STATEMENT OF MEXICO ON THE SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY, OCTOBER, 2015
STATEMENT OF MEXICO, October, 2015
Peacekeeping operations and prevention and mediation efforts are two concrete examples. In the past, we might have thought that applying a gender focus to peacekeeping operations simply meant deploying a greater number of women on the ground or increasing the number of women in the armed forces. While that is still a priority, a broader concept of gender equality now allows us to realize that all the activities of a given operation — including patrols and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, security sector reform, the promotion of the rule of law and the effective enjoyment of human rights — should take into account the specific needs of women and should recognize the importance of their participation in interaction with local communities.
STATEMENT OF MEXICO, October, 2015
Another relevant aspect of this discussion concerns the need to allocate sufficient human and financial resources to programmes of proven success. For that reason, my delegation considers it essential to guarantee the deployment of specialized gender advisers in peacekeeping operations and special political missions. Such a strategy will require that we strengthen all our activities through appropriate coordination with the other organs of the United Nations system so as to avoid duplication and to respect the competencies of each separate organ.
Mexico has reported to the General Assembly on the specific steps it has taken towards its gradual return to peacekeeping operations. As part of our commitments, I would like to recall that we will increase capacity- building and specialized training for Mexican officers, in particular members of the Mexican armed forces, based on the criteria established by resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent related resolutions. To that end, we have already established cooperation mechanisms with a number of countries that will enable us to strengthen our specific activities in the area of capacity- building. Just last week, for example, the Government of Mexico held one such specialized training session at the Centre for Advanced Naval Studies of Mexico, in collaboration with the Governments of Spain and the Netherlands.