Reconstruction and Peacebuilding

Adopting a gender perspective for all peacebuilding activities is another essential priority of the action plan. In my capacity as Minister of Equal Opportunities, I can only stress the importance of adopting a gender-oriented approach to all peacebuilding operations, conducting gender-sensitive surveys, collecting statistics with genderd is aggregated data and carrying out specific studies on other discriminatory factors.

To ensure the meaningful inclusion of women in peacemaking processes and post-conflict reconstruction, some societies will have to experience a seismic shift in gender attitudes on the ground. Although 1325 and its related resolutions concern gender-based violence and the transition to a post-conflict society, these issues are inextricably linked to the situation of women's rights as a whole.

Member States bear a large part of the responsibility for implementing the provisions of 1325. In the spirit of the resolution, Israel has amended its Women's Equal Rights Law to mandate the inclusion of women in any group appointed to peacebuilding negotiations or working towards conflict resolution. Israel also seeks to assist other countries in their implementation of 1325.

There is, however, no room for complacency, Mr. President. Recent events in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone highlight that much more remains to be done. The objectives and principles of 1325 underpin the core tenets of international human rights law, international humanitarian law as well as the UN Charter itself.

Ireland also welcomes the recent report of the Secretary-General on women, peace and security, noting in particular the comprehensive recommendations and the update on the set of indicators which will be used to track implementation of Resolution 1325 at the global level.

Another central idea arising from the cross-learning initiative was the need to engage with men. Women, peace and security is not just a "women's issue." In order to achieve true gender equality, men and women must work side by side. We had several male gender champions involved in the initiative and their contribution to the process was invaluable.

Noting that the resolution has galvanized important efforts at all levels on women, peace and security, it is important for the Council to continue making efforts to ensure its effective implementation. The international community has every interest in ensuring the full involvement of women in all stages of the peace process, peacekeeping and peacebuilding: women as peacemakers, women as peacekeepers and women as peacebuilders.

We can reach lasting peace and security in any country only when women are represented at the negotiating table or in talks on post-conflict reconstruction. In the same vein, let me add that the three pillars of lasting peace name,ly, economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy, cannot be achieved without active engagement engagement of women.

We are taking further steps towards increasing the participation of women to 50 % in these institutions, which will take the number of elected women to 1.6 to 1.8 million. Presently, a Bill for the same is under the consideration of the Parliament of India. There are, perhaps, more democratically elected women in India alone than in the rest of the world put together.

The imperative of political empowennent of women cannot be overemphasized. India took a historic initiative of empowering women by reserving one third of the seats in more than 300,000 institutions of local self-government to women.