As regards Guatemala, fortunately it has been more than 15 years since we ove...

As regards Guatemala, fortunately it has been more than 15 years since we overcame our internal armed conflict, which is the element of the agenda that falls under the purview of the Security Council. However, the dividing lines between peace-making, peace-building and economic and social transformation are not clear, to the point that to this day our past concerns regarding the situation of Guatemalan women and girls during our internal conflict of more than three decades duration are intertwined with our current concerns to promote the advancement of women in all areas. I should add that there are multiple areas of intersection between both areas of concern. One of those intersections is found in the area of prevention. In the context of resolution 1325, this signals that conflict prevention is the best way to protect the security of all civilians from the horrors that accompany armed conflict, in particular for women and girls. But we also apply the concept of prevention from another vantage point: I am referring to the putting in place of policies, instruments and actions designed so that women can break the vicious circle of poverty, and part of that rupture is intimately linked win the economic empowerment that women must attain.