Reconstruction and Peacebuilding

Resolution 1888 (2009) includes provisions for increasing the participation of women in peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts. We agree that their participation in that regard contributes to creating an atmosphere of trust in which women and children can expose the abuses to which they are subjected.

Colombia, in its capacity as one of the Friends of 1325, will continue to closely monitor developments in the area of women and peace and security and reiterates its commitment to the implementation of policies, plans and programmes that expand and strengthen the role of women in peacebuilding.

The extremely negative effect of sexual violence on peace processes, reconciliation and post-conflict reconstruction clearly makes that crime a security threat. Sexual violence is not a mere by-product of war; it is more often than not a deliberate tactic of warfare. The Council, alongside affected States, has a clear responsibility to use all tools at its disposal to put an end to this scourge.

The Commission on the Status of Women, too, has contributed to advancing global policy on women, peace and security. At its forty-eighth session in 2004, the Commission considered women's equal participation in conflict prevention, management and resolution and in post-conflict peacebuilding.

Similarly, we reiterate that all humanitarian responses must be sustainable and take the development perspective into account so as to ensure the required capacity-building at the national level in this critical area.

In Burma, we remain deeply concerned about the lack of progress towards national reconciliation and the implications for civilians living in ethnic minority areas and the border regions. In many of those areas, civilian continue to be targeted by the military. We remain very troubled by reports of indiscriminate attacks on vulnerable people, including women and children.

The issue of protecting civilians in armed conflict is a cause that the international community must pursue with unwavering determination. We believe that, in order to ensure long-term and lasting protection of civilians, human rights, the rule of law, democracy and good governance should be strengthened. We should also ensure that perpetrators of violence against civilians are held fully accountable for their actions.

The enjoyment of peace by all is what primarily protects civilians. That includes the speedy implementation of development, economic recovery and reconstruction programmes, as well as programmes for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, the provision of services and quick-impact projects to ensure stability and the speedy resettlement of returnees.

Against that backdrop, peacebuilding must be the primary priority and concern of the United Nations, which should not be distracted from it by dealing with other symptoms of conflict. Moreover, I wish to reiterate that we must take advantage of regional organizations with proven ability and capacity to build and maintain peace, given their direct link to the causes of conflicts and their comprehensive understanding of them.

Today in Sri Lanka, 78 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including local NGOs, and 11 United Nations agencies, are working in partnership with the Government on rehabilitation, resettlement and reconstruction programmes. Sri Lanka takes the policy view that NGOs establishing parallel services to those of the Government that are not sustainable cannot have long term benefits for the welfare of the people.