UN Security Council Open Debate
Sexual Violence in Conflict
June 19 2008

Thematic Compilation of Statements

Index to Statements in Open Debate

| Resolution on Sexual Violence in Conflict |

| NGOWG Recommendations | NGOWG Press Release |

Themes were selected based on advocacy priorities and issue areas related to Sexual Violence in Conflict. Statements were included if they mentioned the particular theme, regardless of what was said about the theme.

Theme: Peacekeeping

• Gender Training
• Mandates
• Sexual Exploitation & Abuse by UN Personnel
• Gender Balance & Recruiting in Peacekeeping

Gender Training

Afghanistan
....
In this regard initial steps have been taken by the Ministry of Interior to increase the recruitment of female law-enforcement officers, and to provide gender-sensitivity training in the police academy. Police Family Response Units are staffed by women who are trained to deal with domestic violence and to respond to female victims of crime.

Argentina
....
In this regard, we would like to highlight that Argentina has fully incorporated tie UN recommendations on gender in all aspects of its participation in Peace Keeping Operations, and the Argentinean Joint Peace-Keeping Training Center (CAECOPAZ) has also incorporated a gender perspective in its doctrine, both at the administration level and in the contents of its training programs.
....
Considering these realities, Argentina is convinced of the need to adopt urgent and effective steps to prevent and respond to such acts of sexual violence against the civilian population, which will significantly contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security. Such steps must include the protection of civilians, particularly women and the girl child; training for military and security personnel; the adoption of adequate legislation and its effective enforcement; community-based work and care for the victims; among others.

Australia
....
The role of police in peacekeeping operations is also of fundamental importance. The specific function of police in times of crisis will differ for example, they may be responsible for responding directly to incidents, or they may provide a mentoring role for local police. Regardless of their role, effective training is always essential. Australia provides its police with training and guidance on sexual violence and also provides predeployment training to police forces from regional countries for missions, such as the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands (RAMSI).
....
Australia reiterates calls by the international community for effective training and strong command structures within military and police contingents, be they blue berets or not, to prevent, and in situations where such crimes have occurred, to prosecute these crimes.
....
National governments must initiate, promote, and implement strict behavioral standards for all security personnel.
....
As a first step, Australia calls on member states to undertake more extensive pre-deployment training for all personnel, including those bound for UN missions. All peacekeeping personnel must undertake specialized training on the protection, special needs and human rights of women and children in conflict situations. This training should also include measures to protect against sexual violence.

Austria
....
A higher percentage of female mission members can contribute to the success of such an operation. Increased recruitment of women for example can facilitate interaction with local women as a confidence building measure.
In order to achieve an integrated response, pre-deployment training has to be improved. In Austria we conduct a pre-deployment training or human rights focusing on the rights of women and children.

Bangladesh
....
Peacekeeping operations are no longer limited to military activities. They now have broader mandates to assist in elections, monitor human rights and carry out police functions. Multifaceted peacekeeping operations thus have large potential in addressing the security of women. These operations now have greater impact on people's lives particularly of women and girls who can largely benefit from the increased security. To this effect, we have successfully integrated gender perspective in some aspects of UN peace-keeping operations.

Benin
....
The fight against sexual exploitation attributed to members of peacekeeping operations must be intensified. We must act more preventively than we have by improving the awareness of contingent members before they are deployed.

China
....
We support the Secretary General in his pursuit of the policy of "zero tolerance" against sexual exploitation committed by peacekeepers and urge troop contributing countries to step up training and monitoring of their peacekeepers so that relevant norms of conduct of the United Nations can be complied with and implemented.

Ghana
....
Troop-contributing countries must take responsibility for deploying well trained peacekeepers. The term “well-trained” must be redefined to include having gender awareness. Gender training should also take place in national staff colleges; it should be realistic and based on exercises, case studies and split-second decision-making.

Greater representation by women is therefore required not only as a matter of principle, but also as a practical matter, in order to strengthen the effectiveness of peacekeeping. In this respect, Ghana has made concerted efforts to increase the integration of women in its armed and security forces and would endeavour to deploy more women as peacekeepers.

Liechtenstein
....
Resolution 1794 can serve as an example in this regard. Furthermore, pre-deployment and on-mission training programs must instruct police, security and humanitarian personnel on how to recognize and react to incidents of sexual violence. Sadly, girls and women in affected regions often associate uniformed personnel with sexual violence.

Mexico
....
Mexico reiterates that we must continue to develop and implement mandatory training programmes on gender issues for United Nations personnel involved in peacekeeping operations and in the provision of humanitarian assistance.

Netherlands
....
Gender training is mandatory and is included in the curriculum of the School for Peace Operations. We believe that all peace keeping troops and police contingents should follow comprehensive gender training before deployment. Moreover, gender awareness training should be mandatory for all persons in leadership positions in conflict and peace building situations, including civil, military and diplomatic representatives.

Nigeria
....
We are equally worried that eight years after the adoption of the landmark Security Council Resolution 1325, which serves both as an action framework and reinforces other existing mechanisms, such as the CEDAW Convention and the Beijing Declaration, progress towards its implementation has been slow and uneven. Indeed, the objectives of the Resolution, including the need to enhance women's participation in decision-making, integrating gender perspectives into peacekeeping operations, protecting women from gender-based violence and mainstreaming gender into UN programme mechanisms, remain largely unfulfilled.
....
We would also like to see gender sensitive training imparted to male civil and military personnel to foster their awareness of gender issues. The need to integrate gender perspectives and training into peacekeeping in Africa is critical, considering that well over 85% of UN peacekeepers are currently deployed in Africa.

Philippines
....
The Philippines believes that the Security Council can help address the issue of gender violence in conflict areas by seeing to it that the design and training of peacekeeping missions include the deployment of more female police and military personnel; the necessary gender-sensitivity training by troop-contributing countries; and the enforcement of a policy of zero-tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse involving peacekeepers.

In the case of the Philippines, gender-sensitivity is incorporated in the pre-deployment training for personnel of our Armed Forces and our National Police whom we send out to support UN peacekeeping operations.

Slovenia (on behalf of the European Union)
....
Furthermore, it is essential that all military and civilian personnel serving on UN peacekeeping missions receive training on the protection and rights of women.

South Africa
....
Gender-sensitive training, the deployment of more women peacekeepers and appointment of more women Special Representatives and Envoys of the Secretary-General should be implemented.
....
South Africa is proud of our contribution to the representation of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa that is rooted in our mainstreaming of gender and human rights in pre deployment training.

Spain
....
In this regard, allow me, Mr. President, to briefly explain some of the measures that the Government of Spain has adopted to respond to the pending challenges. Our measures focus on six critical objectives:

1. …
2. Gender mainstreaming in all phases of these missions.
3. Gender specific training of personnel participating in missions.
4. …
5. …
6. …

Switzerland
....
Secondly, systematic gender training should be provided to personnel working in the security sector, including those active in the armed forces, police, justice and penal systems, as well as UN personnel. Security sector personnel must be able to respond in an appropriate and timely manner to the different security needs of women and men. It is therefore crucially important that senior management personnel be included in gender training programs to ensure that dealing with sexual violence against women is understood as an integral part of the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

Finally, Switzerland supports the implementation on of the Secretary-General's zero tolerance policy on this issue and the establishment of conduct and disciplinary units in all peacekeeping missions. Furthermore, cooperation with the Office of Internal Oversight should be strengthened. The goal is clear: all UN personnel - military or civilian - must be trained in and be held responsible for maintaining the highest standards of conduct.

Tanzania
....
In the same vein, the national defense policies of troop contributing countries need to be explicit and emphatic on protection of civilians, including women and girls, in training their troops for peacekeeping missions.

Vietnam
....
As far as peacekeeping missions are concerned, we support the recommendation contained in the draft resolution presented for adoption today by the Council that the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Security Council, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and its Working Group and relevant States to develop aid implement appropriate training programs for all peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel deployed by the United Nations in the context of missions as mandated by the Council to help them better prevent, recognize and respond to sexual violence and other forms of violence against civilians.

 

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Mandates

Afghanistan
....
Protection of civilians, including women, is highlighted as an inherent part of the ISM -
NATO led mission operating in Afghanistan, we would like to emphasize on the need to integrate specific strategies for the better protection of women from all forms of violence including sexual violence. We also encourage peacekeeping forces to receive gender sensitivity pre-deployment training.

Australia
....
As we are all too aware, crimes of sexual violence are also, in some circumstances, perpetrated by UN personnel. Any act of sexual violence or exploitation by UN personnel undermines the credibility of the UN in times of crisis and impedes a UN mission from implementing its mandate. More than that, it is a gross breach of trust. Any act by UN personnel which impedes its most fundamental role - responding to threats to international peace and security - is unacceptable.
....
The role of UN peacekeepers in the protection of civilians from all violence, including sexual violence, is an important one. While protection of civilians is specifically included in eight UN peacekeeping mandates, there is a strong need to develop clear guidelines to ensure effective implementation of this task. Australia will continue to advocate that this essential guidance be provided to missions. Peacekeepers must also have effective mechanisms, and sufficient resources, at their disposal to give effect to their mandate.

Austria
....
UN presence on the ground can make a difference for women in armed conflict. Regrettably the Security Council has often missed the chance to peacekeeping missions with mandates allowing them to effectively prevent sexual violence against women and girls. The credibility of peacekeeping operations is at stake if they are not able to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence. MONUC which is mandated to strengthen prevention, protection and response to sexual violence can serve as a positive example. As a logic consequence, the issue of widespread sexual violence should be included in the regular reporting to the Security Council.

Bangladesh
....
Peacekeeping operations are no longer limited to military activities. They now have broader mandates to assist in elections, monitor human rights and carry out police functions. Multifaceted peacekeeping operations thus have large potential in addressing the security of women. These operations now have greater impact on people's lives particularly of women and girls who can largely benefit from the increased security. To this effect, we have successfully integrated gender perspective in some aspects of UN peace-keeping operations.

Burkina Faso
....
Other complementary actions must also be taken at the social level. We must make sure that in situations of conflict, women and children, who are usually left to fend for themselves, are protected by peacekeeping operations.

Canada
....
Canada was pleased to co-sponsor a conference held two weeks ago at Wilton Park to examine the role for military peacekeepers in addressing sexual violence, with the participation of a mix of practitioners and policy-makers with military, police, civilian and diplomatic backgrounds. Among the conclusions that emerged very clearly were that peacekeeping missions need clear and strong mandates from the Security Council; that doctrine must be developed to provide guidance to the missions; and that tie Council's monitoring of sexual violence and efforts to address it must become more systematic.
....
Systematic data collection on grave violations of women's and girls' human rights is of utmost importance to effective monitoring. Canada reiterates its recommendation that violence against women and girls, including sexual violence, be systematically included in all reports of the Secretary-General to the Council. Through rigorous data collection and monitoring, the Council would increase its capacity to develop effective peace support mandates that better address this violence, including by way of prevention in the first instance.
....
Canada welcomes the most recent renewal of the peacekeeping mandate of the UN Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) in Security Council resolution 1794, which provides the mission with a more explicit mandate for action to eliminate sexual violence. It should serve as the basis for future mandates by the Council. Unfortunately, the notable absence of equally strong provisions regarding sexual violence in Security Council resolutions 1795 on Cote d'lvoire and 1812 on Sudan, both adopted after 1794, demonstrated that inconsistency in the Council's approach to sexual violence in mission mandates continues.

China
....
We support the Secretary General in his pursuit of the policy of "zero tolerance" against sexual exploitation committed by peacekeepers and urge troop contributing countries to step up training and monitoring of their peacekeepers so that relevant norms of conduct of the United Nations can be complied with and implemented.

Democratic Republic of the Congo
....
Internationally, the fight against sexual violence can be supported by strengthening the mandates of peacekeeping operations, with a view to protecting women and children against violence.

Korea
....
In fact, the Security Council has made some efforts in addressing sexual violence in specific conflict situations. In particular, MONUC, based on the December 2007 resolution, was a clearer and better-framed mandate for addressing sexual violence.
....
Secondly, based on the recognition of the direct link between sexual violence and peace and security, mandates concerning sexual violence issued by peacekeeping operations should be further strengthened and clarified.

Liberia
....
The need for enhanced protection for women in conflict environments, including practical measures by UN peacekeeping missions and humanitarian assistance programs, the integration of gender concerns into security sector reform, the protection of women in situations of displacement, and the elimination of impunity for perpetrators of sexual abuse.

Liechtenstein
....
Protection of civilians must be an inherent task for all peacekeeping missions. This applies in particular to acts of sexual violence. Peacekeepers are currently providing protection, including against sexual violence, only on an ad-hoc basis and under a flexible interpretation of their vague mandates. Future mandates must provide clear guidance, in particular to commanders, on how to protect civilians, including girls and women from sexual violence.

Mexico
....
Mexico believes that, although the United Nations has made progress in developing standards of conduct for peacekeeping personnel and in the strategy to protect and support victims of exploitation and sexual abuse committed by United Nations personnel, greater efforts must be made to ensure that we have an effective international response mechanism that can undertake timely action to deal with cases of gender violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Panama
....
The Council must also establish clear, convincing and viable mandates for peacekeeping operations that ensure the protection of civilians, especially women and girls. Where appropriate, the Council must also reassess the effectiveness and scope of such mandates. In that regard, the Council should also support the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy for personnel working in peacekeeping operations.

South Africa
....
Equally important is the need to ensure that the mandates of UN peacekeeping operations include clear guidelines for the protection of civilians from sexual violence.

Russia
....
We are especially concerned about situations in which that phenomenon is widespread and systematic. It is also unacceptable for violence and sexual exploitation to be committed by the personnel of peacekeeping operations, that is, by the very people called upon to protect civilians.

Spain
....
The Government of Spain supports the creation of special units, within the peacekeeping operations, to pay individual attention to women and girls who have been targets of sexual violence. These units should be composed of specialized personnel, with the aim to become centers of coordination of the activities of the UN system and the donor community as a whole. The implementation of those measures could serve a double objective: on the one hand, It will improve the protection of victims, serving at the same time as a privileged means to gather information on the gravity of the situation on the ground.

Tanzania
....
It is unfortunate that civilians, and in particular women and children, are increasingly targeted in the current warfare; humanitarian law is blatantly being violated and its perpetrators escape with impunity. There is thus an enormous challenge to the international community as a whole and to peacekeeping missions in particular, to ensure that civilians are protected. We are encouraged that sexual violence is included in some peacekeeping - protection of civilian mandates; these mandates need however, to be matched with political resolve and resources, doctrine and guidance.

Vietnam
....
As far as peacekeeping missions are concerned, we support the recommendation contained in the draft resolution presented for adoption today by the Council that the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Security Council, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and its Working Group and relevant States to develop aid implement appropriate training programs for all peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel deployed by the United Nations in the context of missions as mandated by the Council to help them better prevent, recognize and respond to sexual violence and other forms of violence against civilians.

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Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by UN Personnel

Australia
....
As we are all too aware, crimes of sexual violence are also, in some circumstances, perpetrated by UN personnel. Any act of sexual violence or exploitation by UN personnel undermines the credibility of the UN in times of crisis and impedes a UN mission from implementing its mandate. More than that, it is a gross breach of trust. Any act by UN personnel which impedes its most fundamental role - responding to threats to international peace and security - is unacceptable.
....
Australia reiterates calls by the international community for effective training and strong command structures within military and police contingents, be they blue berets or not, to prevent, and in situations where such crimes have occurred, to prosecute these crimes.
....
Australia strongly supports the Secretary-General's zero tolerance policy, and we welcome the significant progress made to eliminate and address sexual exploitation .and abuse by UN personnel, including revision of the Model MOU and the adoption of a Victim Assistance Strategy.

The absence of an effective system to prosecute UN personnel who, while a member of a peacekeeping mission, perpetrate sexual crimes, should not lead to impunity. Where this is the case, the state of nationality should take action to hold their own nationals to account.

Austria
....
Also recent measures strengthening the enforcement of a zero tolerance policy against sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers and related personnel constitute a major contribution.
....
In this context [of the call on Member States to strengthen the rule of law and fully utilize accountability mechanisms to bring to justice perpetrators of violations against women and girls], I would like to draw your attention to the Final Report from the Austrian Initiative 2004-2008 on "The UN Security Council and the Rule of Law", which contains 17 concrete recommendations how the Security Council could strengthen the rule of law in its various fields of activity. In particular, recommendations No. 8 and 9 address the implementation of Res. 1325 and the Secretary General's zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping operations. The report was recently issued as a UN document and is available in all official UN languages.

Benin
....
The fight against sexual exploitation attributed to members of peacekeeping operations must be intensified. We must act more preventively than we have by improving the awareness of contingent members before they are deployed.

Colombia
....
Lastly, my delegation would like to underscore how important it is that the action of the Security Council on the issue of sexual violence is focused on those situations where peacekeeping missions are deployed, that correspond to situations on the agenda of the Council. This includes due regard to the maintenance of zero-tolerance policies for sexual exploitation and abuse in those operations.

Korea
....
At the same time, the delegation of the Republic of Korea believes that efforts to implement the policy of zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping operations should be intensified.
....
Last but not least is the issue of impunity. My delegation reaffirms its support of any efforts to end impunity, recognizing that accountability is a crucial component of ending the cycle of systematic sexual violence against women.

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
....
We note that heinous crimes of sexual violence against women in armed conflict, are perpetrated by three categories of people — armed forces personnel of States involved in conflict; personnel of the United Nations peacekeeping forces; and non-State actors that are parties to a conflict.
....
We also suggest the preparation of booklets setting out moral and religious norms related to the treatment of civilians in time of war, in addition to the norms of international humanitarian law. These could be distributed to soldiers in peacekeeping operations. Moreover, we believe that appropriate mechanisms must be created to address complaints by civilian victims of abuse by soldiers, including sexual violence against girls and women. This would also serve to deter such crimes.

Liechtenstein
....
Most importantly, those who are supposed to provide protection must not themselves become perpetrators: All acts of sexual violence committed by peacekeepers, including sexual exploitation of local woman and child prostitution, are unacceptable. Such acts heavily undermine the credibility and effectiveness of any given peace operation, but also of the organization as a whole. Zero tolerance can be the only answer to such incidents. Indeed, the ultimate goal must be that the attitude and behavior of peacekeepers towards women can serve as a model for local communities.

Mexico
....
We cannot tolerate such abuses, whereby women and children continue to be the principal victims of deliberate attacks by armed groups and armies.

However, if that appeal is to be morally effective, it is necessary to put an end to incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse committed by United Nations personnel, in particular peacekeepers. Mexico believes that, although the United Nations has made progress in developing standards of conduct for peacekeeping personnel and in the strategy to protect and support victims of exploitation and sexual abuse committed by United Nations personnel, greater efforts must be made to ensure that we have an effective international response mechanism that can undertake timely action to deal with cases of gender violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Netherlands
....
Thirdly, acts of violence against women are often committed by soldiers; the very people who are supposed to provide protection. The Netherlands Ministry of Defense invests in engendering the armed forces…. Commanders should take their responsibility and arrest perpetrators. In this respect, I would like to highlight the recent report of Save the Children UK about widespread sexual abuse of children and women by aid workers, and above all, by UN peace keepers. It is intolerable that persons who should provide assistance or protection on behalf of the international community take advantage of the situation to sexually abuse women and children.

Panama
....
The Council must also establish clear, convincing and viable mandates for peacekeeping operations that ensure the protection of civilians, especially women and girls. Where appropriate, the Council must also reassess the effectiveness and scope of such mandates. In that regard, the Council should also support the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy for personnel working in peacekeeping operations.

Philippines
....
The Philippines believes that the Security Council can help address the issue of gender violence in conflict areas by seeing to it that the design and training of peacekeeping missions include the deployment of more female police and military personnel; the necessary gender-sensitivity training by troop-contributing countries; and the enforcement of a policy of zero-tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse involving peacekeepers.

As early as four years ago, the Philippines had put in place a zero-tolerance policy on misconduct especially on sexual exploitation and abuse that could be committed by our peacekeepers. This policy of zero tolerance, which is firmly embedded in the revised policy framework and guidelines governing Philippine participation in UN peacekeeping operations, serves as guarantee that , no Filipino peacekeeper goes unpunished for misdeeds committed in mission areas.

Slovenia (on behalf of the European Union)
....
On this occasion, the European Union reiterates its strong commitment to the zero-tolerance policy with a firm belief that under no circumstances can gender-based violence be condoned in peacekeeping or other UN-led operations.

Spain
....
Only when those crimes have been committed by the United Nations peace missions' staff, has the Organization provided a structured response to the problem. In this regard, we strongly welcome the recent adoption by the General Assembly of the Strategy of Assistance and Support to Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by United Nations Staff and Related Personnel. The Government of Spain firmly supports the "zero" tolerance policy regarding this matter.

Switzerland
....
We are deeply concerned that sexual violence against women and girls still exists in the context of armed conflict. Such conduct is unacceptable, and even more so when committed by peacekeeping personnel.
....
Finally, Switzerland supports the implementation on of the Secretary-General's zero tolerance policy on this issue and the establishment of conduct and disciplinary units in all peacekeeping missions. Furthermore, cooperation with the Office of Internal Oversight should be strengthened. The goal is clear: all UN personnel - military or civilian - must be trained in and be held responsible for maintaining the highest standards of conduct.

United Kingdom
....
My government believes that the Security Council should show leadership on the issue of sexual violence by:

1. …
2. …
3. Proposing practical measures that parties to armed conflict can take to prevent sexual violence, and ensure that those who commit such crimes are brought to justice. This includes peacekeepers as well as belligerents.
4. …

United States
....
We’re concerned about the issue of women and violence across the world in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Sudan and to many other places. And as an international community, we have a special responsibility to punish perpetrators of sexual violence who are representatives of international organizations. Last year, there were reports of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers in several UN missions and by staff at the UN Mission in Liberia.

 

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Gender Balance and Recruiting in Peackeeping

Afghanistan
....
In this regard initial steps have been taken by the Ministry of Interior to increase the recruitment of female law-enforcement officers, and to provide gender-sensitivity training in the police academy. Police Family Response Units are staffed by women who are trained to deal with domestic violence and to respond to female victims of crime.

Argentina
....
As by January 2008, 26 Argentinean women are participating in peace-keeping missions, particularly MINUSTAH and UNFICYP. In White Helmets humanitarian missions, in 2007 a 36% of participants were women, and the figure is expected to reach 43% in 2008.

Australia
....
We also recognise the important role of women in peacekeeping missions, whether they be military, police or civilian. Almost 20% of Australian police and military personnel currently involved in peacekeeping missions are women. Not only are women deployed by Australia, they often hold senior roles within these missions.

Bangladesh
....
As one of the largest troop contributing countries to UNPKOs Bangladesh is ever conscious of her responsibilities to incorporate the gender dimensions particularly the essential elements of 1325 in the pre-deployment training of peace-keepers. At present, Bangladesh has more than 30 police personnel deployed in UN peacekeeping operations. We are expecting that the newly recruited women officers from the Military will shortly join the Peacekeeping missions as observers and staff. The percentage of women in peacekeepers and in police from Bangladesh are set to increase in coming days.

Benin
....
It nearly goes without saying that the deployment of women in the contingents would make the fight against sexual violence more effective because it could facilitate contact and the gathering of sensitive information. But the absence of women in these contingents should not impede the development of effective strategies to counter this phenomenon.

Colombia
....
My delegation notes with interest the growing participation of women in peacekeeping related work. The example of the all-female police contingent from India in the United Nations Mission in Liberia -UNMIL- sets a point of reference on the advancements in this area, and it is a positive contribution to the implementation of resolution 1325. We join the support expressed to initiatives aimed at achieving a higher percentage of women's participation in peacekeeping forces.

Ghana
....
We wish to emphasize that women peacekeepers serve as role models and encourage girl soldiers and victims to embrace programmes to disarm former combatants and generally have a salutary and positive impact on security sector reform, electoral support and gender mainstreaming in broken societies where women are even more marginalized.

Liberia
....
The importance of women's participation in peace process and postconflict governance and reconstruction, including the expansion of the number of women Special Representatives of the UN Secretary General, involvement in local women in the decisions affecting their lives, and inclusion of women as peacekeepers and civilian observers.

Liechtenstein
....
It is therefore crucial to deploy more women in civilian components of peacekeeping missions, empower local women leaders and increase their role in all peacekeeping efforts.

Mauritania
....
Women must also play an active role in peacekeeping operations. Such participation is currently limited; this is especially linked to language issues. To work for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur as a military adviser, it is not enough to speak two official languages of the United Nations. This linguistic obstacle must be overcome to allow women who have the qualifications and who speak at least two United Nations languages to apply for a post in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations if they wish.

Netherlands
....
Additionally, the UN should make an extra effort to appoint more women in senior leadership positions in peacekeeping missions.

New Zealand
....
First, New Zealand is committed to encouraging women to undertake assignments on peacekeeping missions. Women from the New Zealand Defense Forces, New Zealand Police and our wider society are an integral part of New Zealand's regional, United Nations and other international peacekeeping efforts. This includes women working in high risk areas such as Afghanistan and on operational missions such as in Timor-Leste. Furthermore, up to 30 percent of all our police peacekeeping deployments are female - among the highest rate in the world.

Nigeria
....
More importantly, we must strengthen punitive measures so that perpetrators and those responsible for breaches are brought to justice. To enhance these measures, there is need for greater women participation in civil and military components of multilateral peace support operations.

Philippines
....
The Philippines believes that the Security Council can help address the issue of gender violence in conflict areas by seeing to it that the design and training of peacekeeping missions include the deployment of more female police and military personnel; the necessary gender-sensitivity training by troop-contributing countries; and the enforcement of a policy of zero-tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse involving peacekeepers.

Finally Mr. President, the Philippines, as one of the largest, if not the largest, contributors of individual police officers to UN peacekeeping operations, could also support calls for the deployment of more female police officers, especially those experienced in handling gender violence cases. We Pope that such contribution would help bring about better monitoring, reporting and response to cases of gender violence in conflict areas.

South Africa
....
Gender-sensitive training, the deployment of more women peacekeepers and appointment of more women Special Representatives and Envoys of the Secretary-General should be implemented. There is practical evidence that the deployment of women enhances the impact of peacekeeping, especially for women and children in conflict areas. The deployment of women facilitates engagement with local women through the setting up of women's desks in IDP and refugee camps that assists women to talk about their needs and trauma, including information sharing on sexual harassment, abuse and rape.

Furthermore, the presence of women peacekeepers ha:; a positive transformational impact in terms of redefining the roles that women can play in all aspects of peace processes and national reconstruction and development. South Africa is proud of our contribution to the representation of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa that is rooted in our mainstreaming of gender and human rights in pre deployment training.

Spain
....
In this regard, allow me, Mr. President, to briefly explain some of the measures that the Government of Spain has adopted to respond to the pending challenges. Our measures focus on six critical objectives:

1. The promotion of the presence of women in peace missions.
2. …
3. …
4. …
5. …
6. …

 

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