S/PV.6302 Security Council

I thank Ms. Wallström for her important briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Mayanja. Ms. Mayanja: It is an honour for me to introduce the report of the Secretary-General on women and peace and security (S/2010/173). May I begin by expressing my deep gratitude to you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to address the Council on the report before it, which presents for the Council’s consideration a set of indicators for use at the global level to track the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Your presidency of the Council this month has been instrumental in allowing us to conclude, in a timely manner, the preparations needed to convene this meeting of the Council. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Permanent Mission of Austria for its relentless support of the indicator development process and for working closely with the Technical Working Group on Global Indicators, including funding parts of the long process of consultation that resulted in the report before the Council today. I also join in warmly welcoming Ms. Margot Wallström, Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Sexual Violence in Conflict. The Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality, which I chair, and I personally look forward to working closely with her to advance the rights of women and their contribution to peace and security. The report before the Council responds to the Security Council’s request, in October 2009, that the Secretary-General submit, within six months, for consideration a set of indicators for use at the global level to track implementation of its resolution 1325 (2000), which could serve as a common basis for reporting by relevant United Nations entities, other international and regional organizations and Member States on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in 2010 and beyond. Before I introduce the indicators presented in the report, allow me to talk about the process that led to its preparation. That process is significant because it is an indication of the commitment of a broad range of stakeholders to finding a way to better monitor progress in implementing resolution 1325 (2000). The report is the culmination of a long and comprehensive process involving a broad range of stakeholders, including Member States, United Nations entities, civil society and technical and substantive specialists. In response to the Security Council’s request, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Women and Peace and Security established the Technical Working Group on Global Indicators to define and outline the requested set of indicators. The Working Group, which was made up of representatives of United Nations entities and led and coordinated by the United Nations Development Fund for Women, initiated a comprehensive process of information-gathering on indicators used across the United Nations system and by national Governments and other organizations. The results of the mapping exercise yielded more than 2,500 indicators that were reported to be in use or were referenced in various documents that the Working Group examined. They constitute the raw material for generating the indicators contained in the report before the Council today. They were subjected to a collaborative review process, including by representatives of civil society, technical experts, United Nations entities and Member States, with a view to reducing them to the most specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound measures. The result was a shortlist that was reviewed further through consultations with members of this Council, civil society, the principal United Nations entities and other stakeholders. The final list of indicators included in the report reflects the outcome of those extensive consultations. Despite the breadth and scope of the consultations, I am pleased that the Secretariat has succeeded in meeting the short deadline for the production of the report. That is itself a sign of the commitment of the Secretary-General to moving ahead with more effective monitoring of resolution 1325 (2000), especially as we approach the tenth anniversary of its adoption in October. Now, let me turn to the indicators presented in the report. The selected indicators, 26 in all, are presented in tables 1 to 4 of the report and are briefly explained in the text. The indicators cover a broad range of substantive issues relating to women and peace and security. They are organized into four main groups, coinciding with the areas covered in the System-Wide Action Plan for measuring progress in implementing resolution 1325 (2000). Those four areas are prevention, participation, protection, and relief and recovery. Within those groups, indicators range from those aimed at assessing the situation of women and girls and the degree to which gender considerations are mainstreamed in peace processes to those that seek to determine the resource availability and institutional capacity for addressing peace and security issues. The report acknowledges that the 26 indicators that were selected are at different stages of availability and technical development. That is recognized in the report through the assignment of feasibility indicators A to F, with indicator A requiring the shortest and least effort to assemble and use and F requiring the greatest. A testing and piloting phase will therefore be required for most of the indicators before they can become fully operational. What is the purpose of the pilot and testing? Such an approach would allow the proposed indicators to be assessed for feasibility and effectiveness of data collection and also permit the establishment of a baseline for those indicators for which no data are currently available. The pilot phase would also be an opportunity to work with Member States, United Nations country teams, civil society organizations and other stakeholders to cement ownership of the process and the outcomes. It is expected that the length of the pilot phase would vary for each group of indicators, extending in some cases from two to five years. In terms of applicability of the indicators, the report before the Council notes that while most of the indicators have been proposed for countries or areas affected by conflict, it would be important in applying the indicators to be guided by the specific nature of each conflict situation. It is also important to note that the issues addressed in resolution 1325 (2000) are also relevant to contexts that have not experienced armed conflict. Applicable indicators among those presented in the report can be used in those contexts as well, to serve as early warning indicators. In its conclusions, the report recommends that the Council urge the United Nations system to engage relevant organizations and parties that have technical expertise in data collection and analysis to populate these indicators in the shortest possible time, so that the data can be available for use by all stakeholders, including Member States. United Nations country teams, One United Nations pilot countries and integrated missions would be instrumental in testing and piloting indicators at the national level. In this regard, the Council may wish to urge Member States, in parallel with United Nations efforts, to volunteer to pilot the indicators, in order to ensure that they are relevant to specific country situations and to establish best practices in data collection and analysis. The report also recommends that the Council use the indicators presented in this report as the basis for establishing a system for assessing its own progress in monitoring the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). For his part, the Secretary-General reaffirms his commitment to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and to the related resolutions 1820 (2008), 1882 (2009), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1894 (2009). Through the appointment of his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, he has demonstrated his determination to address the persistent scourge of violence against women, including sexual violence, to lead by example and to strive to empower women and girls to play a meaningful role in peace and security, including in situations of armed conflict. The Secretary-General remains committed to strengthening the United Nations capacity to fully implement resolution 1325 (2000). He himself has been witness to and deeply troubled by the effects of violence, abuse and other blatant violations of the rights of women and girls in countries affected by conflict, and he remains unflinchingly committed to this cause. We all look forward to accelerating the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the hope that, 10 years from now, we can talk about full implementation with real, measurable changes on the ground.

I thank Ms. Mayanja for her comprehensive briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council that wish to make statements. Sir Mark Lyall Grant (United Kingdom): I thank you, Mr. President, for scheduling today’s debate. I offer a warm welcome to Ms. Wallström and Ms. Mayanja and thank them for their helpful and forceful briefings this morning. The United Kingdom believes that the Council must continue to give issues on women, peace and security sustained attention. As Ms. Wallström said, this is not a women’s issue. It is a peace and security issue. We have spoken many times in the Council Chamber about the devastating and disproportionate effect that conflict has on women and girls. The impact is all the more debilitating because it most affects the very people we rely on to rebuild a society and to deliver lasting peace and long-term stability. Last year, the Council adopted two important resolutions on this agenda item to address the continued threat from sexual violence in conflict and to ensure that women’s participation, including in peace processes, achieves the status it deserves. At that time, many Council members emphasized that more needed to be done to implement resolution 1325 (2000), the landmark resolution that 10 years ago raised women’s empowerment as a crucial issue for international peace and security. In the second of those two debates in October of last year, Ms. Inés Alberdi, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, committed to answering the Council’s challenge for indicators to measure progress, saying: “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.” (S/PV.6196, p. 7) Thanks to her efforts, and in particular the efforts of Ms. Mayanja and her team over the past six months, we now have some impressive analysis — a list of 26 indicators to build on, to strengthen and to examine before the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) in October. I congratulate her on this thorough report (S/2010/173). In October, the United Kingdom hopes that the Council will be in a position, drawing upon views from across the United Nations membership, to endorse indicators against which we can set goals, measure progress and adjust our efforts to ensure that we make good on the ambitions of those who drafted and those who supported resolution 1325 (2000). We need to know where we start from in order to assess the progress we want to make. Where we succeed, we should examine why. Where our efforts are found wanting, we should direct more time and resources deliberately to empower women to support post-conflict recovery. Of course, some things are difficult to measure and difficult to quantify, but that is no excuse. It is a challenge that we need to overcome. We should build up our indicators and refine them based on experience. I want to make two other points on this important agenda item. First, I want to express the United Kingdom’s support for the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. In only a few short weeks, Ms. Wallström has already raised the level of attention that we pay to women, peace and security issues, and we hope that this trend will continue. Related to that, we fully support the creation of the composite gender entity as the best option for strengthening the capacity, accountability and effectiveness of the United Nations system in gender equality and the empowerment of women, including the issue of women, peace and security. The United Kingdom sincerely hopes that the 10-year anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) is one that will be remembered as a milestone in the implementation of this item, setting the tone for the next decade, with women, peace and security as an ongoing priority for all Member States. We support today’s draft presidential statement.

I thank you, Sir, for bringing the Council together to discuss an issue that is critically important to the United States, and indeed to all nations. I also want to thank the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallström, and Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Rachel Mayanja, for their very helpful briefings. Through a series of resolutions spanning the past decade, this Council has consistently called on all parties to armed conflicts to respect women’s rights. This body has also called on those parties to do more in the areas of conflict prevention, peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction efforts. The Council has also trained attention on the clear link between international peace and security and the use of sexual violence as a tool of war against civilians. The human cost is all too real. Armed conflict continues to have a devastating impact on women and girls, leaving them wounded, traumatized, sexually assaulted, socially and economically marginalized or without political power. Member States must renew their commitment to resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) and intensify their efforts to implement their provisions. We are encouraged by the momentum that has grown considerably in the past few months, particularly in three areas: the appointment of Special Representative Wallström and her work beginning to assemble a team of well qualified staff; the formulation of a team of experts; and the immediate attention that the Special Representative has given to the grave crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. My Government is committed to supporting Special Representative Wallström’s work as she brings her Office up to full operational strength. In particular, we will look forward to the inclusion of a military expert within Special Representative Wallström’s Office. This expert will help address ways that armed forces can prevent and halt sexual and gender-based violence during conflict, support strategies to convince military leaders from all sides of a conflict to prevent their forces from committing rape and help United Nations military leaders to develop effective strategies to prevent rape during armed conflict. We are eager to work with Special Representative Wallström and the team of experts to ensure a coordinated approach to addressing a series of critical issues, ending the cycle of impunity, helping national authorities strengthen the rule of law, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, providing assistance to victims and creating a framework to help prevent emerging or recurring outbreaks of violence or to provide early warning if they cannot be staved off. In particular, I would like to note how pleased my Government is that Special Representative Wallström has begun her work by dealing immediately with the grave and worsening situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But far more needs to be done to develop frameworks and initiatives for addressing sexual violence issues overall, even as attention must be focused on specific countries and regions where atrocities are being committed as we speak. As we recognize the progress being made, we also remain focused on the challenges that lie ahead, including ending endemic sexual and gender-based violence, linking our current efforts with successful strategies for peacekeeping missions such as those in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia, building an enduring team of experts that can work throughout the United Nations system and halting the sexual and gender-based violence that often continues even after a conflict subsides. Let me say a few words about steps to implement resolution 1325 (2000), as called for by resolution 1889 (2009). The Secretary-General’s most recent report (S/2010/173) is an important step. The work of the United Nations Technical Working Group on Global Indicators, under the auspices of Special Adviser Mayanja, has resulted in draft indicators to measure the implementation of 1325 (2000) and related resolutions. This report can serve as a basis for further much-needed consultations to ensure that the indicators are conceptually correct and measure qualitative metrics and not just quantitative data, and to ensure that these indicators can be realistically implemented. We hope that the Council will move forward soon on a final set of indicators to allow the United Nations to start putting them into practice. The United Nations plays critical roles in promoting women’s empowerment, deepening their involvement in political processes and working to end sexual violence in conflict zones. We support advancing the broad set of women’s issues through the United Nations system, including through the establishment of a robust, efficient and effective entity to advance women’s issues and women’s rights. Almost a decade after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the need to increase women’s participation in peace processes and to combat sexual violence in conflict zones has not abated. Women and girls whose lives and futures are on the line cannot wait, so we look forward to a commemorative meeting of the Security Council in October to mark the resolutions tenth anniversary and to renew our commitment to a world no longer blighted by impunity, assault, discrimination and the use of rape as a weapon of war.

First of all, I would like to thank the Japanese presidency for organizing this very important debate on a core subject of our work. I would like to welcome Ms. Margot Wallström, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, to her first briefing to the Security Council and to thank her for her very important presentation, which clearly shows her strong personal commitment. We are encouraged by how quickly she and her Office have become operational and by the information that she has given us on her recent visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I would also like to thank Assistant Secretary- General Rachel Mayanja for her presentation here today, for her strong commitment to the issues we are discussing today and for the important report (S/2010/173) she has introduced to the Council today on the set of indicators for tracking the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). I would like to thank Ms. Mayanja for her kind words regarding the events that we were pleased to co-host with her and the United Nations Development Fund for Women during the consultation process. She can rest assured that we will continue to fully support her efforts. By the way, we were also encouraged by the broad support this work received both from Member States and within the United Nations system, and we hope to see further progress in October, when the Security Council will hopefully endorse a comprehensive set of indicators following a broad consultation process in the weeks and months ahead. We were pleased to see that this consultation process has thus far been able to build on existing indicators and that it has included all relevant stakeholders. Let me underline our understanding that these indicators are a comprehensive set reflecting all relevant aspects under the body of resolutions following resolution 1325 (2000). We expect that the Secretary-General’s report on the indicators will reflect the results and input from upcoming inclusive consultations. We are looking forward to the report being submitted to the Security Council for its consideration in time for the meeting to mark the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) in October 2010. We thank Japan for its very fruitful efforts in finding agreement on the draft presidential statement before the Council today. Austria believes that this presidential statement provides a good starting point for the Council’s further work, and we fully support the draft statement. The meetings in recent days have also provided us with an excellent opportunity to start a process of thinking about what United Nations Member States, and the members of the Security Council in particular, want to achieve as an outcome of a review of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). There seems to be wide agreement among United Nations Member States that a merely ceremonial gathering of the Council would be a lost opportunity for women around the globe, as well as for the Council, and that the Security Council should rather seize the opportunity to renew its commitment to the issue of women and peace and security and strive for concrete results, in particular with a view to strengthening accountability for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Part of a success in October will clearly be due to the fact that we will bring together representatives of the United Nations system, the Advisory Panel and Member States to discuss the way forward and the ongoing planning process. We know that a lot of activities are already under way. We think it will be crucial to carry out the preparations for the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) with a maximum of transparency and cooperation, including, of course, the important role that civil society can play in this matter. We are grateful to Uganda in particular for having decided to make this issue a priority of its presidency of the Council during the anniversary month of October. We will be ready to support our Ugandan friends in the efforts to make this an important and meaningful exercise. Let me also thank the Secretary- General, the Deputy Secretary-General and Ms. Mayanja for their commitment towards making the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) a beneficial opportunity for women around the globe. Austria fully supported the establishment of the position of a Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Resolution 1888 (2009) has placed a number of tools at the disposal of the Special Representative, such as teams of experts. We would be keen to hear more about the Special Representative’s plans in future discussions on implementing this resolution. I would like to concentrate on a number of practical proposals for how the Security Council could further improve its action on this important matter. With the expansion of the monitoring and reporting mechanism in resolution 1882 (2009) to situations where parties to armed conflict engage in rape and other sexual violence against children, coordination between the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the new Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict is crucial. More consistent and comprehensive reporting on sexual violence in the Secretary-General’s country- specific reports would enable the Council to address the protection of civilians, in particular women and children, from sexual violence in a more systematic manner. To that end, the Council should include specific reporting requirements in resolutions establishing or renewing mandates. In many conflict situations, perpetrators who systematically commit serious violations against women and girls still go largely unpunished. Allegations of sexual violence need to be thoroughly investigated and perpetrators need to be brought to account, including not only through prosecution but also through the screening of armed and security forces. Victims of sexual violence need to receive assistance and adequate forms of reparation. This situation demands further action by the Security Council to strengthen the rule of law and to end impunity. Where necessary, the Council should consider appropriate measures to encourage and ensure the accountability of those responsible for widespread violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including through the imposition of targeted measures as reaffirmed in resolution 1894 (2009), the establishment of commissions of inquiry and referrals to the International Criminal Court. Sanctions regimes need to include designation criteria pertaining to acts of rape and other forms of sexual violence. Sanctions committees need to receive relevant information to that end, including through exchanges with other subsidiary bodies of the Security Council. We would like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for briefing us on the situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Council has already shown strong commitment to the very problematic situation there when it comes to violence against women. We hope that this message will be repeated when the Council undertakes its next visit to the region in the coming weeks. As I have said, the upcoming visit of the Security Council will be an important opportunity. We appreciate the best practices developed by the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) to date, such as joint protection teams, infrastructure support and providing patrols for women on their way to market. We are in full agreement with the assessment of the Special Representative that sustainable and comprehensive security sector reform is a prerequisite to fulfilling MONUC’s priority task of protecting civilians, in particular women and children. Reform of the judiciary, the military and the police in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is still in the early stages. But that is also an area where the European Union is trying to be helpful and providing support. My delegation wishes the Special Representative success and all the best in her future work. We hope to be able to welcome her to the Council on a regular basis.

I would first like to thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Margot Wallström and Special Adviser Rachel Mayanja for their extensive and thought-provoking briefings. I also wish to congratulate Ms. Wallström on her appointment as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and to reiterate our support for her mandate. Rape and sexual violence continue to be the most unfortunate consequences of conflict. We should do everything possible to counter that scourge. Undoubtedly, the appointment of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the introduction of new mechanisms by resolution 1888 (2009) constitute a sound basis for the United Nations to pursue its efforts to combat the threat against women and girls in conflict situations. Indeed, impunity should end, women must be empowered in a broader sense, our political leadership should be mobilized and awareness must be raised. Finally, we must ensure a more coherent response from the United Nations system. Having heard Ms. Wallström’s remarks, our conviction is even stronger that there is an urgent need to boost the efforts of the United Nations membership to fully implement resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009). Today’s meeting not only allows us to take stock of developments on this important subject; it also sends the message to the international community at large that this issue is high on the agenda of the Council and that we are determined to follow through on our commitments. I would therefore once again like to thank the Japanese presidency for organizing this timely meeting. Although the momentum gained with the adoption of resolutions 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009) is promising, and despite the renewed commitment of all stakeholders ahead of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of landmark resolution 1325 (2000), there remain formidable challenges before the goals contained in those resolutions are fully realized, including those of resolution 1820 (2008). Indeed, as Special Representative Wallström pointed out, there is still a lot more to do if we are to be able to claim that women in conflict situations enjoy the safety and prosperity they need to fully participate in peacebuilding efforts in their societies. The gaps mentioned by Ms. Wallström are particularly worrying. We strongly support the five-point agenda she has outlined. In that regard, we highly appreciate the recent work of the Secretariat, under the auspices of Ms. Mayanja’s Office, to develop indicators to track the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We believe that those indicators will be extremely useful in helping the United Nations and Member States to assess the status of the resolution’s implementation and to determine the actions needed to overcome challenges thereto. In the months ahead, as we continue to further develop those indicators, the need to collect necessary data, find the right balance between quantitative and qualitative indicators and take into account the special circumstances of each conflict will be important issues to be dealt with. To that end, the continuation of consultations with the wider United Nations membership will certainly help us to reach consensus on an agreed set of indicators, and thus ensure a sense of broad ownership that will strengthen and facilitate implementation. In that respect, we believe that the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) will provide an excellent opportunity to further galvanize this process in the right direction. Before I conclude, I would like to touch upon two specific points in the context of the resolutions on women, peace and security that I believe call for particular attention. The first pertains to the parallel work taking place in the context of resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009). As we see it, both resolutions are designed to advance the broader goals on women, peace and security reflected in resolution 1325 (2000). We therefore believe that the work on both fronts should be considered integral parts of the same whole. We look forward to having the Special Representative of the Secretary-General support that approach. After all, our efforts to address sexual violence will be most effective if a holistic approach is adopted and the issues of participation, protection and prevention are addressed comprehensively. The second point I would like to make relates to the need to increase awareness in the wider international community about the four resolutions that the Council has adopted on women, peace and security issues. To that end, we believe that we should make better use of the role that parliamentarians could play in advancing the goals of those resolutions. Indeed, it is rather unfortunate that the implementation of such important resolutions is left to foreign or defence ministries alone. We must therefore enlarge ownership of those resolutions and engage parliamentarians in this endeavour. The months ahead in the run-up to the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) will provide ample opportunity to translate words into deeds in order to ensure the basic human rights of women all around the world. Turkey is fully committed to that goal. I would like once again to reiterate here our continued support for the implementation of all the Council’s resolutions on women, peace and security.

I wish at the outset to thank you, Sir, for having convened this meeting. We take this opportunity to welcome Ms. Margot Wallström, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, and to thank her for her comprehensive briefing on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and for having indicated the priority areas for action. We look forward to continued cooperation with her. We also welcome Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, and commend her for her briefing. Moreover, we commend the General Assembly for its efforts towards the establishment of the Secretariat’s composite entity on gender issues. There is no doubt that resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women, including resolutions 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009), provide a robust framework for protecting women in conflict situations and for ensuring that women’s voices are heard during the peaceful settlement of disputes and in peacebuilding. But words are being translated into action at a slow pace. We agree with Ms. Wallström that there remains a wide gap between the legal framework, which has reached an advanced stage, and the practical impact of those laws on women in conflict situations. We support her efforts to close that gap. In that regard, we should view resolutions 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009) in a comprehensive, integrated manner. Women cannot be empowered when they are under the threat of physical or psychological violence. Hence, combating sexual violence must be part of efforts to involve women in all stages of peacemaking and peacebuilding. Today, the changing nature of conflict and the increased number of civil wars make women and girls more frequent targets. Here, I recall what Ms. Wallström said about sexual violence being a feature of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; that is true of most modern-day conflicts. When women are victims of sexual violence, they suffer physical and psychological trauma, as well as social isolation. Sexual violence leads to the collapse of families and communities, and it erodes women’s ability to contribute to peace and security. In most cases, the perpetrators of these crimes enjoy impunity, thus encouraging the commission of more such crimes. Countries in conflict situations and those emerging from conflict should be supported in their efforts to strengthen their legal and security institutions to enable them to prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes and provide justice for victims. Here, I note that resolution 1888 (2009) calls for the establishment of a team of experts to, with the consent of the host Governments concerned, assist national authorities to strengthen the rule of law. We welcome the constructive role that such a team can play in building the capacity of countries in conflict situations and of those emerging from conflict, enabling them to bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes of sexual violence. We look forward to the proposals to be submitted by the Secretary-General in a forthcoming report with respect to monitoring acts of sexual violence. I stress the importance of States providing assistance programmes for victims of sexual violence. We commend the Secretary-General for his efforts to develop a set of indicators, as outlined in his recent report (S/2010/173), pursuant to resolution 1889 (2009). We look forward to agreement on a set of indicators on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), with emphasis on both quantitative and qualitative dimensions. The indicators must take account of the specific characteristics of each community and the nature and root causes of each conflict. In that way, we can monitor the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), guide reform efforts and implement programmes to protect women and enhance their role in the maintenance of peace and security. Despite the international community’s increased awareness that the maintenance of peace and security requires measures to ensure women’s needs and participation in peace negotiations, the level of such participation remains low. This leads to the marginalization of half of society from the process of designing a peacebuilding framework in post-conflict States. That is the half that pays the true price of war, in pain and silence. We must guarantee the participation of women at all stages of the peace process to ensure that peace agreements and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes include elements focusing specifically on women and girls. In parallel, we must improve the social and economic status of women, either through the provisions of peace agreements or through practical measures on the ground. These would include promoting women’s education as a basis for empowering women; providing health care services and professional and vocational training; creating income-generating activities; and ensuring the right to land and property ownership. In addition to national efforts, there should be intensified action by United Nations entities and all other international and regional organizations, with a view to ensuring the participation of women in peacebuilding and the maintenance of peace. In conclusion, we thank the Secretary-General for acting to implement the relevant resolutions and we hail the efforts of his Special Representative. We support the draft presidential statement that the Council will endorse today.

I would like, Mr. President, to extend the gratitude of the Nigerian delegation to you for having convened this crucially important meeting on women and peace and security. I add my voice to those who have expressed appreciation to Ms. Margot Wallström for her presence in the Chamber and for her very, very inspiring briefing. We recognize the important role of her mandate in protecting women and girls in conflict areas, and Nigeria fully supports and associates itself with her work. Of course, our gratitude goes also to Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. She has been on the front lines, and we appreciate her efforts. Today’s deliberations reaffirm the great importance that we collectively attach to the impact of conflict on women and to the role that women should play in helping to prevent and resolve conflicts. We are concerned that, in spite of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), which became beacons of hope for millions of women and young girls, crimes of rape and sexual violence persist. However, we share a sense of optimism that, given our collective will, especially in the Security Council, we can bring an end to impunity and to this crime against humanity. For countries like my own, which are actively involved in peacekeeping efforts in our subregion and around the world, there is no better time than now to make the best efforts to achieve the realization of resolution 1325 (2000). Nigeria is one of the four Member States to pilot a gender and peacekeeping framework, and we consider that effort a vital part of the global commitment to implementing resolution 1325 (2000). The corollary of that commitment is a greater role for women in peacebuilding and conflict prevention, and the reduction of large-scale violations of women’s rights in armed conflicts. The work of both the Security Council and the Secretary-General in detailing and delineating the steps to be taken towards the full actualization of the goals contained in resolution 1325 (2000) and the Beijing Platform for Action to prevent violence against women is highly appreciated. Nevertheless, the slow pace of progress towards the fulfilment of the objectives of those two instruments continues to give us cause for concern. With this in mind, Nigeria welcomes the report of the Secretary-General (S/2010/173), which, in proposing indicators against which best practices can be measured, addresses the issue of women and peace and security with a greater degree of clarity. In framing the indicators around the pillars of prevention, participation, protection and relief and recovery, the report appropriately places the role and experience of women front and centre in the work of the United Nations on peace and security. Broad consultations with key actors to develop these indicators are absolutely necessary during the pilot phase. The recommendations for the pilot programme are cogent. However, we consider the task of building consensus, backed by reliable funding commitments, of utmost importance. A collective undertaking from the international community to share knowledge and expertise to facilitate the pilot phase and the subsequent implementation of the proposed framework are also very critical. With these commitments in place, the objectives of resolution 1325 (2000) would ultimately constitute the bedrock of the United Nations peacekeeping and conflict-prevention procedures. The progress of the pilot programme should be included in subsequent reports by the Secretary- General on a themed basis in order for monitoring and accountability measures to be both meaningful and effective. In addition, the Secretary-General should identify and report on what further resources are necessary. This is to ensure the efficient execution of the enormous task of coordinating inputs from all parties concerned. In conclusion, Nigeria supports the draft presidential statement before us today.

At the outset, I should like to thank Ms. Margot Wallström, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, and Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, for the high quality of their briefings. The report of the Secretary-General on women and peace and security (S/2010/173) gives us some important indicators to monitor the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Their application by the international community should make it possible to better evaluate the progress achieved as well as to identify the difficulties that continue to impede the full participation of women in peace processes. My delegation welcomes the work under way to develop indicators on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1820 (2008), 1882 (2009), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1894 (2009). The report of the Secretary-General gives us further insight into the overall regime for the protection of women in conflict situations, which is based around two aims: promoting the role of women in peace processes and the prevention of conflict, and putting an end to the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. My delegation agrees with the Secretary-General that, 10 years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), little progress has been achieved in its implementation. The lack of specific indicators has long been an obstacle to the evaluation of progress in this area. We therefore welcome the indicators set out in the current report and hope that they will fill this gap. To make these indicators operational, there is a need, especially in this initial phase, to strengthen cooperation among Member States, United Nations entities, regional institutions and civil society organizations. The collection of reliable data, however, may be difficult for a number of countries, especially those in crisis situations or armed conflict. Particular support therefore needs to be given to those countries. The four thematic areas covered by these indicators are most relevant and should make it possible to monitor the progress achieved in the areas of prevention, participation, protection and relief. The effective implementation of these indicators should not be an aim in itself, but rather an additional instrument to combat the marginalization of women in the various phases of conflict resolution, from prevention and mediation to post-conflict peacebuilding activities. To conclude, I should like once again to underscore the great importance that my delegation attaches to the genuine involvement of women in peace processes. Their participation in peace processes requires gender equality to become a reality in each society. In Gabon, for example, the Ministry of Defence is led by a woman. Likewise, many women hold positions of responsibility in almost all of the branches of the military. In that way, these women contribute to the search for solutions to the security issues in Gabon. My country welcomes the appointment of Ms. Margot Wallström as Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and welcomes the five-point plan that she has presented. We also support the draft presidential statement that will be adopted at the conclusion of this debate.

At the outset, I should like to thank you, Mr. President, for having organized this meeting of the Council on women and peace and security. France welcomes the appointment of Ms. Margot Wallström as Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and we thank her for her frank appraisal of how to improve the effectiveness of the United Nations system in this area. We commend the very promising first steps she has taken in her mission. We support her recommendations. It is necessary for the Council, in complement to actions being carried out by other organs, agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations to advance women, to continue to take into account the situation of women in conflicts, in the light of its effects on the maintenance of international peace and security. In parallel, the United Nations system should strengthen the coherence of its action, and, in this regard, we welcome the cooperation that has already been established with the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy. Focus needs to be placed on the prevention of sexual violence, in particular to ensure that such violence does not become a systematic tactic of warfare. In this regard, the Council should continue its efforts to systematically integrate the approach recommended in its resolutions on women and peace and security into operational mandates and to persuade the parties to conflicts to incorporate this perspective into their peace processes. We thank the Special Representative for what she has told us about her recent visit to the Congo. This information will help us in preparing for the Council’s upcoming visit to that country, in mid-May. And we will, of course, continue to advocate with the Congolese authorities for the five perpetrators of sexual violence in the situation that was brought to their attention to be brought to justice. Some trials have begun, but are proceeding too slowly. The fight against sexual violence and impunity remains a priority in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There is a long list of other tragic situations, and unfortunately it is far from exhaustive. We are reminded of that by the violence against women from ethnic minorities in Nepal and Burma, and by the sexual violence prevalent in former conflicts zones in Côte d’Ivoire and in Guinea and Kenya. In addressing these situations, the specific measures for the implementation of resolution 1888 (2009) — including the rapid deployment of experts to the field and advisers for the protection of women in peacekeeping operations — should have a positive impact. However, Ms. Wallström has a huge task ahead of her. She can count on France to help her to fulfil it and to continue to firmly support her work. I should also like to thank Ms. Mayanja for her statement and to commend the outstanding work of her Department in providing the Council with indicators in monitoring implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The presidential statement to be adopted at the end of this meeting is a technical one and will launch a phase of consultation between the Secretariat and the Council that should lead to the adoption in October of a coherent set of indicators proposed by the Secretary- General in accordance with the targets set in resolution 1889 (2009). I shall not list every indicator, since we are all familiar with them. I should simply like to welcome the fact that women and girls are being taken into account in demobilization and reintegration programmes. France attaches particular importance to this issue because women and girls are often left out of demobilization and reintegration programmes, which are aimed exclusively at armed combatants. One of the key contributions of the principles and commitments agreed in Paris in 2007, in partnership with UNICEF, is precisely that they allow us better to take that dimension into account. In conclusion, I recall that France supports the Secretary-General’s recommendation that a ministerial meeting be convened at United Nations Headquarters on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) in October in order to assess progress made in the past decade and to open new prospects.

At the outset, we thank the Japanese presidency for having convened today’s meeting. We also congratulate Ms. Margot Wallström on her appointment as Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. We are prepared to cooperate with her in fulfilment of her mandate. We believe that the efforts of the Special Representative should aim first and foremost at supporting those countries that suffer most acutely from the problem of sexual violence in armed conflict. At the same time, close cooperation with the Security Council and Member States is very important. It is also important that we not duplicate the efforts of other bodies and mechanisms of the United Nations system on gender issues. We are convinced that such an approach will contribute to the effective protection of the rights of women in armed conflict. The fight against sexual violence is part and parcel of a comprehensive set of measures on conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction. We are convinced that the question of women and peace and security should not be reduced exclusively to the issue of sexual violence, to the total exclusion of other forms of violence against women in conflict. That is the balanced approach taken in the drafting of resolution 1325 (2000), which remains the key benchmark in protecting women and ensuring their rights in conflict. We commend the timely issuance of the report of the Secretary-General contained in document S/2010/173, and thank Ms. Mayanja for her briefing. The indicators proposed will allow us effectively to implement resolution 1325 (2000) and to better understand the tasks required of the international community in protecting the rights of women in conflict and evaluate progress to that end. We also believe that the indicators referred to the in the Secretary-General’s report require careful consideration, which will certainly take some time, and further substantial development. It is critical that further work on the indicators be completely transparent because, ultimately, their importance extends far beyond the exclusive interest of members of the Security Council. We hope that, in the framework of the preparation of the Secretary-General’s October report, work on the indicators will continue. At the same time, the wish expressed in the draft presidential statement — for the development of new indicators that have been the subject of broad discussion, and the inclusion in that document of a programme of work containing roles and responsibilities vis-à-vis the indicators within the United Nations system — will be taken into account in that regard. In conclusion, we wish to reaffirm our conviction that we can ensure the rights and protection of women in armed conflict only through the joint efforts of all stakeholders. Resolution 1325 (2000), the tenth anniversary of which we shall celebrate in October, remains the main benchmark in that regard.

I should like to begin by thanking Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, and Ms. Margot Wallström, Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, for their informative briefings. Bosnia and Herzegovina fully supports the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), the provisions of which have been incorporated into my country’s gender action plan. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of the full involvement of women in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, early peacebuilding and post-conflict planning, as well as the need to enhance their role in decision-making processes. Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the report of the Secretary-General (S/2010/173) and the recommendations contained therein. We also take positive note of the work of the Technical Working Group on Global Indicators. We consider that the proposed set of indicators presents a solid basis for future work in terms of technical development and establishing baselines. We are of the view that this work should be intensified in the coming period. Taking into account the specific nature of gender- sensitive indicators, we stress the need for all quantitative indicators to be accompanied by qualitative commentary and analysis in order to reflect a country-specific situation or context. We are also of the opinion that a clear distinction ought to be made between the indicators for which data will be collected by the United Nations system and those for which data will be collected by Member States. To that end, Member States should not be overburdened with additional responsibilities for data collection, and comprehensive insight into implementation, tracked by indicators, will be provided. Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the idea that this process should be transparent and pursued in consultation with relevant stakeholders in order to include their views on this particular issue. We believe that the next report of the Secretary-General should give substantial input with regard to what the agenda, roles and responsibilities of the United Nations system and other actors should be in developing an intensified, efficient and more successful implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) at the global level. Finally, we should like to reiterate that the set of indicators is critical not only to the effective identification of gaps in tracking progress in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and to parallel ongoing work regarding resolution 1888 (2009), but also to their efficient monitoring and evaluation. Therefore, it is of key importance that the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) not only mark the progress and achievements made so far, but also assess the challenges that have not yet been met, as well as how achievements and progress will be tracked and measured in time.

At the outset, let me express my appreciation to the delegation of Japan for taking the initiative to organize today’s briefing. I also thank Ms. Wallström, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, and Ms. Mayanja, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, for their briefings. Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, adopted by the Council 10 years ago, was a landmark document that laid the foundation for international cooperation on women, peace and security. Since that time, the Council has followed up with many actions for its implementation and Member States have adopted relevant implementation measures, as required by the resolution. The concepts of gender equality, women’s empowerment and the prevention and suppression of sexual violence have taken hold, and efforts on those issues have produced remarkable results. Much work remains to be accomplished before the international community will be able to achieve the various targets set by resolution 1325 (2000). To that end, relevant agencies and organs should work synergistically and within their respective mandates to maximize the strength of the entire United Nations system. The Security Council should focus on preventing and reducing incidents of armed conflict, thereby decreasing the root causes of women’s suffering. As the party bearing the primary responsibility for the protection of its women, the country concerned should not only take account of the special needs and concerns of women during and after an armed conflict, but also focus on their full participation in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and relevant decision- making. The international community and donors should provide financial and technical assistance to the capacity-building efforts of the countries concerned. Sexual violence is among the major problems facing women in armed conflict in certain countries and regions. China welcomes the Secretary-General’s appointment of Ms. Wallström as his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and supports her in fulfilling her mandate. We hope that the Special Representative will enhance communication and cooperation with the countries concerned, and provide them with constructive help in addressing the problem of sexual violence in armed conflict. China also expects to see greater coordination and enhanced efficiency in United Nations efforts to combat sexual violence and protect women in armed conflict. China welcomes the report of the Secretary- General (S/2010/173) submitted pursuant to resolution 1889 (2009), which contains a set of indicators to track implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). My country appreciates the tremendous amount of work carried out by the Secretariat and hopes that it will continue to improve the indicators. Resolution 1325 (2000) covers a broad range of areas from the protection of the rights and interests of women to the promotion of women’s participation in the prevention and settlement of conflicts. In some areas, it is difficult to quantify the progress made, a factor that should be fully taken into account when formulating and improving the indicators. Moreover, since countries experience differing situations according to their level of development and historical and cultural traditions, the indicators should be feasible and applicable so that countries will be able to apply them in accordance with their specific conditions. We hope that the Secretariat will give full consideration to the views of all parties concerned, especially those of Member States, and build on the collective wisdom of all States in formulating a set of indicators that will provide useful reference to Member States in their implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

I join other speakers in thanking you, Sir, and your delegation for having organized this Council meeting at a timely moment, when we are about to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. I also thank Ms. Margot Wallström for her briefing and congratulate her on her appointment as Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and for the commitment she has shown to implementing her mandate in her brief tenure. I also thank Ms. Rachel Mayanja for her briefing on the set of indicators that will undoubtedly make it easier to monitor implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and other relevant Security Council resolutions. I thank the multidisciplinary team for its work in developing the indicators, especially the United Nations Development Fund for Women for its technical work. Mexico considers it key that all parties to a conflict have an obligation to respect and enforce international humanitarian law. My country also believes that international human rights law must be fully respected in order to protect women and girls, as well as internally displaced and refugee women, during and after conflicts. From that perspective, we acknowledge the fundamental role played by women in all phases of armed conflict. Women are relevant actors in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and as engines of reconstruction. Despite the fact that women and children are the principal victims of violence, they have the strength and the courage to be agents of change in their communities and to promote national reconciliation. Women are part of the solution to the structural problems of conflicts and yet, because they lack effective tools and mechanisms to guarantee their participation, ongoing inequalities perpetuate spirals of violence and delay the resolution of conflicts. Fifteen years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action addressed the issue of women in armed conflict as a priority area, and 10 years after the Security Council launched a broad agenda in favour of women, the facts indicate that progress has been unsatisfactory and that, in some cases, alarming reversals have been observed. The tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) should be an opportunity to strengthen the agenda of women, peace and security. The Security Council took a step in that direction by requesting the Secretary-General to submit a set of indicators that would track progress in the implementation of this agenda. In the coming months, the Council should redouble its efforts to clearly define an improved way for the United Nations to track the role of women in conflict situations and to help States to devise measures with a gender perspective in the areas of prevention, participation, protection and recovery and to strengthen their regulatory and institutional frameworks. To that end, it will be essential to work in coordination with the various agencies responsible for this issue and to maintain broad dialogue with United Nations Member States and other relevant actors, such as women’s organizations and civil society, in seeking the Council’s support in October. The indicators should serve as a tool to enable countries to assess their own progress. The cooperation of the States concerned is therefore essential. My country supports the set of indicators and the recommendations presented in the report (S/2010/173). We are ready to examine in depth the technical, operational and financial aspects necessary for their speedy implementation. The indicators are a valuable instrument for planning and decision-making and can also be used as a diagnostic tool and a road map. We agree with the Secretary-General that, in order to have a full assessment of the situation, the indicators must be clearly linked and mutually reinforcing. Thus, if any one aspect is left out, there is a danger that only some of the challenges and problems affecting women will be apparent. While some indicators have been designed for countries or regions affected by armed conflict, my country believes they correspond to a comprehensive and multidimensional focus on security that includes the gender perspective as one of its main aspects. They can therefore be used as a guide for all States if considered from a perspective of prevention and shared responsibility. In short, it seems to us that the indicators will be useful to the wider work of the United Nations for the empowerment of women and gender equality. The establishment of the new gender entity will boost the United Nations institutional capacity to attain those goals. The women and girls who daily suffer the violence unleashed by armed conflicts cannot wait another 10 years. The decisions that we adopt today to protect the rights of women and to ensure their participation will be the best investment towards achieving a future of peace and stability. I conclude by expressing my delegation’s support for the draft presidential statement facilitated by the delegation of Japan.

I would like to welcome the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Wallström, to the Council and congratulate her on her appointment. My delegation would like to thank her for her briefing, and I wish to reiterate Uganda’s support for her mandate, as outlined in resolution 1888 (2009). I also welcome the timely submission of the report of the Secretary-General (S/2010/173), and in that regard, would like to thank the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Ms. Mayanja, for her briefing on that highly technical report. We also thank Ms. Mayanja for her dedication and positive response to invitations to carry out technical briefings for various regional groups to facilitate their deeper understanding of the report. We congratulate her for successfully managing the work of the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality, particularly the activities of the Task Force on Women and Peace and Security, which resulted in the report. Resolution 1325 (2000) and its follow-up resolution 1889 (2009) are considered by Uganda’s Government to be landmark resolutions not only because of our strong belief in the important role that women play during and after conflict, but also because, from experience, we recognize women’s undeniably positive role in conflict prevention and mediation processes. We appreciate the substance of the report presented today. While we have heard that the indicators contained in the report will require further technical and baseline development before they can become operational, we are of the view that the initial identification of a set of best indicators to track the progress of resolution 1325 (2000) is in itself a major milestone. For the Secretary-General to have come up with such a manageable number of 26 from the initial 2,500 indicators is, indeed, commendable. The implementation of resolutions is a common challenge for a number of Member States. At regular intervals, we will have to ask ourselves whether there have been positive results from such implementation and what they are. The existence of a set of best indicators creates a tangible path that United Nations Member States can follow in monitoring their performance. We have been informed that the set of indicators contained in the current report of the Secretary-General was compiled through consultations with the wider United Nations membership. Uganda finds such consultation and partnership to be not only positive, but also crucial because, in our experience, we have found that the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is integral to and supplements other policies, plans and programmes on gender equality and women’s empowerment. In that regard, we strongly encourage the Secretary-General to continue to consult with the Security Council, as well as with the broader United Nations, in order to come up with a further refined set of indicators that are acceptable to and well understood by those who will need to use them. In future, we would also like to see them used at the global level to track the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We look forward to receiving a comprehensive set of indicators in the Secretary-General’s next report on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), to be submitted to the Security Council in October.

I thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this briefing. We welcome Special Representative Margot Wallström and Assistant Secretary-General Rachel Mayanja, and thank them greatly for their important presentations. In almost 10 years since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the international community has come a long way. We have come to understand more fully the implications of armed conflict for women and have also become more aware of their specific needs and roles in maintaining or restoring peace and security. Through resolution 1820 (2008), we have recognized the gravity of sexual violence in armed conflicts and have enhanced our action against it. Resolution 1325 (2000) deals with women as agents of peace. Such a role comprises many facets, ranging from conflict prevention to post-conflict peacebuilding. I would like to briefly touch upon two such facets. The first regards institutions. In post-conflict scenarios, where institutions are rebuilt and gradually consolidated, there is often a window of opportunity to surmount historical gender inequalities or insensitivities. It is precisely when the distribution of power and roles within a society is being redrawn after the trauma of war that efforts must be made to ensure that the concerns and needs of women are duly contemplated. That is especially applicable to such processes as constitutional, political and educational reforms. The second aspect that I wish to stress relates to the economic empowerment of women in post-conflict situations, which is as important as institutional empowerment. The participation of women in efforts to rehabilitate and reactivate the economy is of particular relevance. Given the fundamental role played by women in key economic sectors, particularly in agriculture, the impact of development projects can be enhanced if such projects are focused on women. Resolutions 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009) took us further in our endeavours regarding women, peace and security, as they helped us to translate a wider awareness of challenges and opportunities into effective action. Among the decisions taken by the Security Council in those resolutions, two are particularly relevant due to their potential implications in the mid- and long terms. The first is the request to the Secretary-General to submit a set of indicators to track the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The development of indicators is meant to allow for more rigorous and results-oriented interventions. We appreciate the hard work that has gone into the report before us today. We look forward to the consultative process that will follow and give all stakeholders the opportunity to contribute to the further development of the proposed indicators. In that effort, we should consider the importance of focusing on qualitative rather than quantitative ways of measuring progress and of ensuring flexibility as challenges facing each country are different and should be recognized and treated as such. It would be important to guard against putting additional reporting burdens on developing States, especially those emerging from conflict. Collecting and aggregating data and preparing reports can be challenging tasks. Instead of being a mechanism for academic analysis, the indicators must support countries in their practical efforts to improve the situation of women in post-conflict situations. The second important decision of the Security Council in 2009 regarding women, peace and security was the establishment of the post of Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. It provides the United Nations system with an authoritative voice empowered to provide coherent and strategic leadership in the fight against sexual violence in conflict. It fills a void in helping different parts of the system to work more closely and effectively together. We welcome Ms. Wallström’s appointment to the position. We support her two forward-looking recommendations of continuous attention and of making prevention a top priority. We also support her five-point agenda, as it proposes a balanced set of measures focused both on the past and on the future, on accountability and on cooperation, on the perpetrators and on command responsibilities, and adds the very welcome focus on peer liability. We commend Mrs. Wallström’s initiative to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We encourage and support increased efforts at cooperation with the Congolese Government in addressing capacity-building and other needs in the fight against sexual violence. We also appreciate the measures that have been taken by the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to improve women’s security on the ground. In concluding, let me also thank the Japanese delegation for preparing the draft presidential statement before us, which we fully support.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Japan. I join previous speakers and my colleagues in thanking Special Representative Margot Wallström and Special Adviser Rachel Mayanja for their very helpful briefings. First of all, I would like to congratulate Ms. Wallström on her appointment as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, and to express Japan’s full support as she fulfils her heavy responsibilities. Japan attaches great importance to her mandate to provide coherent and strategic leadership and advocacy efforts on this important issue. We wish the Special Representative to focus particularly on activities related to the impact on women and girls on the ground. Therefore, we highly appreciate Ms. Wallström’s first visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she not only met high-level officials, but also heard the voices of survivors of sexual violence. However, it is important that her visit be followed up by necessary measures, including a possible deployment of a team of experts to strengthen capacity for ending impunity in the country. Secondly, we support the five-point priority agenda set by Ms. Wallström. The protection of women should go hand in hand with empowering them, which is a concept emphasized in the human security approach that Japan has been advocating. We hope that the Special Representative will place a high priority on women’s empowerment by focusing on the needs of individuals and communities in order to enhance their resilience and preventive capacity. Thirdly, it is important to address the gap that exists in the United Nations system in monitoring and reporting on sexual violence. We look forward to the Secretary-General’s specific proposal in this regard. Performance benchmarks should be developed, taking into account ongoing processes, such as global indicators in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), as well as the listing of criteria for parties that have committed sexual violence against children. Japan also welcomes Ms. Mayanja’s briefing and timely submission of the report of the Secretary- General (S/2010/173) on the set of indicators for tracking implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We highly commend Ms. Mayanja’s leadership and the work of the Technical Working Group. I would like to make three brief points on the indicators. First, we appreciate the efforts of the Secretariat to develop a comprehensive set of indicators that cover all areas of resolution 1325 (2000). The 26 indicators in four areas proposed in the report are interrelated. Some of the indicators can be implemented without much delay, but some others require two to five years, we understand, for technical development reasons before becoming operational. Therefore, it is important for the Secretary-General to set out a so-called road map for making each indicator operational, in consultation with relevant stakeholders. Secondly, the Security Council should mobilize political will on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) to approve a comprehensive set of indicators on that occasion. Thereafter, the Security Council would request the use of indicators in country and thematic reports and invite Member States to use indicators in their efforts to implement resolution 1325 (2000). Lastly, there is synergy here. Indicators were requested by resolution 1889 (2009) at last year’s Council debate on the specific needs of women and girls in armed conflict and post-conflict situations (see S/PV.6196). Therefore, we believe that the indicators will serve for early warning in peacebuilding activities to prevent the recurrence of conflict, and thereby contribute to the work of the Peacebuilding Commission. I resume my functions as the President of the Security Council. After consultations among members of the Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council welcomes the appointment of Margot Wallström as Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and reiterates its support of her mandate as outlined in resolution 1888 (2009). “The Security Council welcomes the timely submission of the report of the Secretary-General (S/2010/173) requested in resolution 1889 (2009) and takes note of both the indicators and the recommendations contained in the report. “The Security Council notes that indicators contained in the report would need technical and conceptual development before they could become operational. “The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to continue to consult with the Security Council, taking into account views expressed by other relevant stakeholders, including the broader United Nations membership, taking into account the need to further develop indicators contained in his report (S/2010/173), and the parallel ongoing work regarding resolution 1888 (2009), in order to include a comprehensive set of indicators in his next report on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) to be submitted to the Security Council in October 2010, as well as a programme of work containing roles and responsibilities vis- à-vis the indicators within the United Nations system and a time frame to render the indicators operational. “The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to continue to ensure that all country reports to the Security Council provide information on the impact of situations of armed conflict on women and girls, their particular needs in post-conflict situations and obstacles to attaining those needs. “The Security Council expresses its intention to take action on a comprehensive set of indicators on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of its resolution 1325 (2000) in October 2010, for use at the global level to track implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). “The Security Council reiterates its desire to commemorate the tenth anniversary of its resolution 1325 (2000).” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2010/8. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion.