The Economic and Social Council devoted its 2010 annual ministerial review la...

The Economic and Social Council devoted its 2010 annual ministerial review last year to the internationally agreed development goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and the empowerment of women. The ministerial declaration adopted by the Council broke new ground in that, for the first time, an intergovernmental body highlighted a number of crosscutting issues where action was expected to positively enhance gender-related goals. These cross-cutting issues are also relevant with regard to the role of women in contributing to peacemaking and peacebuilding. I wish briefly to highlight some of these crosscutting issues, which are of particular relevance to this debate and call for a common approach by the United Nations system at the normative, programmatic and operational levels.