An important aspect of our debate is the link between preventive diplomacy an...

An important aspect of our debate is the link between preventive diplomacy and the Council's initiatives to promote the role of women in peace processes. More than 10 years of continued efforts to implement resolution 1325 (2000) have revealed the limits of a reactive approach. Gabon supports a more comprehensive approach aimed at incorporating conflict prevention as a fundamental part of an effective strategy to protect women and young girls from the agony of conflict and war. Through such a strategy, women would have leading roles, which of course entails women playing a part in the policy sphere in peacetime so that they can be fully involved in the different stages of mediation and political negotiation in times of crisis. In this regard, regional and sub-regional organizations, namely African organizations, should also adopt such a strategy. The African Union's incorporation of gender parity in the highest positions of its hierarchy is a strong indication of a move in that direction.