325 (2000), will therefore continue to work for equal participation and full involvement by women in the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

Permit me at the outset to thank you, Mr. President, and the Permanent Mission of Japan for the efforts and skill with which you have prepared for this open debate. We congratulate ourselves and the international community on the progress made in implementing Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). However, much work remains to be done to fully realize the objectives and purposes of that resolution. The State of Qatar will continue to play a major role in promoting the role of women at the national, regional and international levels and in all areas of life. We strongly believe in a number of principles aimed at promoting the role of women, including ensuring women’s participation at every stage of efforts to maintain and promote international peace and security; protecting women and girls from human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law during armed conflict; strict enforcement of measures against the perpetrators of sexual violence and attacks against women and girls in areas of armed conflict — regardless of whether those perpetrators are parties to the conflict or others who work in United Nations peacekeeping missions — and putting an end to impunity for such crimes; and promoting best practices and effective laws to guarantee effective participation by women in all aspects of peacekeeping and security missions. Recognizing and embracing those major principles require that we view this issue with transparency and objectivity and that we avoid double standards and political opportunism. Failure to uphold them will not only weaken the role of women in the maintenance of peace and security, but will also hamper our quest for lasting peace and reconciliation. We cannot merely depend on women’s courage and resolve to participate in every stage of peace and security processes; we must also establish programmes and promulgate effective legislation and social policies that are in keeping with the new social traditions of various societies and seek to protect the dignity and status of women in those societies. Identifying ways and means to empower women, including sharing sound practices and promoting women’s roles in decision-making at all levels, is essential for the effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In accordance with the mandate set out in that resolution and the relevant Security Council presidential statements, the United Nations System- wide Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) — which covers a number of priority areas — has been established. While the Action Plan has made a positive contribution to the implementation of the resolution, we look forward to a revised action plan that includes more detailed information about the framework of conflict analysis resulting from early warning indicators that are sensitive to gender and to geographic activities. Here, it is essential to take into account the organic relation between the relevant United Nations organs and national and regional organizations and to focus on improving the coordination among the relevant agencies and the technical cooperation at our disposal to promote national peacemaking and peacebuilding capacities and to promote practical guidelines on the basis of lessons learned from the advancement of women and their active and full participation in civil society institutions. The key to the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) lies in our commitment and accountability in assessing progress at all levels, helping States to establish national action plans and promoting the participation of regional commissions in the establishment and assessment of national policies, strategies and programmes to attain the major objectives of those plans. We wish to encourage networks of participation between United Nations Member States and non- governmental organizations, as well as accountability at the highest levels of the United Nations system. It is essential that Member States have strong and sustained political will so that we can coordinate our efforts to ensure the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Let us shoulder our responsibilities to that end.

There are still a number of speakers remaining on my list for this meeting. In view of the lateness of the hour, I intend, with the concurrence of members of the Council, to suspend the meeting until 3 p.m. sharp.