I wish to express my appreciation to you, Mr. President, for organizing toda...

I wish to express my appreciation to you, Mr. President, for organizing today's important open debate. Your well-rounded concept note (S/2013/587, annex) is indeed very useful in providing us with the clear objective of our debate on the issue. We also express our gratitude to the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Executive Director of UN Women and the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, whose remarks serve as a good basis for our focus at today's meeting. The theme of the meeting is well-chosen and timely, particularly as we continue to advance the agenda to strengthen the role and engagement of women in peace processes.