In this context, we are particularly pleased to note that the interconnection...

In this context, we are particularly pleased to note that the interconnection between security and development has been acknowledged by the international community in broader terms. Millennium Development Goal 3 — promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women — will no doubt help emphasize the effectiveness of the efforts in this area. I should also recall that the Programme of Action (see A/66/134) agreed on at the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least-Developed Countries in Istanbul in May proposes a number of joint actions on gender equality and the empowerment of women, concrete steps to be taken jointly by least-developed countries and their development partners.