Civil society and participation of women's groups play an important role. Wom...

Civil society and participation of women's groups play an important role. Women's groups help empower women so that the voices ofwomen in conflict areas are heard and can influence the work to achieve peace. They conduct research on women's roles in conflict, they alarm us of tragedies and report to us on progress, and provide expertise. Sweden is grateful for the valuable work of such groups and acknowledges the need for a wider cooperation with civil society at all levels. We would encourage UN Women to show the leadership necessary to facilitate a wide inclusion of women's organisations in the work ofthe United Nations and our collective ambition to achieve durable peace and an equitable and sustainable global development.