Security Council meeting 6005-Resu.1

The President

I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Denmark and Tonga, in which they request to be invited to participate in the consideration of the item on the Council's agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the consideration of the item, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure.

There being no objection, it is so decided.

The President

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter dated 29 October 2008 from the Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso, in which he requests that Mrs. Lila Ratsifandrihamanana, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations, 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 Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mrs. Ratsifandrihamanana.

It is so decided.

I invite Mrs. Ratsifandrihamanana to take the seat reserved for her at the side of the Council Chamber.

I wish to remind all speakers, as I indicated this morning, 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 text in writing and to deliver a condensed version when speaking in the Chamber.

I now give the floor to the representative of Australia.

Mr. Hill (Australia)

Australia welcomes the Secretary-General's report on women and peace and security. We appreciate this debate and also the briefings that were given this morning. The report has particular poignancy, given the adoption earlier this year of resolution 1820 (2008), which recognized the security dimension of sexual violence when such violence is used as a tactic of war. I reaffirm our strong support for resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008).

The Secretary-General's report (S/2008/622) makes for sobering reading. That millions of women and children continue to account for the majority of casualties in hostilities, that the targeted use of sexual violence is increasingly used as a potent weapon of war and acts as a destabilizing factor in conflict and post-conflict societies, and that impunity remains for perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence are facts of which we, as the global community, should be ashamed.

The report does, however, provide some encouragement. Following the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) in 2000, a culture of gender equality and women's empowerment in peace and security areas is slowly taking hold. Australia welcomes the leadership role that the United Nations and other entities have taken in strengthening internal strategies and guidelines.

We particularly acknowledge the work of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) in that area. Australia fully supports their efforts, and we recently committed additional support to assist with the DPA's engagement with African regional organizations on conflict prevention.

Australia is also working in the Pacific region with the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat and the United Nations Development Programme Pacific Centre to strengthen the work of regional organizations on crisis prevention and recovery, conflict analysis, strengthening regional security, mainstreaming gender considerations and implementing violence-reduction policies and interventions. Australia also values and supports efforts by regional organizations such as femLINKpacific.

The Secretary-General's report highlights the ongoing and egregious incidences of sexual and gender-based violence. Australia welcomes the measures that some Member States have taken to prevent and respond to such violence. Gender training for security forces and judicial officials, developing meaningful measures to protect and rehabilitate survivors, increasing public awareness about sexual violence and removing its stigma are key elements in tackling that scourge, but perhaps most crucial is the need to end impunity for its perpetrators. As a global community, we cannot continue to allow the perpetrators of such violence to go unpunished. Neither can we continue to allow victims to be the subject of court systems that do not take account of their needs, nor can we condone situations in which the systematic intimidation of survivors and reprisals by perpetrators are condoned. We also strongly support the Secretary-General's zero-tolerance policy.

As you requested, Mr. President, we have summarized our distributed statement and direct the attention of members to additional matters addressed in it, particularly the mainstreaming of gender perspectives in all negotiations. One half of the population simply cannot be excluded from peace processes and nation-building in post-conflict societies. We call on the United Nations system, Member States, regional bodies and civil society to enhance efforts to mainstream gender perspectives at all levels of peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

The President

I now call on the representative of Ghana.

Mr. Christian (Ghana)

I would like to commend China for organizing this open debate on women and peace and security. We thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2008/622). We are also grateful to the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and to the other officials who addressed the Council this morning.

Women and girls who have played little or no part in creating armed conflict continue to be victims of grave forms of sexual violence and assault and to suffer the worst forms of hardships and displacement during warfare. Notwithstanding those abuses, women contribute meaningfully to efforts aimed at mediation, reconciliation, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and the rebuilding of national institutions. We recognize that some commendable efforts have been made on policy, norm setting and reforms, and institutional development. But we still have not arrived at a situation in which the equality and empowerment of women can be ensured.

One of the crucial objectives of resolution 1325 (2000) is gender mainstreaming in all aspects of peace and security. Its realization calls for deliberate, purposeful and sustained interventions, especially on the part of Member States, with the active collaboration and support of the United Nations and other relevant actors.

In order to develop long-term strategies to increase women's participation, we should focus considerable attention on the following fundamental issues.

Member States and the United Nations have to include targeted gender-related activities in strategies and programmes on peace and security by, for example, increasing the number of women considered for United Nations peacekeeping operations. It is indeed beyond doubt that the deployment of female military and police personnel facilitates outreach to women in local communities.

Ghana participates in nine United Nations peacekeeping operations and currently is the highest contributor of women to military peacekeeping operations, contributing approximately 12 per cent of the total number of female military personnel. We believe in the beneficial effect of women peacekeepers in post-conflict countries and will therefore strive to deploy more women police and military personnel. In order to ensure that peacekeepers are better informed and resourced to address gender-specific challenges facing women in the post-conflict period, our national strategy also underlines the importance of pre-deployment training on gender for peacekeepers.

Linkages should be established between the activities carried out by the United Nations system and the efforts of Member States to implement resolution 1325 (2000), particularly in conflict and post-conflict situations. We must also ensure the creation of effective institutional arrangements that will not only guarantee the protection of women and girls, but also enhance their full and equal participation in peace processes, including negotiations and decision-making.

Civil society ought to be mobilized and actively involved in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), because its members have important roles to play as advocates, activists and programme implementers in building the political will necessary to bring about real change. Effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms should be engaged to ensure the sustainability of positive changes in the situation and role of women in conflict and post-conflict countries.

The critical role of Member States in the full and effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) cannot be overstated, as national ownership is a prerequisite for the success of gender mainstreaming activities over the longer term. National ownership also enhances prospects for mobilizing the support of civil society groups while enhancing the impact of international assistance. We must take responsibility for that resolution and all that it asks of us. It is easy to request the United Nations to act, but as Member States, we should also acknowledge what is required of us to ensure the effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

The President

I now call on the representative of Austria.

Mr. Ebner (Austria)

Austria associates itself with the statement made earlier by the representative of France on behalf of the European Union (EU) and welcomes the focus of this open debate on the participation of women.

The inclusion of women in peace processes not only ensures that their concerns are addressed in peace negotiations, but also strengthens their position in the subsequent post-conflict phase. Women are thus in a stronger position in national post-conflict recovery efforts. Figures on women's participation in peace negotiations in recent years, however, show that we must significantly increase our efforts.

In light of the recommendations made by the Women's Empowerment Network last year, we are encouraged by the Secretary-General's increasing appointments of women as special representatives and to leading positions in the Secretariat. We hope to see more female appointments in the near future. At the same time, Austria would like to urge special representatives and envoys to make full use of the potential of women in peace processes and conflict resolution.

We strongly encourage United Nations special envoys and special representatives, as well as Security Council missions, in their contacts with local authorities, to stress the importance of gender mainstreaming and to lobby for the active involvement of local women in peace and reconciliation processes.

We further encourage peacekeeping operations to hold regular meetings with women representatives to assess specific issues related to their situation. A gender checklist for EU peacekeeping operations, initiated during the Austrian Presidency of the EU in 2006, has successfully integrated the main objectives of resolution 1325 (2000) into a coherent planning framework. Many elements of the EU gender checklist can serve as a model for peace missions in the framework of the United Nations and regional organizations.

It is also widely recognized that female staff play a distinctive role and have a positive operational impact in peacekeeping operations. That is true for all aspects of the mandate of peace operations, but in particular for sensitive tasks such as in the aftermath of sexual violence or when it comes to screening of women ex-combatants. Additional efforts are needed to attract more women to peacekeeping operations, since, according to a report of the Secretary-General of July 2008, only 2.2 per cent of military personnel and 7.6 per cent of civilian police are female.

Austria is committed to the objectives of resolution 1325 (2000). Our activities are firmly based on a national action plan adopted in August 2007. In line with the Austrian national action plan, a first progress report, which was adopted recently, highlighted concrete achievements during the first year with regard to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) at the national, regional and international levels. That ongoing process of monitoring and evaluation contributes to strengthening cross-departmental cooperation.

One important aspect is training. In 2008, predeployment training on human rights, with a particular focus on the objectives of resolution 1325 (2000), has been undertaken for all for Austrian male and female soldiers participating in the EU's military operation in the Republic of Chad. This month, the Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution held its first specialization course on women and armed conflict, which brought together experts involved in, or preparing for, various United Nations and regional peacebuilding efforts.

The tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) should be used to define future priorities. On several occasions over the past year, and most recently in her statement during the general debate of the General Assembly, Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik proposed a 10-year review by the United Nations of resolution 1325 (2000), culminating in a review conference in 2010. Her initiative has already received broad support, in particular from women leaders, who, following a meeting in Brussels hosted by Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner in March 2008, invited Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to convene a ministerial-level meeting in 2010 to review the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and to reinvigorate the commitment to tackling outstanding issues. Austria stands ready to work with the Secretary-General and all interested countries and stakeholders to use the 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 implement the undertakings of resolution 1325 (2005).

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Japan.

Mr. Takasu (Japan)

I would like to express my appreciation to the delegation of China for organizing this important debate on women, peace and security. I would also like to thank the guest speakers for sharing their experiences this morning.

Women can, and should, play a more important role in the process of conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Women are major stakeholders in each of those stages. Women, together with children, are most vulnerable and often severely affected in conflict and instability. Their different perspectives from those of men and their special needs must be better reflected in efforts to achieve durable peace and reconciliation and to rebuild society.

Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the Security Council has repeatedly stressed the importance of women's equal and full participation in efforts to promote peace. Yet, women have often been excluded from the peace process owing to the lack of political will on the part of society and traditional stereotypes with regard to gender roles. All too often, gender-based violence and discrimination against women and girls in the course of conflict hinder their formal representation in peace talks and in the rebuilding of society. The challenge, therefore, is how to utilize the political framework set out in resolution 1325 (2000) to achieve tangible progress in women's lives on the ground. The report (S/2008/622) of the Secretary-General provides us with an overview of the progress made, good practices and existing challenges.

First of all, as a sponsor, we welcome the adoption of resolution 1820 (2008) in June of this year. The resolution recognized sexual violence as a security problem and called on the international community to take concrete steps to tackle widespread sexual violence against women in situations of armed conflict. Ending impunity and providing survivors with the necessary legal protection and remedies will promote the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We hope that the Secretary-General's campaign to end violence against women and the inter-agency action against sexual violence in conflict situations will strengthen actions by the United Nations system.

Secondly, we are pleased that women are now more represented in peacekeeping operations, with full-time gender advisers and focal points. That facilitates the integration of the gender perspective in national institutions and governance, the participation of local women and girls in national decision-making processes and elections, improved reporting of violence against women and victims' access to services such as medical and psychological care. We hope that the Secretary-General will make further efforts to appoint more women as special representatives and special envoys. Ensuring gender-awareness training for peacekeepers continues to be important in efforts to make the policy of zero-tolerance effective.

Although we are encouraged by some of the positive developments, we cannot fail to note that much remains to be done. To effectively address the needs of women and girls affected by the pressure of conflict, we have to adopt a comprehensive approach to the problem. More effective actions must be taken to protect them from threats to their safety; but, equally, stronger measures to empower them are essential in order to address their needs. Security and judicial sector reform and the rule of law are important, of course. But they should be accompanied by basic social and economic services -- such as education, training, microcredit and access to land and property rights -- to strengthen the economic capacity of women. What is needed is the human security approach that we have promoted over the years, the essence of which is both to protect people's lives and dignity from serious threats and to empower them to realize their full potential.

Women should be viewed as being more than just survivors of conflicts. They can take on the principal role in fostering reconciliation and peacebuilding processes. We have provided support through the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security to a number of countries, including Somalia and Afghanistan, in efforts to involve women in reconciliation and creating durable peace. For instance, in Burundi, Japan has been supporting a project through the Fund aimed at strengthening the economic capacity of returnees, displaced women and those in local communities by jointly organizing economic activities for reconciliation and the coexistence of women of different ethnic groups.

Such examples offer inspirations to those women who are struggling for survival every day. I am sure that there are many more, similar examples of success throughout the world. I would like to suggest that the Secretariat compile a list of good practices with regard to women's participation in reconciliation and peacebuilding processes and consider preparing a handbook to be used in a training programme for peacekeepers and peacebuilding experts. It would also be useful to practitioners on the ground.

In conclusion, Japan very much hopes that today's debate will contribute to deepening understanding of this important and crucial issue and to reaffirming our commitment to the objectives of resolution 1325 (2000).

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Mexico.

Mr. Heller (Mexico)

The delegation of Mexico would like to express its gratitude to you, Mr. President, for the holding of what is now a traditional open debate on women and peace and security. We also wish to thank the Secretary-General for introducing his recent report (S/2008/622).

Gender equality and the prevention, punishment and eradication of violence against women and girls are State policy in Mexico. They also constitute essential elements of my country's foreign policy in the promotion of international peace and security. The Secretary-General's report reflects the increasing significance of the topic and stresses the need for progress in improving the protection of the human rights of women.

It is clear that there has been some progress since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). However, we must once again admit that there is a gap between the normative frameworks arising from the adoption of the resolution and its effective implementation, as the Secretary-General clearly notes. Mexico therefore welcomes the package of measures that the Secretary-General suggests in order to accelerate the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), particularly in ensuring that women's needs and concerns are included in the development of conflict prevention strategies and early warning measures.

Women are not passive actors in complex situations or emergencies and are especially vulnerable to marginalization and poverty and their associated psychological and physical violence. In that context, Mexico welcomes the Secretary-General's proposal to strengthen the capacity of the Security Council to eradicate sexual violence by dispatching missions to assess situations in which sexual violence has taken place or its use is encouraged as a tactic of war or as part of a widespread or systematic campaign against civilians. We would also deem it appropriate for the Council to consider implementing the recommendation to intensify measures to prevent and eradicate sexual violence, including through more systematic operational and tactical responses by United Nations peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance programmes.

We agree with the Secretary-General's proposal that the Council should reiterate that parties to armed conflict have a responsibility to protect women and to prevent and eradicate sexual violence. We reiterate the need to sensitize and train the military personnel of Member States and United Nations peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance personnel on the importance of human rights with a gender component.

Mexico would like to express its concern at the increasing number of cases of sexual abuse perpetrated against women during armed conflict, including during the peacebuilding phase. We agree with the Secretary-General on the fact that sexual violence is a security problem requiring a systematic response commensurate with its scale and magnitude.

It is imperative to take effective measures to prevent and respond to widespread or systematic acts of sexual violence in order to contribute to international peace and security, as well as to intensify efforts to implement a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping operations, pursuant to resolution 1820 (2008).

The adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) was the result of the political will of Council members to provide protection for the millions of women affected by armed conflicts. A permanent and strong willingness to translate that commitment into concrete action is required.

In that regard, Mexico supports the Secretary-General's position on the issue of the Security Council increasing its use of the Arria Formula or similar arrangements for informal consultations with women's groups and non-governmental organizations on individual conflict situations. That would undoubtedly allow progress to be made in the practice, treatment and promotion of positive solutions in specific cases that deserve the attention of the international community.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Canada.

Mr. Normandin (Canada)

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish to thank the Chinese presidency of the Security Council for convening this debate.

In resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, the Security Council called for women's participation and involvement in all efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts and build lasting peace. Eight years later, we have only begun to answer that call.

The United Nations and its Member States have undertaken important measures to increase the representation and participation of women. We now have here a significant body of research findings and many widely known best practices. For instance, when sexual violence cases are prosecuted at the outset, impunity for crimes targeting women is less of an obstacle to women's engagement in peacebuilding. In addition, when women are included in peace talks, a more inclusive and sustainable peace is negotiated.

We know what is needed: vastly increased representation of women at all levels of decision-making as negotiators, mediators, police officers, soldiers, military observers and special representatives of the Secretary-General. On that issue, I would like to highlight that there is currently only one woman among the special representatives of the Secretary-General. Among United Nations special envoys, there are none.

In his most recent report, the Secretary-General noted the excellent work carried out by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the United Nations Development Programme, among others, in promoting women's participation in peace talks, in particular those in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal, Somalia and the Sudan. In that connection I would like to note that, in the Sudan, Canada has provided technical assistance to efforts to integrate women's rights and equality concerns and to strengthen the participation of women in the Darfur peace process.

Allow me to highlight the fact that only 7.4 per cent of United Nations police personnel in peace operations, and 10 per cent of those deployed by Canada, are women. Canada is undertaking recruiting efforts to increase the representation of women police officers in missions, taking into account the impact it can have on the perception of the role of women in the host country. Canada takes inspiration from best practices, such as India's formed police unit, the first all-female United Nations contingent, which is deployed in Liberia. I have been able to witness their work first-hand on the ground.

Mr. Normandin (Canada)

In another example of measures that we as Member States can take, Canada has deployed a gender adviser to Afghanistan's Ministry of the Interior to assist in the development of policies and programmes aimed at increasing the representation of women in the Afghan National Police. That will assist police operations in fulfilling their protection role.

With the adoption of resolution 1820 (2008) in June, the Security Council recognized the critical relationship between sexual violence as a weapon of war and the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as the fundamental importance of women's participation in all processes related to ending sexual violence in conflict. In that respect, Canada is pleased to be supporting the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre courses on sexual and gender-based violence intervention, prevention and investigation, which are offered to 60 female and male African police personnel currently deployed to the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur.

Canada calls on the Security Council to identify, report and respond systematically and comprehensively to all instances of sexual violence in countries on its agenda. The evidence demonstrates that part of that response must be support for women's participation in the peace process. Despite efforts such as those and many more, progress has been slow and unreliable. New research by UNIFEM demonstrates that in the minority of cases in which such information is available, women's participation in peace talks has averaged approximately 7 per cent in recent years.

Clearly, the ad hoc approach is not having the desired effect. Increased women's participation requires a long-term commitment to applying systematically the measures that are known to have a positive and sustained impact. It requires the systematic inclusion of women in all peace processes, including peace talks. By now, that should be a standard practice. We also know that gender advisers can provide valuable technical guidance to United Nations mission staff. Every United Nations mission should have a full-time gender adviser. Again, by now, that too should be a standard practice.

In conclusion, Canada is convinced that a sustained and systematic approach will enable us to reach our shared goal. Not only is full, equal and meaningful participation by women just -- lasting peace depends upon it.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Ireland.

Mr. Kavanagh (Ireland)

Ireland welcomes this opportunity to address the Security Council on the issue of women and peace and security. I would like to express my appreciation to you, Sir, and to the People's Republic of China for convening this open debate and facilitating discussion of the international community's response to Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). The concept paper (S/2008/655) provided by your presidency of the Council has lent valuable assistance to States in preparing for today's debate.

I have the honour to speak today on behalf of the Human Security Network, a cross-regional group of countries comprised of Austria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Mali, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland and Thailand, with South Africa as an observer.

Eight years after the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we warmly welcomed the adoption by the Council earlier this year of resolution 1820 (2008), which a number of Human Security Network members were pleased to co-sponsor. The horror of gender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse has repeatedly been brought to the attention of the Security Council. It demands an urgent and effective response from the international community. In recognition of that, Ireland has chosen to focus on gender-based violence as the main theme of our term as Chair of the Human Security Network, a position we will hold through May 2009.

Resolution 1820 (2008) builds on the foundations laid by resolution 1325 (2000) in emphasizing our collective responsibility to work to combat sexual violence in situations of armed conflict. The Security Council reiterated its deep concern that acts of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict "continue to occur, and in some situations have become systematic and widespread, reaching appalling levels of brutality" (resolution 1820 (2008), ninth preambular paragraph).

Recognizing the ongoing and urgent need for full and effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his useful report on that topic (S/2008/622). The report is encouraging in that it records significant progress towards implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Nevertheless, it also highlights the extent of the work yet to be done in that area. It emphasizes the need for the international community to redouble its efforts to promote full and meaningful implementation of the resolution. Action is also required to ensure delivery of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan on implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), as previously highlighted by Slovenia on behalf of the Human Security Network in a statement to the Security Council in October 2006.

The implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is not, in Ireland's view, a matter solely for the Security Council or, indeed, for the United Nations system. All Member States must take responsibility for the implementation of the resolution through their own national activities. The development of national action plans is a key means by which Member States commit themselves to fulfilling that responsibility. Only through such a process can countries assess activities already carried out in that area and commit themselves to tackling outstanding issues identified.

In a national capacity, Ireland, for its part, is currently developing its own national action plan and we intend the process to be guided by the experiences of women and men in countries emerging from conflict. To that end, we hope to work in partnership with Liberia and with Timor-Leste in a process of cross-learning. While we recognize the need for diverse approaches in different contexts, we hope that the collaboration will result in a concerted effort in all three countries -- Liberia, Timor-Leste and Ireland -- to effect real, immediate and meaningful change for women who have experienced conflict and who can and should be stakeholders in State-building and peacebuilding.

The continued prevalence of gender-based violence in conflict is a cause of great concern to the Human Security Network. It is a grave violation of all accepted standards of conduct and a challenge to our common humanity. We believe that the international community must act, in accordance with resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), both to eliminate instances of such violations and to ensure that victims have full and meaningful access to justice and that impunity for the perpetrators of such crimes is combated.

We recall that the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court specifically defines rape and other forms of sexual violence as war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Human Security Network urges the Security Council to work together with relevant stakeholders to ensure the prosecution of such crimes and to eliminate the impunity with which they are perpetrated.

As part of a comprehensive approach to seeking sustainable peace, justice, truth and national reconciliation, we stress the need for the exclusion of sexual violence crimes from amnesty provisions in the context of conflict resolution processes.

Women are highly active and effective in informal peace processes. The challenge lies in ensuring their participation in formal processes where peace agreements are negotiated. The members of the Human Security Network are committed to supporting meaningful steps to promote and enhance the role of women in peace processes and to integrate gender equality more effectively in that context. Such measures will strengthen the legitimacy of decision-making processes, which are so vital to the creation of durable foundations for peace and prosperity.

Resolution 1325 (2000) was born of a recognition of the particular impact of war on women and of the fact that this heinous impact required special attention and action on the part of the international community. As is highlighted regularly in frequent reports provided to the Council and also in the media, that need continues. It will take increasingly vigorous and relevant action to mitigate and eliminate the consequences of war on women. To be successful, the process must facilitate the leadership role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding without detracting from the shared responsibility for results that rests on all of us, irrespective of gender.

In conclusion and in that context, on behalf of the Human Security Network and on behalf of Ireland in our national capacity, I wish to commend the Council's continuing attention to that urgent and vital task.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Bangladesh.

Mr. Sorcar (Bangladesh)

Let me begin by thanking you, Mr. President, for your initiative in having organized this open debate on women, peace and security. The concept paper that you have submitted (S/2008/655) has been very useful to us and, I believe, to many other delegations.

Women's contributions to peace have long been ignored and underestimated. They tend to fade into the background when official peace negotiations begin. Such negotiations are often identified as male domains and considered to be closer to a man's reality than to a woman's. However, peace is much more than the ending of direct conflict, which is often fought by men. That lacuna leads to the formulation of narrow policies and programmes in which the concerns of women are not adequately addressed. It is therefore important to appreciate the complex way the gender dimension interacts with conflict resolution.

The realignment of gender roles and positions should be an integral part of our approach to the challenge of rebuilding war-torn societies. The international commitment to engaging women in peace talks should be honoured by preparing concrete guidelines for enabling women's participation as part of negotiating delegations and in expert and observer roles.

Involving women in peace initiatives in greater numbers alone cannot ensure their equal participation or the quality of their engagement. Peace negotiations should involve informed cross-sections of women, including those directly affected by conflicts, who have the expertise to contribute and make a difference in engagement. While creating a greater political space for women, States must also ensure that women may operate there in their own right. To that end, States must invest in capacity-building to emphasize women's full role in conflict resolution.

Concerted efforts are needed for research, analysis and knowledge-sharing on the situation of women and girls in conflict situations to inform effective policy and programme interventions. A monitoring system based on non-discriminatory standards should be established to reflect the real progress made and to identify the gaps in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). A working group on women, peace and security may be useful in that regard. Use of information and communication technology tools and the media can raise public awareness and advocate for the strengths of women in promoting peace and security around the world.

The Council should pursue a stronger and more systematic working relationship with civil society, non-governmental organizations and women's organizations through the increased use of the Arria Formula meetings or similar arrangements at all levels. National action plans and initiatives must take up gender mainstreaming for peace and security rather than merely fill up gender quotas. Such national efforts should undergo gender auditing. While national plans are formulated, efforts should be made to integrate women who are direct stakeholders in the peace process. However, in order to have the desired impact on the ground, the work of national Governments must be sustained by increased international cooperation. The United Nations gender machinery should also be provided with adequate resources to complement national efforts.

Multidimensional peacekeeping operations have a large potential to address the security and well-being of women in conflict and post-conflict situations. Troop-and police-contributing countries must continue to increase the numbers of uniformed and civilian female personnel. They should also meet their obligations to ensure that pre-deployment training for their military and civilian personnel is complemented with mission-specific training, community orientation and familiarization with local gender dynamics. Pre-deployment training should also include familiarization with the shift of orientation in civilian protection, which considers the addressing of sexual violence as fundamental to the achievement of mission objectives. Deployments should routinely include personnel with expertise in gender issues and in addressing sexual violence who can inform deployment planning and resourcing.

A reinforced commitment to the integration of a gender perspective is also necessary to transform the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations into a body that actively contributes to larger efforts to implement resolution 1325 (2000). We welcome the adoption of resolution 1820 (2008) and believe that it will further facilitate the United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding endeavours.

Bangladesh supports a greater role for women in all United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions. As one of the largest troop-contributing countries to United Nations peacekeeping operations, Bangladesh is ever conscious of our responsibility to incorporate the gender dimension, particularly the essential elements of resolution 1325 (2000), into the pre-deployment training of peacekeepers. In the coming days, the number of women in peacekeeping forces from Bangladesh is set to increase to ensure the gender balance in our share of the deployment.

The Peacebuilding Commission should fully implement resolution 1325 (2000) in conflict resolution, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation. As a member of the Peacebuilding Commission, we remain wary of integrating gender perspectives into the formulation of integrated peacebuilding strategies.

Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the world has witnessed heightened international attention devoted to the enhancement of the role of women in peace and security. Nevertheless, the challenges still outpace the achievements. Women continue to languish in all conflict and post-conflict situations. Failure to address their concerns in formal peace processes has made peace and development unsustainable. The international community needs to summon all its political will to raise a greater sense of urgency and consciousness among all stakeholders to create an environment in which the world's women are free from the fallout of wars and conflicts.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Switzerland.

Mr. Maurer (Switzerland)

First of all, I would like to thank you, Sir, for having organized this open debate and to thank all those who made briefings this morning.

Following the significant progress made last June with the adoption of resolution 1820 (2008), our present debate emphasizes another key step -- the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The Secretary-General's report offers invaluable recommendations for all actors on increasing the inclusion of women at all stages of peace processes. My country is committed to following up on the recommendations and is prepared to contribute.

First of all, it is women on the ground who are the vectors of change. Switzerland is concerned by the fact that they are not yet sufficiently represented in the formal structures of peace processes. If we are to increase their participation at the negotiating table, we must make their initiatives visible. My country has supported and will continue to support activities aimed at achieving such participation, for example, the International Women's Commission for a Just and Sustainable Israeli-Palestinian Peace or projects through programmes to promote peace in Colombia, Nepal or Burundi, for example.

The United Nations plays a key role in increasing the inclusion of women. That is why we support the enhancement of gender capacities in the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations by making available personnel and methodologies. For that same reason, we support efforts to better mainstream gender equality in humanitarian activities. In that context, I would like to mention the specific example of the project of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee.

Switzerland's 1325 National Action Plan, adopted a year and a half ago, is a reference document for mobilizing human and financial resources. It is thanks to that instrument that we are able to co-finance the United Nations Stop Rape Now initiative. And we are relying on that instrument both to increase the secondment of women to peace operations as well as to encourage women candidacies for higher-level positions within the United Nations. We hope that all contributing countries will succeed in significantly raising the visibility and the influence of women in that field.

Finally, the Security Council has the power to integrate gender issues even more systematically into its mandates. It could more frequently take the opportunity to listen to experts of both genders, for example the High Commissioner for Human Rights, but also other people within the framework of Arria Formula meetings. Furthermore, we hope that deliberations on an effective mechanism for implementing resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008) will be successful.

The Secretary-General's report also reveals some shocking facts. In some conflicts, three out of four women are raped, and the perpetrators, with very few exceptions, are never convicted. Such crimes are the most serious assault on a person's physical integrity and can constitute genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. It is imperative that the perpetrators are brought to justice. Such crimes destroy the socio-economic fabric of communities and prevent women from becoming more involved in peace processes. Moreover, they are a major obstacle to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. That link is a key element of the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development.

We are all responsible for preventing such unacceptable crimes and for combating impunity. The international criminal tribunals, and in particular the International Criminal Court, play a key role in that struggle. They have the appropriate means to prosecute those acts of violence.

In your capital, Beijing, Sir, in 1995, 189 countries made a commitment under United Nations auspices to the vision of a more egalitarian society by signing a Platform for Action in close cooperation with civil society. That momentum contributed significantly to the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). It is high time that we looked to the future and set new ambitious aims for the medium term. In 2010, we will mark the resolution's tenth anniversary. Switzerland supports the idea of a high-level review conference that could mobilize decision makers and provide new impetus.

We share the analysis of the Secretary-General that implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) has made progress, but we also agree that a considerable gap remains between reality and political intentions. We must, therefore, continue to make significant efforts and thus demonstrate that celebrating the resolution's tenth anniversary is genuinely merited.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Germany.

Mr. Matussek (Germany)

Germany welcomes this year's Security Council debate on women and peace and security, marking the eighth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000). Germany associates itself with the statement made by the French presidency of the European Union and would like to add the following remarks.

We welcome the particular emphasis of this year's debate on the issue of women's equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security. Resolution 1325 (2000) has given us a very clear mandate in that regard. Unfortunately, as today's debate and the report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) have shown, many structural and institutional impediments remain. We call upon the United Nations system and upon ourselves, the Member States, to step up our efforts leading to concrete advancement in the equal inclusion of women in peace talks, justice processes and peacekeeping.

Let me emphasize that Germany firmly believes that the creation of a strong and effective United Nations gender entity has to be part of those efforts. We hope that the Secretariat will soon provide the membership with the requested detailed paper on modalities, so that substantive action can be taken before the end of the current session of the General Assembly.

Resolution 1325 (2000) and the Secretary-General's report rightly emphasize the essential role of training United Nations staff, peacekeeping personnel and civil society as a means of ensuring the equal participation of women. Let me therefore highlight some best practices and some examples of how Germany actively contributes to the effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the field of training.

The Centre for International Peace Operations was established by the German Federal Government in June 2002 with the aim of enhancing Germany's civilian capacity for crisis prevention. The Centre's core mandate is the training, recruitment and support of German civilian personnel for peace operations and election observation missions, conducted in particular by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations. The Centre cooperates closely with international and other European training centres, such as the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana, and is a founding member of the EU Group on Training. Gender aspects, in particular the role of women in conflict resolution, are consistently taken into account in the design of training modules. Overall, since 2002, a total of 416 women from Germany and 129 women from abroad have participated in the Centre's training courses. In 2007, 52 per cent of participants in such training courses were women.

The German Government also funds a pilot project called the Mobile Peace Academy OMNIBUS 1325. That "bus line" has since toured several countries in the northern and southern Caucasus regions. On each of its stops, it has conducted train-the-trainer sessions with local non-governmental organizations, public officials, teachers and journalists on the relevance of resolution 1325 (2000) and on the integration of a gender perspective into their work for peace in the region. Just last week, the bus returned to Berlin and was greeted with a high-profile press conference.

The adoption in June this year of resolution 1820 (2008) on women and peace and security and sexual violence in armed conflict was a landmark achievement. It strengthened and further developed our commitment to the protection of women in situations of conflict and their active participation in the promotion of peace and security. Resolution 1820 (2008) created many new obligations for the United Nations, for the Security Council and for Member States. Inter alia, the Secretariat was asked to submit a comprehensive and operational report on the implementation of resolution 1820 (2008) by June 2009.

I am pleased to announce today that Germany has decided to provide the necessary funds for the recruitment of an additional policy specialist in the Peacekeeping Best Practices Section of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, whose task it will be to oversee coordination of that report. In addition, he or she will be tasked with designing a global strategy for the implementation of resolution 1820 (2008) and with developing and elaborating key training messages and an outreach and partnership strategy, including with troop- and police-contributing countries.

We are confident that Germany's financial contribution will significantly facilitate the submission of a report that will be substantive and operational and will allow us to further develop the vision of resolution 1820 (2008). We take that contribution as proof that Germany, as a friend of resolution 1325 (2000), is deeply committed to the vision of both landmark resolutions, 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), and will continue to undertake concrete efforts for their implementation.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of the Republic of the Congo.

Mr. Biaboroh-Iboro (Congo)

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