Reconstruction and Peacebuilding

Now, in defense, diplomacy, and development, which we consider the three pillars of our foreign policy, we are putting women front and center, not merely as beneficiaries of our efforts but as agents of peace, reconciliation, economic growth, and stability.

In Afghanistan, for example, our diplomatic efforts have been rooted in the notion that respect for the rights of women, as protected in the Afghan constitution, is an essential element of democracy and stability. The United States has backed women's inclusion at all levels, including in the recently formed High Peace Council, because we believe the potential for sustainable peace will be subverted if women are silenced or marginalized.

In addition to this new funding, our second step will be to develop our own National Action Plan to accelerate the implementation of Resolution 1325 across our government and with our partners in civil society. And to measure progress on our plan, we will adopt the indicators laid out in the Secretary General's report.

From Nepal to Guatemala to Uganda, our development agency, USAID, is promoting women's roles in politics, supporting their participation in local peace committees, and helping develop plans to implement 1325. In fact, in the future, every USAID project to prevent or manage conflict will study its effect on women and will include them in the planning and implementation.

Thirdly, women's political and economic empowerment and the promotion and protection of women's and girls' rights are critical for promoting women's participation in conflict prevention, post-conflict activities and gender mainstreaming in post-conflict strategies.

As an equal component of any society, women should have equal and active participation in formulating political, economic and social policies. Equally, as victims of exclusion, as vulnerable targets in conflicts and as mothers and breadwinners, women have high stakes in conflict prevention and resolution, and in all issues related to peace and security.

Second, Women remain acutely under represented women in peace negotiations. And they are often marginalised in efforts to build sustainable peace. Fewer than one in five peace agreements contain specific provisions on women's rights and needs. We need to ensure women are included in conflict resolution and post-conflict peace-building as a matter of course.

We believe that the empowerment of women is important for the realization of the human rights of women, as well as for economic and political development. It is equally important for durable peace, security, early recovery and reconciliation.

Today's debate presents yet another important opportunity to promote the effective, coherent and systematic implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), which gave much-needed and welcome visibility to the question of women's empowerment, their role as peacebuilders and their vulnerable position as victims of war.

At the same time, women are still underrepresented in decision-making with regard to conflict resolution. Their initiatives and visions for peace and security are rarely heard during peace negotiations. In that regard, I would like to stress that the international community should use the potential of women as agents of preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.