STATEMENT OF MYANMAR, October, 2015

As my delegation has frequently said, the best way to end violence against women in situations of armed conflict is to end those conflicts. Myanmar firmly believes that without peace and reconciliation we cannot build a developed and democratic society. We are therefore making sincere and serious efforts to end the conflict that has plagued our country for more than six decades, and we are making unprecedented progress, since almost all our armed ethnic groups have been agreed on the draft text of our nationwide ceasefire agreement since 31 March 2014. Tomorrow the agreement will be signed by the Government and those armed ethnic groups that are ready to do so. It will mark not only a milestone in our history but also a watershed in our peacebuilding process and in our efforts to create an environment conducive to eliminating the violent impact of conflict on our people. We hope that the ensuing political dialogue will encourage more women to participate in the process. The needs of vulnerable groups, including women and children, must also be given special consideration.