S/PV.6196 Security Council

In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Ms. Rachel N. Mayanja, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. 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 an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Ms. Inés Alberdi, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women. 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 an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Ms. Asha Hagi Elmi Amin, representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. It is so decided. I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter dated 1 October 2009 from the Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the United Nations, in which he requests that the acting Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations, His Excellency Mr. Tete Antonio, be invited to participate in the consideration of the item in accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to His Excellency Mr. Tete Antonio. There being no objection, it so decided.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/2009/465, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on women and peace and security. I should also like to draw Council members’ attention to document S/2009/490, which contains a letter dated 18 September 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, transmitting a concept paper on the item under consideration. Members of the Council also have before them document S/2009/500, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Austria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Finland, France, India, Italy, Japan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and Viet Nam. This draft resolution is a continuation of resolution 1325 (2000) and is designed to respond to the needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations. It provides for concrete action and for promoting their participation in all aspects of the peace process with a view to ensuring sustainable peace and security. In accordance with the understanding reached earlier among members, the Security Council will take action on the draft resolution before it prior to hearing statements from the participants in today’s meeting. Accordingly, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. A vote was taken by show of hands. In favour: Austria, Burkina Faso, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Japan, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mexico, Russian Federation, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Viet Nam.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1889 (2009). In accordance with the understanding reached among Council members, I wish to remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than five minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. Delegations with lengthy statements are kindly requested to circulate the texts in writing and to deliver a condensed version when speaking in the Chamber. I now give the floor to the Deputy Secretary- General, Her Excellency Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro. Ms. Migiro: Mr. President, Excellencies, I am delighted to join you at this open debate of the Security Council on resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. I will now read a statement of the Secretary-General. “I welcome this open debate on a subject that is a top priority for the United Nations. “Resolution 1325 (2000) provides a global framework for mainstreaming gender in all peace processes, including peacekeeping, peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction, as well as in the general maintenance of peace and security. The text was a milestone in the Security Council’s approach to the question, and I am pleased to say that the Council has consistently reviewed the progress being made to implement it. “This year’s open debate on the needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations highlights the importance of seizing the opportunity created by the cessation of hostilities. Addressing those needs is critical for long-term peace. So too is empowering women and girls in order that they can play their rightful role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. “As we approach next year’s tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) and the review of its implementation, it is appropriate that today we take stock. In nine years, only 16 countries have adopted national action plans for the implementation of the resolution. I encourage all Member States to take action before the tenth anniversary. “Much has been said about the importance of a monitoring mechanism. I have repeatedly called upon this Council to demonstrate leadership in this regard. Attention must also be given to safeguarding the newly acquired roles that women are playing during conflict, including in decision-making. “A cessation of conflict should not result in the marginalization of women and girls nor their relegation to stereotypical roles. Nor should we allow any exclusion of women in peace negotiations and mediation to become the template for what happens in implementing a peace settlement. Indeed, a growing body of evidence suggests that bringing women to the peace table improves the quality of agreements reached and increases the chances of successful implementation. “Women are likely to put gender issues on the agenda, set different priorities and possibly bridge the political divide more effectively. Experience also suggests that women’s contributions in post-conflict situations can make a critical difference to community survival and reconstruction. “As we heard from many speakers last Wednesday in this Chamber (see S/PV.6195), women face appalling violence, especially sexual violence, in the anarchy generated by conflict and its aftermath. Yet post-conflict gender-based violence often remains below the radar screen since a cessation of conflict is often mistaken for the full return of peace. “Resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) focus directly on these challenges. However, the implementation of those resolutions must be done in tandem with resolution 1325 (2000). “The strengthening of women’s participation in decision-making is critical to overcoming the scourge of sexual violence. I am committed to the full implementation of these landmark texts on women and peace and security and I will continue to do my part, including by appointing more women to positions of leadership. “I thank the Council for its attention to this issue and look forward to working with it to achieve our shared objectives.” The foregoing is what the Secretary-General would have said had he been here.

I thank the Deputy Secretary- General for her statement. I now give the floor to Ms. Rachel N. Mayanja, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. Ms. Mayanja: It is an honour for me to introduce the report of the Secretary-General on women and peace and security (S/2009/465). May I begin by expressing gratitude to you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to address the Council on the progress made in implementing resolution 1325 (2000) over the past year. I would also like to express my appreciation for the leadership and commitment of Viet Nam in preparing for this open debate. The report before the Council (S/2009/465) highlights ways in which armed conflict continues to affect women and girls in situations with which the Council has been seized. It identifies progress made in implementing resolution 1325 (2000) and outlines challenges and some recommendations for addressing them. Nine years since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), women and girls continue to be victims of gender- based violence, especially sexual violence, in many of the situations with which the Council was seized over the past year. Armed conflict and its aftermath continue to account for untold hardship for civilians, especially women and girls. These violations — especially sexual violence against women and girls — are pronounced during open hostilities, but they exist even where open hostilities have subsided. As noted in the statement delivered by the Deputy Secretary-General, unfortunately post-conflict atrocities often stay below the radar, seldom reaching the attention of the international community and leaving victims with little recourse to justice. For his part, the Secretary-General has repeatedly indicated in this Chamber his commitment to ending violence against women and girls in conflict situations. He did so on 7 August, 30 September, and in the statement which has just been delivered by the Deputy Secretary-General. Member States, United Nations entities and civil society have continued to make progress in ensuring the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Progress is particularly evident in the areas of training and capacity development. As a result, in some situations women’s participation in mediating and negotiating peace, in searching for justice, in fostering reconciliation, in supporting disarmament and demobilization, and in rebuilding national institutions, is evident. Much attention is being paid to protecting women from the threat of mines, which remains a pressing issue in post-conflict situations. In the reporting period, there was a decrease in the number of casualties due to mines, reflecting intensified activities in this area. Of even greater significance is the recognition by women themselves of the importance of their participation in mine-action activities. Among the most significant signs of progress is the adoption by many Member States, including some that have recently emerged from conflict, of national action plans to guide the implementation of the resolution. The process of developing many of these plans has been collaborative, leading to the sharing of experiences and expertise among Member States, United Nations entities and civil society organizations. This is a welcome development, which should be emulated. However, the adoption of national action plans is only a first step. We must not lose sight of the fact that these plans must be implemented if they are to achieve their goals, and that they must be backed by resources. Greater efforts by the United Nations system and by Member States will be required beyond developing capacity. Concrete actions must be taken to ensure that services are provided and programmes implemented at the country level. It is critical that the Council continue to play a strong advocacy role to root out sexual violence in conflict and end to its use as a tactic and weapon of war. I commend the Council for the adoption of resolution 1888 (2009) as a reaffirmation of its commitment to eliminating gender-based violence in conflict situations. Equally important is the Council’s unequivocal commitment to women’s engagement in the entirety of peace and security processes. The Council must be relentless in its insistence on women as peacekeepers, peacebuilders and decision makers. As we approach the tenth anniversary, the Council must rededicate itself to the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In this regard, I am pleased to inform the Council that preparations are already under way for the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). In June of this year, the Government of Iceland co-organized with the University of Iceland an international conference on the tenth anniversary. Last month, the Deputy Secretary-General, the African Union and the European Commission jointly organized a ministerial breakfast focusing on resolution 1325 (2000). Likewise, civil society organizations are also engaged in the preparations. What has consistently emerged is the expectation that the Security Council will convene a ministerial-level meeting next year to review progress to date and to take concrete action to reinvigorate efforts towards the full implementation of the resolution. In spite of the demonstrated commitment at the highest levels, the persistent obstacles to implementation noted in the report before the Council will require even greater resolve from all of us. Countries in and emerging from conflict will require support to strengthen their judiciary and security institutions to enable them to hold perpetrators of crime accountable. Despite progress, still few women are included in peace negotiations in countries affected by conflict and war. The reporting on the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, and indeed of the gender dimensions of armed conflict, is yet to become universal in country-specific reports to the Council. This information is essential to effective monitoring and reporting to the Council. It should become a standard feature of all country reports. Finally, I wish to draw the attention of the Council to the persistent blatant disregard of international law, international humanitarian law and resolution 1325 (2000) by parties to armed conflict. This is a major and fundamental challenge to the implementation of the resolution. Although the resolution requires them to take action, to date no mechanism has been designed to hold warring factions accountable. Thus, they violate women and girls with impunity. This aspect of the resolution requires the Council’s attention. Warring parties must be held accountable. Without this, the protection of civilians as a whole, and of women and girls in particular, will remain elusive and the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) out of reach.

I thank Ms. Mayanja for her briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Inés Alberdi, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women. Ms. Alberdi: I thank the Government of Viet Nam and Mr. Pham Gia Khiem, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the honour to address the Security Council. I congratulate Viet Nam on its initiative of introducing resolution 1889 (2009). I note with thanks the Secretary-General’s report (S/2009/465) on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), and I thank Ms. Mayanja for her dedication to this issue. The resolution adopted today asserts that women’s leadership is an integral part of early recovery and peacebuilding. Failure to address women’s needs in transitional governance, livelihood support, public services and judicial systems can slow recovery and undermine peace. In other words, women are a powerful positive force for long-term peacebuilding. There is no more important time to act on this insight than now, as we look forward to the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000). I would like to highlight four priorities for action on early recovery and peacebuilding. The first is women’s leadership in peacemaking. Last year, I shared with the Council research by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) showing that women average under 10 per cent of the members in official negotiating teams at peace talks. The striking absence of women at that stage means that they lack a voice in everything that follows. The institutions that implement peace deals may fail to address women’s needs for justice, for removal of perpetrators of sexual violence from security forces or for properly designed and targeted public services. Increasing women’s participation in formal and informal institutions involved in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding is a major priority. We need to invest in strengthening the capacity of women’s groups even before a conflict ends. UNIFEM does that by supporting women’s peace coalitions across the lines of conflict. We are facilitating dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian women through the International Women’s Commission. We are building regional women’s peace advocacy in the Balkans and the Caucasus and are supporting women in Somalia, Uganda and Darfur, to help them engage in peace processes. The second priority is funding for women’s empowerment in recovery and peacebuilding. Post- conflict planners should always investigate women’s specific needs and allocate sufficient resources to meet them. UNIFEM has developed an analytical tool for determining women’s specific needs and has worked with the United Nations Development Group Working Group on Crisis Prevention and Recovery and with the World Bank to develop guidance on gender as a cross- cutting issue in post-conflict needs assessments. This guidance will be tested in the current needs-assessment process in Pakistan. A priority for donors, the United Nations and the World Bank is to track funding targeted to women’s needs. In post-conflict planning, women must participate in needs assessments, setting priorities and monitoring public expenditure. Civil society groups representing women’s interests must be invited to donor conferences. The third priority for action is women’s safety. The risk of sexual violence after a conflict keeps women from resuming market activities and girls from going to school, and it discourages women from engaging in politics. The trauma, stigma and social ostracism endured by survivors of sexual violence lead to family and community breakdown, eroding the social fabric and creating long-term obstacles to peacebuilding. Above all, failure to prosecute crimes of sexual violence sends the message that perpetrators can act with impunity. This makes a mockery of efforts to reassert the rule of law. I also note with great concern that increased numbers of women defenders of human rights were threatened or murdered in the last year, particularly in Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. UNIFEM welcomes resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) and, as a founder member of the United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict, is committed to supporting their implementation. Women’s safety must be made a priority in the reform of national security and justice sectors. The fourth priority is women’s livelihood recovery. A central part of peacebuilding is economic recovery. That usually translates into job creation for young men, often at the expense of adequate investment in women’s employment and livelihood needs. In particular, women need land rights and control of productive assets. Women’s agricultural and market activities sustain food security, as well as large numbers of family members. Providing women with credit and protecting their property rights would have a significant multiplier effect on peacebuilding. Securing women’s land and property rights must be a major focus of recovery efforts and should be addressed in peace negotiations. UNIFEM notes with appreciation the recent Security Council resolutions 1820 (2008), 1882 (2009), 1888 (2009) and, today, 1889 (2009). They represent building blocks of a potentially powerful system for equalizing women’s participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, strengthening the protection of women during and after conflict and ensuring long- term prevention of conflict. Resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) address key elements of the protection pillar. The other two pillars require a response that is just as creative and determined. The tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) gives us the opportunity to build this determined response together. I conclude with two priorities needed to make the tenth anniversary a time for strengthening accountability in the agenda of women and peace and security. First, we need consistent reporting mechanisms and indicators against which to report. The new resolution today calls for the development of indicators on resolution 1325 (2000) — a call that UNIFEM is committed to answering. The difficulty of obtaining data must not be a reason for not trying to get it. It is time for us all to count the numbers of women at the peace table, the numbers of women raped in war, the numbers of internally displaced women who never recover their property, the numbers of women defenders of human rights killed for speaking out. All of this counts, and we are counting. We should also set targets to report against next year. For one, we can aim for at least a 50 per cent increase in the number of female uniformed peacekeeping personnel. A 50 per cent increase in a low number is not difficult. We should set a higher target for increasing the number of women mediators and special representatives of the Secretary-General. A third target could be earmarking at least 15 per cent of post-conflict funding for women’s empowerment and recovery needs. The second priority is a leadership and accountability system for resolution 1325 (2000). UNIFEM welcomes the suggestion in the new resolution that the United Nations peacebuilding architecture should review the issue of strengthening women’s contributions to recovery and sustained peace. Beyond the Peacebuilding Commission, we must prepare for next year by planning for a stronger system-wide architecture for leadership, expertise, funding, monitoring and accountability with regard to the agenda of women and peace and security. This must be an important part of the new gender entity.

I thank Ms. Alberdi for her statement. I now give the floor to Ms. Asha Hagi Elmi Amin, representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. Ms. Amin: I would like to thank the Security Council for the invitation to speak here today. I am speaking on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, a coalition of international civil society organizations that advocates for the equal and full participation of women in all efforts to maintain international peace and security. I am here today in my capacity as an advocate for the political, economic and social rights of women in Somalia. In 2000, my colleagues and I formed the Sixth Clan, a Somali women’s clan, to carve out a space for women in the male-dominated political world. Through this Sixth Clan identity, for the first time in Somali history, women participated as equal partners and decision-makers in the peace process, and we ensured quotas for women in parliament. This was the first time that women had been represented in a peace process in Somalia. After numerous previous attempts, the peace and reconciliation process in which we participated was the first to be successful. This open debate comes at a time of increased international focus on women in conflict situations. Last week, the Security Council adopted resolution 1888 (2009), and today the Council adopted resolution 1889 (2009), which lays out important next steps regarding international obligations to ensure women’s rights in conflict. We welcome the advances heralded by those resolutions, such as the new support structure to combat the use of sexual violence in conflict situations and to ensure justice for survivors of such violence. We also welcome the continued recognition that women in conflict situations are not only victims but also powerful agents for peace and security in their communities. However, without accountability with regard to these resolutions, persistent impediments to their implementation will remain. The support of Council members is needed to ensure the strong high-level leadership, the coherent and systematic approach towards implementation and the concrete monitoring mechanism to address gaps in the system that those resolutions necessitate. As the Security Council rightly noted nine years ago in resolution 1325 (2000), the meaningful participation of women in all levels of decision-making is integral to conflict transformation, post-conflict stability and post- conflict rebuilding. The Council has reinforced that sentiment in its subsequent resolutions on women and peace and security, as well as in many country-specific resolutions, but without providing an accountability structure for implementation. As a result, women remain on the margins of peace talks, to the detriment of society as a whole. As I know from my experience in Somalia, women have the potential to add immense value to peace processes and negotiations. The women with whom I worked demonstrated tolerance, compassion and forgiveness and came up with practical solutions, all of which are the basic tenets of reconciliation. In the Somali process, women often represented and spoke for the silent majority: unarmed civilians, who are mainly women and children. That silent majority needs the voice that these women brought to the table. We know that the contributions of women to the peace process are vital and worthy. Women speak not only about so-called women’s issues; as we can see from the practical lessons learned in Somalia, women can speak at the highest level about key political, social and economic issues relevant to sustainable peace, such as clean water, health and education. Women’s participation in peace processes is not optional; it is a requirement. However, it is not only the job of women to bring these voices and issues into conflict resolution and rebuilding efforts; men also must ensure that women’s rights and interests are meaningfully addressed in all peace processes and included in peace agreements and conflict transformation planning, such as that involving security sector and judicial reform and the provision of services; in addressing impunity; and in the truth and reconciliation process. Twelve months from now, the international community will again turn its focus to resolution 1325 (2000), to commemorate the tenth anniversary of its adoption by the Security Council. We now look to you, the members of the international community, to live up to your obligations to women in conflict by ensuring that women are engaged in all levels of decision- making in conflict resolution processes and that the rights and interests of women are addressed in such processes, and by achieving a marked increase in the number of women in any peacebuilding and civilian peacekeeping support provided by your Governments. Your concrete support for accountability, leadership, and resourcing is essential. Over the next 12 months, we urge each of you to support key developments within the United Nations system by ensuring that the new consolidated United Nations gender entity for women and its Under-Secretary-General are well resourced; by supporting the Secretary-General’s appointment of a special representative on women and peace and security; and by ensuring that gender expertise is further mainstreamed in United Nations entities such as the Department of Political Affairs. Finally, I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to address the Council today. We women are not only victims in conflict, but also agents for positive change. Women have shown courage, commitment and determination in such situations. We have been positive contributors to peace processes. We often risk our lives to take such actions. What women still lack is coherent and practical support from the international community. Women need such support to secure their places in decision-making positions and to help end conflicts and rebuild countries emerging from them in order to ensure sustainable peace after they have devastated our communities. We look forward to all of you here in this room today and in the broader international community providing that concrete support. Without your support for women in conflict, our dreams of a safer world and of ensuring true international peace and security will be put at risk.

I thank Ms. Asha Hagi Elmi Amin for her briefing. I shall now give the floor to members of the Council.

I would like to begin, Sir, by congratulating you and your delegation on Viet Nam’s assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I would like also, through Ambassador DiCarlo, to thank Ambassador Rice and the United States delegation for a very productive and distinguished presidency of the Council last month. Ambassador Le Luong Minh has our best wishes for the often delicate task of presiding over the Council and discerning the balance of views among its members. I would also like to thank you, Mr. President, for personally chairing this debate on a very important issue. We are delighted to welcome you to lead us in this effort. We are also very grateful to the Deputy Secretary-General, to the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, to the Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women and to the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security for their insights and their advice and encouragement to us this morning. We have a saying in the United Kingdom that sometimes you can stand for ages and ages at a bus stop waiting for a bus to come, and then suddenly two or three come at the same time. And it feels a little bit like that on this issue in the Council at the moment. But nine years on from the adoption of the landmark resolution 1325 (2000) we are glad to see the issue of women and peace and security receiving renewed attention in this Chamber with debates on different aspects two weeks in a row. We have come a long way since 2000. The resolution we have adopted today is an indication that these issues are acknowledged as central to many areas of the Council’s work. But our consideration of these issues has also been prompted by the lack of implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). During last week’s debate on sexual violence in armed conflict (see S/PV.6195), we again heard heartbreaking and harrowing stories. At an Arria Formula meeting which I chaired in June, we were reminded of the fact that women and women’s civil society groups are all but excluded from peace processes and mediation. The Secretary-General’s report (S/2009/465) provides a depressing analysis of the many obstacles and challenges to women’s participation. But we are heartened by the excellent effort led by the Secretary-General to address the lack of women in senior United Nations positions. He himself has appointed three of the nine women who have ever held the post of Special Representative of the Secretary- General, and he, of course, also appointed the Deputy Secretary-General, who is with us today. The numbers of women are growing steadily amongst key United Nations leadership functions in the field. But there has still never been a female special envoy. Today’s debate, however, is about the particular contribution of women to peacebuilding. It is about seizing what has been called the golden-hour window of opportunity at the point of emergence from conflict: the point in time when it is all too easy for a fragile peace to break; the point in time when we must ensure that all actors in society are empowered to contribute fully to the search for sustainable peace; the point in time when women could make such a huge and lasting difference if enabled to do so. The Security Council has agreed that we need to focus more attention on the linkages between peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Ensuring the engagement of the local female population is one obvious such link: empowered women both make peace and build it. And incidentally, this is not a new insight — very far from it. The playwright Aristophanes dramatized it for war-weary Athenians in his comic play Lysistrata nearly 2,500 years ago. Women have a pivotal role to play. Although often survivors of some of the worst effects of conflict, women are usually relied upon to form the foundation of a post-conflict society. They frequently perform this role with neither say over the peace process nor voice in any post-conflict planning. In resolution 1888 (2009), the Council took further steps to end impunity for the barbarous perpetrators of sexual violence against women and children in conflict. We now need to identify practical ways to assure women a central role in peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding. That is, we need to improve our record in implementing resolution 1325 (2000). We have one year remaining before the tenth anniversary of that resolution. That will be an important moment for the Council. We will want then to take stock of progress and set an ambitious forward agenda. To ensure that there will be real progress to take stock of, in the year ahead we will need to, first, generate imaginative solutions to the many obstacles to implementation, making use of the whole United Nations system. The steering committee to be established under the chairmanship of the Deputy Secretary-General, which we have welcomed in resolution 1889 (2009) this morning, will play a vital part in this. We must see linkages across the system and fit responses to the gaps which are identified. The composite United Nations gender entity will also help achieve that goal. In its resolution 63/311, adopted last month, the General Assembly gave strong support to the establishment of the entity. We hope that that will now be taken forward expeditiously. Secondly, we must increase the number and standard of national-level implementation strategies, drawing upon peer experience and the excellent examples set recently by Liberia, Uganda and Chile. And thirdly, we must finalize and agree indicators to measure progress. We need data on success or failure in implementing specific provisions. We need to know what works and what does not. Today’s resolution should help kick-start those efforts. For our part, the United Kingdom is currently reviewing our national action plan for implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), one of only 16 of such national plans as the Deputy Secretary-General noted earlier. Our review is designed to ensure that our policies not only remain consistent with that resolution but also promote its implementation around the globe. We urge other Member States to do the same. We all have a role to play in ensuring that a full and effective contribution can be made by women during peace processes, that their needs are met as survivors of conflict, that their voices are heard in local civil society and that greater numbers of talented women are appointed to senior peacekeeping and peacebuilding positions. As a Council, we need to ensure that we are doing whatever we can to enhance women’s vital role in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, a role without which real and lasting peace will often be unachievable.

Let me begin by extending my congratulations to you, Sir, and to your delegation on your assumption of the presidency for the month of October and assuring you of the full cooperation and support of my delegation. At the same time, I extend our thanks to the delegation of the United States for their able leadership during the very difficult month of September. I express our appreciation to you, Sir, and to the Vietnamese presidency for initiating this meeting and for your leadership role in the adoption of today’s resolution 1889 (2009). I also welcome your personal contribution, Sir, reflected in your presence and your chairing of the meeting today. Our thanks also go to the Deputy Secretary- General, the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, the Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security for their presence, their contribution and their dedicated work. Croatia welcomes the focus on the need of women and girls in post-conflict situations for sustainable peace and security. Croatia also welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) (S/2009/456) and its recommendations. We align ourselves with the statement to be delivered later by the representative of Sweden on behalf of the European Union. Here, I shall make additional remarks in my national capacity. Almost a decade has passed since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). We have witnessed much progress in the area of the empowerment of women. Women have been trained in leadership, and there has been an increase in the number of female peacekeeping personnel. The Security Council has, for its part, contributed to significant advancements on the issues of women and children that are on its agenda. It has adopted resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) on sexual violence in armed conflict, under the umbrella issue of women and peace and security, as well as resolution 1882 (2009) that addresses, among other matters, the problem of sexual violence against girls. These commitments are commendable, but we are of the belief that putting words into action is the only way that we can approach the resolution of remaining issues. And those issues are many. As many situations on the agenda of the Security Council have shown, women still have a long way to go in order to fulfil the empowerment goals as well as to fully realize their human rights, not only in armed conflict but in times of peace as well. Women still do not enjoy equal participation or full involvement in mediation and negotiation processes. Nor have they participated equally in post-conflict reconstruction processes. Notwithstanding these shortfalls, what concerns us most is the telling failure that women and girls are still not guaranteed safety even in camps for refugees and internally displaced persons. As reported by UNIFEM, there is a substantial gap in financing women’s needs in post-conflict situations. How did that happen? The answer is clear: women have not been included from the very beginning of peace processes, especially in peace negotiations. It is essential that we reach the goal of having at least 30 per cent of the members of the official negotiating delegations whom we appoint be women, so that the needs of women in post-conflict peacebuilding are recognized and are addressed from the very beginning. Croatia has included elements of resolution 1325 (2000) in its national strategy on gender equality, but we are aware that gaps in the implementation of that resolution need to be continuously monitored. In that regard, my Government extends its support to the leadership of the composite gender entity that is to be established within the United Nations. We see it as an important tool in advancing the issue of women and peace and security. Allow me also to use this opportunity to extend my appreciation to the women of the region of South- East Europe, who have experienced the burden of the destruction and violence of armed conflict but have found ways to reach across borders to connect with each other and to serve as peacebuilders in the region. The Council may rest assured that Croatia, under the leadership of its first female Prime Minister, will continue to give its full support to all areas of the women and peace and security agenda.

First of all, I wish to thank the Vietnamese Government for initiating this open debate of the Security Council and Your Excellency, Mr. President, for presiding over this meeting in person. Nine years ago, the Security Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000), a milestone document that has laid the groundwork for international cooperation in the area of women and peace and security. Since then, the Council has taken a number of follow-up actions under the resolution, and relevant Member States have also taken vigorous measures in that regard. Women are shouldering an increasing share of the responsibility to maintain world peace and are playing a significant role in peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding throughout the world. As the Chinese saying goes, women can hold up half of the sky. Nevertheless, owing to the changed nature of conflicts and a combination of complex factors, the international community still has a long way to go in fully and effectively implementing resolution 1325 (2000). The relevant United Nations organs and organizations should engage in cooperation while at the same time carrying out their respective mandates, so as to make use of the synergy to achieve the best results. In that connection, I would like to underscore the two following points. First, responding to the needs of women in post- conflict reconstruction and enabling them to play their full role form an important link in the comprehensive and full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Respect for and protection of women and girls are manifestations of social progress and civilization and are an indispensable element of a mature social system. Respect for and protection of women’s rights and interests should be incorporated in the entire peace process. The special needs and concerns of women and girls should be accommodated. Women should have greater access to participation and decision-making, and their right in that regard should be institutionalized. Peace in post- conflict countries is often fragile. Without the effective participation of women, there cannot be lasting peace and long-term social stability. Women should fully enjoy the right of decision-making and participation in the post-conflict peacebuilding and development of their countries. They can provide staunch support for hard-earned peace. Secondly, the countries concerned should shoulder the primary responsibility for addressing the needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations and comprehensively implement resolution 1325 (2000). Armed conflicts in different parts of the world vary in cause and nature. The Governments and people of the countries concerned have the best understanding of the needs of local women and girls. Post-conflict countries are often faced with numerous tasks and difficulties. The international community should provide them with generous financial and technical support and should help them to enhance capacity-building. While providing external support, the international community and donors should respect the will of recipient countries, rely on local governments, fully put to use the enthusiasm of local women and girls and encourage them to engage in the peacebuilding process as owners of their countries. The Security Council has just adopted resolution 1889 (2009). I appreciate the efforts made by the Vietnamese delegation in drafting the resolution and during the consultations on it. Resolution 1889 (2009) requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Security Council two reports in 2010, one on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and the other on the needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations. A few days ago, the Council adopted resolution 1888 (2009), which requests the Secretary-General to continue to submit annual reports on combating sexual violence in armed conflict. We hope that the Secretariat will strengthen internal coordination, heed the requests of the two resolutions, avoid duplication of work and waste of resources and make full use of the relevant information, in particular to provide high-quality reports to the Council.

My delegation would like to welcome you, Mr. President, to the Council today. You can be assured of our full support during this busy month. We would also like to express the gratitude of the United States for the cooperation that we received from fellow Council members during our presidency. The United States believes that the Council’s continued focus on woman and peace and security is critical, and we are very appreciative that the delegation of Viet Nam has organized this important debate today. We thank Deputy Secretary-General Migiro for her presence and welcome the message of the Secretary-General that she has conveyed to us. We were also pleased to hear the comments of Ms. Mayanja, Ms. Alberdi and Ms. Amin, and thank them and Deputy Secretary-General Migiro for their commitment and all their efforts to improve conditions for women in conflict situations. In his recent report (S/2009/465), the Secretary- General notes that while much has been done in response to resolution 1325 (2000) in the nine years since its adoption, armed conflict continues to have a devastating impact on women and girls, all too often leaving them wounded, traumatized, sexually assaulted, socially and economically marginalized or without political power. The United States is in complete agreement with the Secretary-General on the key points. Member States must renew their commitment to resolution 1325 (2000) and intensify their efforts to implement its provisions. We strongly support the Secretary-General’s proposals for action and resolution 1889 (2009), which we adopted today. We have heard many times in this Chamber that more women should be included in peace processes and post-conflict deliberations. If a sustainable peace is to be achieved in any post-conflict situation, a peace agreement must take into account the concerns of those most harmed by conflicts, but more often than not women are excluded from peace negotiations and peacebuilding efforts. In fact, the United Nations Development Fund for Women points out that since 1992, only 2.4 per cent of signatories to peace agreements have been women and women’s participation in negotiating delegations has averaged about 7 per cent. Women have often led the call for peace in conflict-torn societies. Let us recall the example of Liberia, whose grass-roots women’s organizations had a direct and visible impact on peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction efforts. The activism of those groups on behalf of the welfare of the average citizen helped to break the impasse produced by leaders of warring factions in the struggle for political dominance. However, to do that, those Liberian women had to travel to Accra, Ghana, and demonstrate outside the seat of negotiations. Women should not have to go to such great lengths to be heard. The Secretary-General rightly notes that Member States should ensure that women participate in decision-making. He adds that the international community should pursue a strategy to ensure women’s participation in all peace processes, including by providing appropriate training and capacity-building programmes towards that end. Resolution 1325 (2000) emphasizes the responsibility that all States have to put an end to impunity and prosecute those responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes, including those relating to sexual violence and other assaults against women and girls. Resolution 1820 (2008) established a clear link between maintaining international peace and security and preventing and responding to the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Last week this Council took decisive action in addressing the sexual violence that all too often follows in conflict’s wake, by adopting resolution 1888 (2009). The resolution sends an unequivocal message: violence against women and children will not be tolerated and must be stopped. The Council made it clear that ending impunity is essential, if a society wracked by conflict or recovering from it is to come to terms with abuses committed against civilians in the past and to prevent such outrages from occurring in the future. The United States looks forward to the complete and rapid implementation of resolution 1888 (2009). That includes the resolution’s call to appoint a Special Representative of the Secretary-General to lead, coordinate and advocate for efforts to end conflict- related sexual violence. As Secretary of State Clinton said in this Chamber when the resolution was adopted: “It is time for all of us to assume our responsibility to go beyond condemning this behaviour and take concrete steps to end it, to make it socially unacceptable, to recognize it is not cultural; it is criminal.” (S/PV.6195) The Secretary-General emphasizes that we need to increase the number of women who serve as mediators, special representatives, special envoys and peacekeepers around the world. My Government commends the Secretary-General for his leadership and his efforts to increase the number of women in senior United Nations positions. We hope that these appointments will continue to increase. We also commend Member States such as Jamaica and India for ensuring that women figure prominently in their peacekeeping contingents. We join others in the call for more systematic United Nations reporting on women’s participation and inclusion in peacebuilding and planning, and we request the Secretary-General to continue to appoint gender advisers to United Nations missions and to develop a set of indicators to track implementation of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1889 (2009). The United Nations must do all it can to keep the issue of women and peace and security in the spotlight, especially as we look to the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) and the creation of a composite gender entity, an entity that the United States strongly supports. We must all work together to ensure that half of the world’s population is accorded fully equal rights and fully equal opportunities, and we must work to end violence against women, which destroys the very fabric of societies and hinders stability and lasting peace. Thank you again, Sir, for providing this occasion to address this important issue.

May I begin by congratulating Viet Nam on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council and wish them every success for the month of October. I would like to thank, of course, the American delegation for having exercised the presidency last month. We welcome the initiative taken by Viet Nam in organizing this public debate on women and peace and security, which is dedicated to responding to the needs of women in post-conflict situations. Much has been done, particularly by the United Nations, to implement resolution 1325 (2000), but these efforts must be continued. First and foremost, the Council has endeavoured to systematically introduce the approach recommended by resolution 1325 (2000) into the mandates of peacekeeping operations and to persuade the parties to conflicts to themselves incorporate this approach in the peace process. Subsequently, the Secretariat and the agencies, funds and programmes have stepped up activities to protect women, including in post-conflict situations. I would in this connection like to warmly congratulate Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Mr. Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, and Ms. Inés Alberdi, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). I also thank Ms. Asha Hagi Elmi Amin for her testimony to us. The Secretary-General’s report (S/2009/465) reflects the proliferation of initiatives aimed at training peacekeeping operations personnel, assist women who are the victims of violence and combat impunity. These initiatives include the one carried out by France, in partnership with UNICEF, aimed at reintegrating child soldiers into civil society. But the United Nations is not alone in acting. The European Union has also demonstrated the importance it attaches to the protection of women by adopting guidelines on violence against women. It has also, at France’s instigation, adopted a comprehensive policy regarding the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and an updated operational document on the European policy for security and defence in this regard. The majority of this task, however, remains to be carried out. A long list remains of dramatic situations that the international community must tackle, including abuses committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal, Burma, the Central African Republic and Burundi. These examples serve as reminders to us. Less than a week after the important adoption of resolution 1888 (2009), aimed at bolstering the efforts of the international community to combat sexual violence in armed conflict, the new resolution that the Council has just adopted incorporates major advances to improve implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The definition of indicators by the Secretariat over the coming months to allow all interested parties to follow more closely the progress that has been made in implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is a first step that is both practical and useful. I also welcome the fact that the Council has taken to heart the observation made before it on 30 September by the French Minister of State for Cooperation and la Francophonie, who stated that transparency, cooperation and coordination of efforts between the Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Children and Armed Conflict and a new special representative of the Secretary-General for sexual violence and armed conflict will be essential. In addition, the Council has for the first time adopted forceful language regarding the medical needs of women who have been the victims of rape or other sexual violence, particularly sexual and reproductive health. France believes that certain organizational steps to be taken by the Secretariat, particularly within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Political Affairs, will make it possible to better take into account the role of women in crisis planning and in preparation for emerging from crisis, thus ensuring a better implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The path to follow is therefore clear, and it is up to us to embark on that path. In order take stock of the progress that has been made and will be made in this regard, France supports the recommendation of the Secretary-General to organize a ministerial meeting at United Nations Headquarters on the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) in October 2010.

At the outset, I wish to welcome you, Mr. President, among us and express our appreciation to you for conducting our work in this important meeting. We thank the delegation of Viet Nam for organizing this important meeting. I would also like to thank the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, the Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the representative of the non governmental organizations for their valuable statements. Almost nine years have passed since the Security Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000), during which it also adopted several resolutions and presidential statements on the protection of women during and after armed conflict, their participation in the prevention of conflict and post-conflict decision-making and their role in the economic and social spheres. However, we are still far from reaching the desired goals. Every field report and all the data indicate that women and children are increasingly the main victims of conflict, often being the main targets of combatants and armed groups who deliberately subject them to various forms of aggression, human rights violations and forced displacement. Unfortunately, those practices often continue after the end of conflict. In addressing the empowerment of women and their special needs, especially in post-conflict situations, we would be remiss if we failed to condemn the physical and psychological suffering of Palestinian women as a result of the Zionist occupying authority’s continuous violations of their human rights, its violations of international law and its recent crimes in Gaza. We strongly condemn the plethora of ongoing rampant acts of violence and aggression against women and girls during and after armed conflict, including those taking place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and other regions. Libya would also like to underscore the importance of promoting the role of women in the political, social and economic spheres during peacetime, as women are the main guarantors in preventing the outbreak of conflict, anarchy and insecurity and the ensuing crimes and human rights violations. Libya has therefore launched several initiatives to empower women and enhance their role in African countries. In cooperation with Nigeria and Cuba, we have established a South-South health-care programme. In 2006, we launched the Al-Qadhafi programme for African youth, women and children, which places particular emphasis on health care, education, vocational training and human rights. Based on our belief in the important role of women in civic peace and development, our laws provide for full equality between men and women. Women in Libya face no obstacle to being legally employed, and Libyan women serve in senior posts in the army, police and judicial system. On the continental level, we would like to reaffirm the commitment of all African States to gender equality and the empowerment of women, in implementation of the African Union’s Constitutive Act. In that regard, the African Union will soon launch its African Women’s Decade for the period 2010 to 2020. In addition, I am pleased to inform the Council that the African Union’s Department of Peace and Security has issued a framework document on post- conflict development and reconstruction that includes guidelines on needs assessment. Both documents contain strategies and procedures for the employment of women and the reinvigoration of the employment sector. The Economic Commission for Africa’s department for women’s development and gender equality will be the focal point responsible for women’s issues and their participation in African Union activities, including the promotion of gender equality and equal access by men and women to senior positions and public office. In 2004, the African Union adopted an action plan at Ouagadougou that gave special priority to the empowerment of women, their access to the workplace, their effective participation in the adoption of poverty- reduction strategies, the mainstreaming of gender issues in all poverty-reduction programmes and policies and the promotion of employment and equal opportunities for men and women in the area of employment. That plan included the following proposals for implementation. First, women should be encouraged to participate in free enterprise activities through the provision of primary skills training and by increasing their access to credit and capital. Secondly, a culture of free enterprise should be supported by providing assistance to women entrepreneurs. Thirdly, support should be mobilized for the implementation of legislation that provides for equal rights between men and women with respect to land ownership, including guarantees for women’s rights to credit, inheritance and ownership, counselling and services. There is no doubt that the numerous resolutions and presidential statements that have been adopted by the Security Council constitute a major step towards protecting women and promoting their rights. However, it is not enough merely to adopt resolutions and statements; they must be implemented. That requires coordination and cooperation between the relevant bodies of the United Nations, civil society institutions, task forces of specialized agencies. Regional organizations and relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations to empower women in peacekeeping, peacebuilding, humanitarian and development processes. That will make an effective contribution to States and to their implementation of legislation and activities to prevent gender-based violence and create an environment conducive to accountability and reporting on women’s status. It is a source of concern that the promotion of the rights of women and gender equality is often not considered a priority in the aftermath of conflict. It is for that reason that we have emphasized the importance of women’s development and empowerment on the national level and in all areas of life.

At the outset, I would like to extend my congratulations to the delegation of Viet Nam on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of October. I also wish to express our appreciation to the United States for its excellent leadership during the month of September. We are also very grateful to you, Mr. President, for personally presiding over this important discussion. I would also like to thank Deputy Secretary-General Migiro for her presence here today and for delivering the message from the Secretary-General. Obviously, our gratitude goes also to the representatives of United Nations entities and the NGO Working Group for their useful briefings, because their dedication to promoting the role of women in peace and security is greatly appreciated. Even nine years after the adoption of the very important landmark resolution 1325 (2000), we cannot fail to see that many innocent women and children live under fear and want in conflict and post-conflict situations. Clearly, much remains to be done. Japan therefore welcomes today’s debate and the decision of the Council to adopt resolution 1889 (2009). Today I would like to address three issues: the role of women, the protection of women and empowering women. First, it is vitally important to ensure that women’s perspectives and the particular needs of women and girls are reflected at every stage of the peace process. We need to promote the full and equal engagement of women from the earliest stages of the process of peace negotiations and peacebuilding, because that is the most effective way to prevent the recurrence of conflict. We welcome the fact that three women are now serving as heads of missions. Women are playing indispensable roles in some peacekeeping operations. One example is the Indian women’s formed police unit in Liberia, which is very impressive. The Peacebuilding Commission, for its part, has incorporated a gender perspective in its country-specific peacebuilding strategies. We are also encouraged by the commitment of the Secretary-General to increase the number of women in decision-making positions, as confirmed by the Deputy Secretary-General this morning. We urge other heads of international organizations and regional organizations to do the same and appoint more women as high-level mediators and members of negotiating teams. Secondly, we must extend support to women suffering from the consequences of conflict by working to provide them with greater physical security. The Security Council has mandated many United Nations peacekeeping operations to respond to violence against civilians, but the Council has not fully succeeded in meeting the high expectations. The Council should continue to explore how United Nations missions can better protect women and children in conflict, with adequate resources, training and logistical support. We would like the importance of protection of women to be fully incorporated into training programmes for peacekeepers and peacebuilding experts on the ground, before they are deployed. It is important to attach higher priority to the protection of women in mission planning and to strengthen gender units through the placement of gender advisers. It is totally unacceptable that perpetrators of sexual and other serious violence against women and girls are shielded by a culture of impunity. The culture of impunity is a direct threat to women’s security, and it also hinders women in playing the vital role they might otherwise play in post-conflict peacebuilding efforts. We need to redouble our efforts to end impunity by assisting countries in strengthening political leadership and the rule of law. Targeted sanction measures should be effectively utilized. We hope that the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to be appointed soon in accordance with resolution 1888 (2009) will take a strong lead in addressing this serious issue. Thirdly, we need to focus not only on protection but also on the empowerment of women, who could be strong promoters of the peacebuilding process. We must find a way to ensure the empowerment of women in post- conflict situations, by improving their socio-economic conditions. This can be achieved b promoting access to health services, education, vocational training, income generation activities and land and property rights. Unless we succeed in creating such conditions, I am afraid that it difficult to consolidate peace and prevent the recurrence of another conflict. This is a major challenge the Council must address. We are therefore pleased that resolution 1889 (2009), just adopted, stressed this aspect: the importance of empowering women and girls in responding to their particular needs in post-conflict situations. In that regard, I would like to emphasize that the human security approach that Japan has been advocating for more than 10 years provides valuable guidelines both to protect people’s lives and dignity from serious threats and to empower them to realize their full potential. One good example is cited in the Secretary- General’s latest report: the project is funded through the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security to deliver health care, education and counselling to women and girls in Nepal who have been left vulnerable by conflict in that country. In closing, I would like to recall the suggestion I made on a prior occasion when we discussed this issue: to compile a handbook with a list of good practices on women’s participation in the process of reconciliation and peacebuilding. I very much hope that appropriate follow-up can be made by the Secretariat.

Let me begin, Mr. President, by welcoming you to this meeting of the Security Council. It is an honour to have you among us. We also recognize your delegation’s leadership in forging this initiative in follow-up to resolution 1325 (2000). Our thanks go to the Secretary-General for his report on women and peace and security (S/2009/465), as well as to Deputy Secretary-General Migiro for her statement. My thanks go also to Ms. Rachel N. Mayanja, Ms. Inés Alberdi and Ms. Asha Hagi Elmi Amin. We congratulate the delegation of the United States for its successful presidency of the Security Council in September, and we wish the Vietnamese delegation every success during its presidency this month. Almost 10 years have passed since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), and, while some progress has been made, the realities faced by women in conflict and post-conflict situations continue to be a matter of concern. Armed conflict continues to have a disproportionate impact on women and girls, and sexual violence continues to destroy the lives of thousands of them. We reiterate our appeal that in any conflict situation the parties recognize that it is essential under all circumstances to respect and ensure respect for the provisions of international humanitarian law. Mexico is of the view that resolutions 1882 (2009) and 1888 (2009), which address sexual violence in armed conflict, constitute a positive step in strengthening applicable international law with respect to the protection of civilian populations in armed conflict, in particular the most vulnerable groups affected by sexual violence, including women and children. The challenge now is to ensure full implementation on the ground, and resolution 1889 (2009), which we adopted this morning, is a very valuable contribution in that regard. We hope that the special representative of the Secretary-General on sexual violence in armed conflict and the team of experts — both called for in last week’s resolution 1888 (2009) — will contribute to progress in this area. We recognize the efforts being made by the United Nations Development Programme, the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in promoting the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We hope that the outcome of negotiations on the new gender entity will expedite progress, which has been slow thus far, on the implementation of that resolution. Mexico reaffirms how important it is that the mandates of peacekeeping missions include measures to support Governments in formulating national action plans for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We can wait no longer for the international community to give due priority to the role of women as active protagonists, not solely as victims, in order to remedy their marginal participation in peace processes and mediation. We fully support the Secretary-General appeal for a strategy to increase the number of women in senior United Nations positions, in particular as special representatives, special envoys, high-level mediators and officials in peacekeeping and political missions. We also view it as especially important to request of the Secretary-General a series of indicators in order to better and more effectively assess the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We consider that this would be a valuable tool that will enable us to make progress next year, when we mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). The lack of follow-up mechanisms for resolution 1325 (2000) has hampered the gathering of information about implementation on the ground. Mexico considers of particular importance the Secretary-General’s call for assessment indicators to measure progress and shortcomings in the implementation of that resolution, and on that basis to take action to fill the gaps that have been identified. We also consider it appropriate to request the Secretary-General to include in all reports on conflict situations information on the impact on women and girls and their particular needs, as well as to identify the obstacles that stand in the way of meeting these needs. Lastly, we would like to reiterate that our delegation truly believes that resolution 1889 (2009), adopted this morning, represents a significant step towards ensuring full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We have now ensured that, by 2010, we will have the necessary tools to allow us to better understand the challenges and obstacles to be overcome and, above all, the measures we must take to guarantee the full participation of women in conflict prevention and in the building of lasting peace.

Mr. President, at the outset, allow me to welcome you as the President of the Security Council and to extend my gratitude to the delegation of Viet Nam for today’s initiative of convening an open debate of the Council to discuss the status of implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We would like to thank the Deputy Secretary-General for her presentation of the thematic report on this topic (S/2009/465). Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we have been able to accomplish a great deal to improve the situation of women in armed conflicts. We note with satisfaction that the range of issues discussed today enjoys the growing attention not only of the Security Council, but also of other competent United Nations entities, including the General Assembly, the Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council, the Economic and Social Council and its functional commissions, including the Commission on the Status of Women. That having been said, the successes achieved are insufficient to improve the struggle on the ground against violations of women’s rights. Resolution 1325 (2000) remains the effective reference for enhancing women’s roles in preventing and settling armed conflicts, in post-conflict reconstruction and in the protection of women’s rights in conflict situations. There is a need in practice to exploit the resolution’s provisions in the process of creating equal opportunities for the participation of women in all peacebuilding and security efforts, as well as in bolstering their role in decision-making. The basis for this approach is to ensure genuine gender equality. Women can stand to make a more substantial contribution to all aspects of preventing and settling conflict. Moreover, there is a need to devote greater attention to mainstreaming the gender component into the poverty reduction and equality work of the United Nations, poverty and inequality being the main sources of conflict. In particular, we can refer here to the expanded participation by women in decision-making on socio-economic issues and the elaboration of national frameworks to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. We welcome resolution 1888 (2009), adopted on 30 September, on sexual violence during armed conflicts. However, sexual violence is far from being the only problem with respect to violations of women’s rights. We must bear in mind that women and children continue to fall victim to premeditated attacks, including terrorist acts, indiscriminate or excessive use of force, as well as other violations of international humanitarian law. The varied nature of violence should lead us to devote due attention to all its categories. In that connection, we view resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) as complementing resolution 1325 (2000), which sets out the general parameters for the protection of women in armed conflicts. Next year, we will commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). In that regard, the Russian Federation welcomes the idea of organizing a set of events in 2009 and 2010 at the national, regional and global levels in order to spread awareness of that document. We cherish the hope that such events will be used not only to report successes achieved in implementing the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000), but also to consider and gain an understanding of outstanding problems and of further steps to bolster the regime for the protection of women in armed conflicts.

Mr. President, I would like, on behalf of the delegation of Burkina Faso, to congratulate you warmly on assuming the presidency of the Council and to assure your delegation of our full support. We also take this opportunity to congratulate the delegation of the United States of America on its very fruitful presidency in September. We are most grateful to you, Sir, for having convened today’s debate and thank the Deputy Secretary-General for her presentation of the Secretary-General’s report (S/2009/465), as well as all the briefers for their important contributions and their commitment to women. Nine years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) and one year after the adoption of 1820 (2008), and despite the Security Council’s repeated recommendations and appeals, post-conflict situations regrettably remain marked by the ongoing devastating impact of armed conflict on women and children. Sexual violence and recurrent violations of women’s rights are genuine sources of concern, given their deep physical, psychological and economic impact on victims and their respective communities. The emergence of extremist groups in a number of areas and the adoption of legislation legitimizing discriminatory practices restrict women’s full enjoyment of their rights. Refugee camps and camps for internally displaced persons, where they exist, sometimes become zones of insecurity for women, instead of serving as the islands of relative tranquility they are supposed to be. We cannot deny that women’s and girls’ access to access health services and education is weak, or ignore the difficulties they experience in seeking to benefit from judicial mechanisms, all of which favour the entrenchment of impunity. Furthermore, women’s participation in the negotiation of peace agreements remains weak, thus preventing their specific needs from being taken adequately into account. Peacebuilding is first and foremost a responsibility and a challenge that fall to States. In countries emerging from conflict situations, priorities are numerous and all are urgent. In such a context, the situation of women and girls must be an absolute priority. We must first ensure the establishment of an adequate legislative, regulatory and judicial framework for addressing the violation of women’s rights and the fight against impunity, while restoring and making accessible health services and psychological care. Awareness-raising and the training of parties regarding their obligations, as well as the creation of special community programmes, will help to overcome socio- cultural inertia and other obstacles to the empowerment of women. The systematic inclusion of the gender issue in security sector and justice reform is also a necessity. Thus, ceasefire and peace agreements, as well as disarmament, demobilization and reinsertion programmes, must fully incorporate the specific needs of women and girls. Who better than women themselves to plead this cause? We must therefore guarantee their effective participation in all stages of the peace process. To that end and to enable them, where appropriate, to have the necessary tools at hand, peacetime national policies must incorporate the training of women in negotiation and mediation techniques and the peaceful settlement of disputes. In the long term and given the reality of the growing feminization of poverty and social and economic inequality, there is a need to provide greater opportunities in the education of girls, livelihood training and job creation for women, including former combatants. Overall, States must take ownership of the concept of women and peace and security. The adoption of action plans towards the improved implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) at the national level is crucial in that respect. Most important, however, is the fact that Governments will have to do their utmost to strengthen the rule of law and establish institutions conducive to creating a climate of trust between leaders, all actors, victims and the population as a whole, with the ultimate objective of eliminating the deep-rooted causes of conflict. The implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is a collective endeavour. Along with States, the international community, including the United Nations, has an important and unique role to play in that regard. Every agency of the system should play its part in the context of a common and consistent approach. The United Nations must continue to work to strengthen cooperation with regional, subregional and national organizations, including civil society and other local actors. The Security Council must continue to ensure that the specific needs of women and girls are taken into account in its peacekeeping mandates and in the effective implementation of its relevant resolutions and statements. As to the specific issue of sexual violence, my delegation welcomes the recent adoptions of resolutions 1882 (2009) and 1888 (2009), which provide for the strengthened implementation of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008). The Council should continue to call for increased female participation in contingents, for the appointment of more women as mediators, special envoys and special representatives, and for the inclusion in reports of more information on the particular needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations. We cherish the hope that the establishment of the composite gender entity by the General Assembly will add momentum to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). None these actions, however, will be viable if they are not backed by human capacity-building and adequate financing. The commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) should offer us all an opportunity to reiterate our firm commitment and genuine political will to contribute to the emancipation of women in general and the effective liberation of those who, often the innocent victims of conflict, must also endure the harsh conditions of personal rehabilitation and national reconciliation.

Let me congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency for the month of October and assure you of my delegation’s full cooperation. I thank you for convening this important debate, over which you are personally presiding. I would also like to thank Ambassador Susan Rice and the United States delegation for their excellent leadership during a very eventful and fruitful month of September. I would like to thank Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro for her statement, as well as to welcome the statements made by the Secretary- General’s Special Adviser on Gender Issues, Ms. Rachel Mayanja; the Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Ms. Inés Alberdi, and Ms. Asha Hagi Elmi Amin, representing the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. Uganda is committed to strengthening women’s participation in the promotion of peace and security within the context of conflict prevention and resolution, eradicating sexual violence and ending impunity in conflict-prone situations. As Uganda is a country that has experienced an extended period of instability, the Government has set one of its priority goals as tracking progress on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Women’s participation in Uganda’s political life goes beyond elective office and has been extended to other spheres, including peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts, as stipulated by resolution 1325 (2000). Uganda has an advanced, articulate and organized women’s peace movement. Even before the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the Uganda Government had previously supported the efforts of women leaders, such as Ms. Betty Bigombe, who initially led the peace talks with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to end the conflict in northern Uganda. The Uganda Government also made provision for women’s participation in the 2006-2008 peace talks with the Lord’s Resistance Army in Juba, in the southern Sudan. In addition to the two women directly on the peace team, Uganda facilitated women’s attendance at various meetings that were held during that process. In addition, during the talks a gender adviser was seconded to the Office of the Special Envoy to LRA- Affected Areas. This was the result of collaboration between UNIFEM and the United Nations Department of Political Affairs. Uganda also ensured that close reference was made to resolution 1325 (2000) in the Implementation Protocols on reconciliation and accountability; comprehensive solutions; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; and the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement that were signed by both parties, as well as the Uganda Government’s eventual peace recovery development plan for northern Uganda, which was launched in July 2009 to ensure that women equally enjoy the opportunities and benefits of the planned interventions. Uganda is the first and only country in the world to adopt a three-in-one national action plan on resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008) and the Goma Declaration. Uganda is also one of five countries to develop a national action plan with concrete indicators to monitor implementation, as well as planning for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, so as to take into consideration the needs of female and male ex-combatants, as well as their dependants. Uganda’s action plan focuses on the relevant legal and policy framework, improved access to health facilities and medical treatment for victims of sexual and gender-based violence, women in leadership and decision-making, the elimination of gender-based violence in society and, finally, budget allocations for the implementation of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008) and the Goma Declaration. As we do this, our experience has taught us that the full and effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and, indeed, of all other resolutions complementary to it, must begin at the earliest stages of post-conflict peacebuilding; otherwise, it will not yield optimum results. It is for this reason that Uganda remains concerned that the contribution of women to peacebuilding is far from satisfactory, which can be attributed to their being excluded from the decision- making process on the one hand and, on the other, to inadequate financing of their requirements. This, in the long run, compromises efforts to attain sustainable peace and security. Uganda is aware that the adoption of a resolution does not automatically translate into its implementation. This year marks the ninth since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. In those nine years, several bottlenecks have been identified, particularly in post-conflict situations, ranging from the availability of funding and political will to a lack of coordination, appropriate capacities for implementation, as well as institutional monitoring and evaluation. Experience has also taught us that a simple increase in the number of women in talks is not sufficient and that in-depth consultations are still required to ensure that nothing is left out with regard to the legitimate concerns of women. In this regard, Uganda, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, UNIFEM and the Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues, held its first workshop from 14 to 16 September this year to agree on what these indicators will be for Uganda’s action plan. The workshop, which brought together 35 participants from Government ministries, civil society organizations and the international community, identified 16 indicators out of the total 547 that were originally earmarked for the implementation of Uganda’s action plan. In conclusion, Uganda welcomes the adoption of resolution 1889 (2009), as it highlights this deficit and calls for a response to the needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations for sustainable peace and security. We also encourage affected Member States to establish indicators to ensure that their national action plans for women’s participation in post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding are implemented not only in a practical, effective and coherent fashion, but also in a way that allows for accountability. We look forward to the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) in 2010 as a significant milestone for Uganda’s women and, indeed, for all women everywhere.

Mr. President, I would first like to congratulate you and the delegation of Viet Nam on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. My country and I are also particularly grateful for your initiative to convene this open debate on such an important issue. We would also like to congratulate Ambassador Susan Rice and the United States delegation on their presidency last month — a truly remarkable month in the history of the Security Council. Today’s meeting will allow us to continue the review of the implementation of landmark resolution 1325 (2000). We would like to thank the delegation of Viet Nam for its efforts, which resulted in the adoption of resolution 1889 (2009) today. Furthermore, I would like to express my gratitude to Deputy Secretary- General Asha-Rose Migiro for her continued leadership and commitment to gender equality and women’s participation. We are grateful for her statement today. We are equally grateful for the valuable input of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, Ms. Rachel Mayanja, and the Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Ms. Inés Alberdi. We were also very happy to listen to the presentation by Ms. Asha Hagi Elmi Amin from the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. Let me say at the outset that Austria fully aligns itself with the statement to be made by the representative of Sweden on behalf of the European Union, as well as with the statement that Costa Rica is planning to make on behalf of the Human Security Network. We welcome the considerable progress that has been made in strengthening the protection pillar of resolution 1325 (2000) with the adoption of resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) on sexual violence, as well as resolution 1882 (2009) on children and armed conflict. Let me express our hope for a quick appointment of the special representative requested in resolution 1888 (2009). It is our understanding that this new special representative to address sexual violence in armed conflict will fully take into account the important aspects of prevention on the one hand, and women’s participation, on the other, when carrying out his or her mandate. With the expansion of the monitoring and reporting mechanisms in resolution 1882 (2009) to situations where parties to armed conflict engage in rape and other sexual violence against children, a coherent and coordinated implementation of the mandates of both the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the special representative to address sexual violence in armed conflict will be crucial. Progress is, however, also urgently needed on other pillars of resolution 1325 (2000). Austria sees great value in focusing this debate on responding to the needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations for sustainable peace and security. Investing in women means investing into the future, and ensuring women’s and girls access to education is one of the cornerstones of their empowerment. No society can afford not to make full use of women’s potential contribution to peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery. Resolution 1325 (2000) rightly places women at the heart of consideration of the issue, and not merely as victims, but as agents of change and partners on an equal footing in peace negotiations. Nevertheless, women continue to be largely excluded from decision-making processes. We thank UNIFEM for presenting us with a study that clearly demonstrates, among others things, how the complete absence of women from peace negotiations and post- conflict planning processes results in serious neglect of the needs of women and girls in the phase of early recovery. As a consequence, this negligence imposes serious costs on recovery, undermining efforts to reassert the rule of law and restart the economy. We need to commit ourselves to addressing women’s priorities in a more consistent manner in the daily work of the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission. Austria will continue to advocate for an increase in the number of women appointed to senior United Nations positions both at Headquarters and, in particular, in field missions. We highly welcome the efforts of the Secretary-General in this regard. Having three female special representatives and six deputy special representatives serving in missions in various conflict areas is already a major step ahead. We hope to see this positive trend continue and urge all special representatives and envoys to make full use of the potential of women in peace processes, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. We further request the Secretary-General to take concrete steps to enhance the efficiency of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) to implement resolution 1325 (2000), in particular by creating the posts of full-time senior gender advisers in DPA and within DPA’s Mediation Support Unit. Austria is committed to the objectives of resolution 1325 (2000). Our activities are firmly based on a national action plan adopted in August 2007. A working group made up of representatives of all ministries involved and the Austrian Development Agency reports annually to the Council of Ministers on measures undertaken under this action plan. Gender and human rights training have been included more systematically in the predeployment training of police and military personnel participating in peacekeeping operations. Additionally, Austria, together with UNIFEM, supports women’s networks in the western Balkans and preparatory work for national action plans in the region. Next year will mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). This opportunity should be used to define future priorities and to identify how to address the remaining and new challenges in fully implementing resolution 1325 (2000). A set of global indicators, as called for in the resolution adopted today, will complement this important work. Austria is planning to continue its financial contributions to UNIFEM for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We also plan to host an experts meeting in Vienna in the first half of 2010. We welcome the Secretary-General’s positive reply to a letter sent in August 2008 by women leaders, including Austria’s then-Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik. We are satisfied with and grateful for his support in organizing a ministerial-level meeting in 2010 to review the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). My country stands ready to work with the Secretary-General and all interested countries and stakeholders to use this tenth anniversary to identify gaps and challenges and to reinforce the commitment of all States, the entire United Nations system and regional organizations to effectively implementing the undertakings of resolution 1325 (2000).

May I begin by congratulating your delegation, Mr. President, on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I reiterate that we are eager to contribute to your success in the conduct of our work. Costa Rica welcomes your presence in this debate and we thank you for organizing it. We also express our gratitude for the presence of the Deputy Secretary-General and of Ms. Mayanja, Ms. Alberdi and Ms. Amin. During the past year much thought has been given in the Security Council to the issue of women and peace and security. We responded to gender concerns through resolution 1820 (2008) last year. The recently adopted resolution 1888 (2009) and resolution 1889 (2009), adopted today, all contribute to strengthening a process that began with the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). That resolution pioneered the recognition of the needs of women as victims of conflict and of the role they can play as protagonists in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Despite these efforts, women’s participation remains marginal, as pointed out by the Secretary- General in his report (S/2009/465). Resolution 1325 (2000) paved the way for future developments. Its broad scope is one of its main strengths, but it has also made it more difficult to address some key challenges effectively. Its weak implementation framework and the absence of adequate follow-up mechanisms has limited progress and made it slow and uneven. In order to re-energize its implementation, we still need to consolidate a global strategy with clear targets and adequate benchmarks for measuring progress. In this regard, resolution 1889 (2009), adopted today, calls for greater empowerment of women in the evaluation of needs and in planning in post-conflict situations. That is certainly a step in the right direction. As highlighted in the Secretary-General’s report, and as reflected in the text of this new resolution, we need to promote a multisectoral and, above all, inclusive approach. In addition to enhancing the gender perspective in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, women’s participation in the international community’s efforts should be strengthened, especially in the areas of prevention and protection. In this regard, my delegation supports the appeal to the Secretary-General to design a strategy that includes a more equitable representation of women in decision-making posts as special representatives, special envoys and heads of mission, among other positions. My delegation also supports the concept of complementing the Security Council’s response with measures to increase women’s access to justice, health, education and social protection, especially for survivors of abuse and exploitation. Costa Rica co-sponsored the text of resolution 1889 (2009), but we would like to make clear that our country rejects any interpretation that seeks to include abortion in the reference made in operative paragraph 10 to reproductive rights. We believe that lasting peace cannot be built on the basis of a status quo that in many cases has been characterized by discrimination, inequity and an imbalance of power. Frequently these structures are among the root causes of conflict. Lastly, on behalf of the Human Security Network — made up of Austria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Mali, Norway, Switzerland, Slovenia and Thailand, and South Africa as an observer member — we would like to welcome the conclusion of the process leading to the adoption of this new resolution. The members of the Network are committed to supporting significant progress to promote and strengthen the role of women in peacebuilding processes. This commitment compelled us to dedicate our eleventh Ministerial Meeting, held in Dublin last May, to analysing the topic of how to promote the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). The members of the Network continue to consider possible joint actions in the future, and we hope that the consideration of this important topic by our interregional group, with a human-security perspective, will contribute to the debate on women and peace and security in the run-up to the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) in October of next year.

Mr. President, may I begin with welcoming you to the Council and congratulating Viet Nam on its assumption of the presidency of the Council for October. We wish you every success. I also wish to express our sincere appreciation to Ambassador Rice and the United States delegation for their stewardship of the Council during the month of September. Given the adoption of resolution 1888 (2009) only a week ago, this meeting has particular significance in demonstrating to the world at large the continued commitment of the Council to the empowerment of women in all its aspects. In this respect, I would like to commend Viet Nam’s leading role in organizing this debate, as well as its efforts in preparing the resolution we have just adopted. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2009/465) and the Deputy Secretary-General for her briefing; both of these include valuable assessments and recommendations on how to improve the United Nations system as it pertains to the security of women. Finally, I wish to commend the efforts of the various United Nations entities, as well as those of the non-governmental and women’s organizations working selflessly to achieve the goals of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008). I particularly thank Ms. Mayanja, Ms. Alberdi and Ms. Amin for their briefings and their contributions to our debate. Since the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) in 2000, there has been progress across a broad range of issues related to the protection and promotion of women’s and girls’ rights in conflict- affected situations, particularly in terms of raising awareness of the challenges that they face. Thanks to the efforts of the international community, a strong understanding of the need for gender equality and women’s empowerment as prerequisites for international peace and security is slowly taking hold. As mentioned in the Secretary-General’s reports, there are many ongoing projects and programmes aimed at protecting women and girls against gender- based violence and other kinds of risks and challenges. However, despite the progress made so far, we cannot fail to note that much remains to be done, particularly in the area of implementation. As today’s debate and the report of the Secretary-General (S/2009/465) have shown us, there remain many structural and institutional impediments that we should overcome in order to meet the challenges before us. We believe that more effective actions must be taken to protect and empower women. Addressing the particular needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations, with a particular emphasis on issues related to their physical security, mental and reproductive health, employment, education and access to social services and justice, is a matter of priority that we should tackle from the very beginning of the peacebuilding process. Likewise, equally strong measures are needed to increase the participation of women in post-conflict recovery efforts and peace processes, since that would increase the effectiveness of such efforts. Indeed, we should not forget that women in post-conflict countries are not merely victims of war, but also agents of change towards modernization and transformation, making immense contributions to sustainable peace and prosperity. That is why Turkey has given its strong support to projects aimed at ensuring increased participation by women in all areas of social and political life. In other words, we believe that the empowerment of women in its entirety should be at the core of all our efforts. In that respect, let me cite our approach in Afghanistan. We continue to support various programmes devoted to empowering women in politics and governance, while undertaking many other projects aimed at providing equal and modern education opportunities to girls. We believe that, while tackling the issue of women’s security, which is inextricable from international peace and security, we should move away from ad hoc approaches and towards a systematic one. To that end, the appeals set out in resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) and in resolution 1889 (2009), adopted today, should all become a regular part of the work of the Council in guiding the activities of the United Nations and Member States. We also believe that the establishment of a set of indicators, as foreseen in resolution 1889 (2009), might serve as a useful means by which we can monitor and track the implementation of measures at the global level. Thus, the new gender entity recently agreed upon by the General Assembly in its resolution 63/311 will also strengthen our work towards women’s empowerment by helping the United Nations pursue its efforts in a more systemized and coordinated manner in the area of women and peace and security. Furthermore, like my Russian colleague Ambassador Churkin, we believe that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) relating to the status of women are important. The implementation of those MDGs will no doubt reinforce the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The months ahead of us in the run-up to the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) next year will provide ample opportunities to translate these words into deeds in order to ensure the basic rights and the human rights of women all around the world. We in Turkey are committed to that goal and thus will continue our support for the implementation of all resolutions on women and peace and security.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam. This debate is of great significance in preparing for the review of 10 years of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, adopted by the Security Council in 2000. That resolution has the profoundly humane objective of protecting women and children, including girls, who are the most vulnerable and most heavily affected in conflicts and wars. It is also aimed at promoting more effective implementation of the Council’s primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Viet Nam values the support of Council members for its proposal that this debate be convened on the need to protect the rights of women and girls and to promote the role of women in post-conflict situations. With this debate, United Nations Members, international organizations and other stakeholders will jointly take stock of and set out measures to enhance the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In preparing for this undertaking, Viet Nam and Switzerland jointly organized a seminar on women, peace, security and development, held in Hanoi in July 2009, with the participation of United Nations representatives and Vietnamese and international non-governmental organizations. The enormous international efforts, including those of the United Nations, to promote the implementation of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008) and of the relevant presidential statements of the Security Council have produced positive results. Of primary significance is the greater recognition that the maintenance of peace and security requires measures to meet the needs of women. It is also necessary to ensure their full and equal participation in reconciliation and negotiation processes, in all stages of peacekeeping, in the management of humanitarian aid and in post- conflict reconstruction. Activities carried out by the United Nations and by many countries have brought about noticeable changes in a number of specific areas. However, there are problems and challenges, especially in the post- conflict period. This includes women’s limited contributions to peacebuilding owing to the lack of opportunities for their participation in policymaking and to the shortage of financial resources required for an effective response to their pressing needs. In order to achieve tangible results, resolution 1325 (2000), resolution 1820 (2008) and resolution 1888 (2009), which was just adopted on 30 September, should be implemented in a coherent and comprehensive manner. Viet Nam supports the Secretary-General’s recommendations included in his report to the Council dated 16 September 2009 (S/2009/465) and shares many of the views expressed during this debate. From our own experience in dealing with the multifaceted consequences of war and in promoting national development and the rights of women and children, Viet Nam underlines the following points. First, we need to fully recognize the primacy of eliminating the causes of conflicts and preventing and peacefully resolving international disputes. Measures to protect the rights of women and girls must be combined with promotion of their role in ending conflicts and in post-conflict reconstruction. The early integration of their priorities into the reconstruction efforts will create favourable preconditions for the coherent and long-term implementation of the necessary measures. Secondly, the reconstruction process requires comprehensive efforts to meet people’s basic needs in food, housing, health care, education, dealing with psychological shocks, restoration of infrastructure and consolidation of social institutions, including the important role of the family. The State and society need to pay full attention to both civilian women and those who served in armed forces or were otherwise involved in military activities. Thirdly, the United Nations system has a special role to play in conflict settlement and post-conflict reconstruction, as mandated by the Member States. It has gained experience and knowledge in various fields. It is essential to promote local governments and people’s ownership. Assistance may take different forms depending on the specific conditions of each country. It is necessary to have close coordination among United Nations bodies and between the United Nations and other partners. In 1977, shortly after the end of the war and national reunification, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 32/3 to call on countries and international organizations to help Viet Nam in its reconstruction efforts. In the past 30 years, the United Nations and other international organizations and countries have effectively carried out many development projects to assist Viet Nam, including those aimed at meeting the basic needs of women and ensuring their equal participation in all aspects of socio-political life in Viet Nam. On behalf of the Government and people of Viet Nam, I take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to the United Nations and countries and development partners for their valuable support in the processes of healing the war wounds and of reform and development. As a nation having experienced untold losses caused by wars, Viet Nam always supports the common efforts of the international community to prevent wars and protect peace. This is also the consistent guiding principle of Viet Nam in its participation in the work of the Security Council. With that spirit, we are ready to share experience and play an active role in the undertaking that we are discussing today. I now resume my function as President of the Council. I give the floor to the representative of Liechtenstein.

I thank you, Sir, for presiding over the meeting today and your delegation for organizing this open debate with a focus on post-conflict situations. As a strong supporter of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), Liechtenstein agrees with the assessment reflected in the concept paper prepared by your delegation (S/2009/490) that much has been achieved but that enormous challenges remain. Nine years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the participation of women in conflict resolution, in particular in formal peace processes, is still little more than rhetoric and their protection from violent crimes is still elusive. We have witnessed an alarming increase in sexual violence in various conflicts around the world. The victims are often women and children. Cessation of hostilities does not guarantee an end to sexual violence — sometimes quite the opposite. The influx of returning refugees and displaced persons, the presence of large numbers of demobilized ex-combatants, the widespread lack of economic opportunity and the general breakdown in social norms all contribute to increased levels of sexual violence in post-conflict settings. Such gender-based violence is often exacerbated by the absence of effective judicial institutions and impunity as a result thereof. Both resolution 1325 (2000) and resolution 1820 (2008) emphasize the responsibility of all States to put an end to such impunity and to prosecute those responsible for war crimes, including acts of gender violence. However, formal justice systems often lack the required resources. Traditional conflict resolution mechanisms are frequently applied in a manner that is discriminatory and leaves women with limited access to justice, thereby exacerbating a climate of impunity. We therefore welcome the call on the Secretary- General, in resolution 1888 (2009), to offer upon request expertise that can be deployed rapidly to assist national authorities to strengthen the rule of law. That is a very important step and is fully in keeping with the principle of complementarity, one of the main pillars of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), whose jurisdiction kicks in only when States are unable or unwilling to prosecute at the national level. Today, the ICC is addressing sexual violence in several situations with which it is seized and thus is contributing to the fight against impunity. Resolution 1325 (2000) calls for an increase in the participation of women at decision-making levels in conflict resolution and peace processes. According to data made available to the Council by the United Nations Development Fund for Women, only 2.4 per cent of signatories to peace agreements are women and no woman has ever been appointed as a chief mediator. Thus our efforts to guarantee the full and equal participation of women — as well-intentioned as they may have been — have clearly been insufficient. We hope that the input given during this debate today will lead, nine years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), to significant improvements. Some years ago, the Liechtenstein delegation headed a group of like-minded ambassadors aimed at increasing the presence of women in positions such as special envoys and special representatives in particular. The success of this cooperation with the then Secretary-General was very modest, despite regular expressions of good intentions. Member States and the relevant intergovernmental bodies must pursue strategies to ensure an increase in women’s participation in peace negotiations and mediation, as well as in post-conflict reconstruction. That would strengthen the perception that women are stakeholders — as opposed to mere victims or aid recipients. e welcome the efforts of the Secretary- General to appoint more women to senior positions in general, in particular in field missions, and we see those efforts as a personal commitment on his part. In preparation for the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we need concrete action. Hence, we welcome the establishment of a United Nations steering committee to enhance the visibility of and to strengthen coordination within the United Nations system regarding the preparations for the anniversary. Liechtenstein, for its part, will support the project of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, launched by Switzerland and to be supported, it is hoped, by other Member States, which will produce in time for the anniversary a report that provides a substantive overview of the work of the Council. That report will demonstrate both the achievements and the remaining gaps and challenges, and we hope that it can also serve as a model for implementation in other areas.

I now give the floor to the representative of Sweden.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). Turkey, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this statement. I would like to begin by commending the Vietnamese presidency on the initiative to convene this thematic debate on women and peace and security. The debate presents yet another important opportunity to promote the effective, coherent and systematic implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The European Union welcomes the important steps taken today by the Security Council through the adoption of resolution 1889 (2009) on women and peace and security, which sets the agenda for our work next year. The Security Council’s adoption of resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) bears testimony to the progress made during the last decade in the area of women and peace and security. Those resolutions have brought much-needed and welcome visibility to the question of women’s empowerment, which is a priority for the European Union. The issues at stake concern basic human interests and human rights. While all the resolutions on women and peace and security are equally important, resolution 1325 (2000) serves as an umbrella resolution in addressing women’s empowerment, their role as peacebuilders and their vulnerable position as victims of war. The European Union welcomes the report of the Secretary-General (S/2009/465) on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), and we support its recommendations. We further echo the concern expressed by the Secretary-General at the lack of implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Why, after almost 10 years, is there still a need for us to reaffirm our commitments? Why do we not see trends of decreasing sexual violence? It is disappointing that we must still be asked to strengthen our efforts to fully implement resolution 1325 (2000). Clearly, the status quo is unacceptable. Women must be empowered, accountability established and commitments transformed into actions. The empowerment of women is important for the realization of their human rights, as well as for economic and political development. The empowerment of women is equally important to durable peace, security, early recovery and reconciliation. If the marginalization of women and impunity continue, whole peace processes may be undermined. Women’s empowerment and their enjoyment of human rights must be an integral part of post-conflict needs assessments. Needless to say, this is of equally importance in carrying out humanitarian needs assessments in situations of complex humanitarian emergencies. We urgently need to focus more on the capacity to implement effective institutional reforms for gender equality. The immediate aftermath of conflict provides an opportunity to address women’s issues and to use women’s potential. More resources must be accompanied by increased donor coordination to ensure financing efficiency, as well as coherent and predictable international support. Women’s equal participation in decision-making at all levels is key to better advancing human rights, to addressing the specific needs and concerns of women, and to making use of all human resources. The European Union supports the idea that the Security Council should vigorously pursue a strategy to ensure an increase in women’s participation in all peace processes. We therefore support the idea of a United Nations strategy to set concrete and specific targets for women’s participation in such processes. By this time next year, we expect there to be at least one female chief, or lead, peace mediator, several female special representatives of the Secretary-General and a full-time gender adviser in the Secretariat for political affairs. A better gender balance in international operations would signal to parties in conflict that women have an important role to play. If international and national leaderships are not interested in progress on gender equality issues, we will not be able to move beyond the rhetorical stage. In accordance with resolution 1889 (2009), the European Union underlines the need to improve and strengthen the way in which the Security Council receives, analyses and takes action on information related to resolution 1325 (2000). The European Union welcomes the decision of the General Assembly to establish a United Nations composite gender entity. We hope that the entity will bring about the much-needed improvements in the work of the United Nations on gender equality, including in the area of international peace and security. We look forward to the proposal of the Secretary-General on the details of the gender entity, as well as the early appointment of the new Under-Secretary-General. We must not lose momentum on that matter. The European Union stands fully committed to the implementation of resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009). However, there must be a coherent strategy for the whole area of the protection of women and women’s rights. Women’s participation is needed in all processes at all levels. We need an all- embracing approach on how to bring the system together. For the process of implementing resolution 1325 (2000), it is important to develop adequate tools of accountability, including national action plans. In line with the 2008 EU comprehensive approach to implementing resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), the EU is committed to stepping up efforts in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and to translating those efforts into real impact on the ground. Our ambition is to be well prepared for October 2010, when the international community will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) at a ministerial review conference. At the same time, the European Union is interested in continuing discussions with partner countries and partner regional organizations, in particular the African Union, on women and peace and security, and on cooperation on and the improved effectiveness of resolution 1325 (2000). We encourage all Member States to swiftly adopt accountability instruments, including national action plans.

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