Fourthly, we care about prevention and the protection of victims of sexual violence in conflict. The Netherlands welcomes the continued high-level attention to the role of women in conflict situations. In June, the Council adopted resolution 2106 (2013); other international actors, such as the Group of Eight, have also shown real commitment to the prevention and prosecution of sexual violence in conflict.

First of all, the Government of the Netherlands sees women as leaders. In our national action plan based on guidelines set forth in resolution 1325 (2000), as well as in our wider human rights and gender equality policies, we have chosen to focus on the role of women as political actors in conf lict prevention, conf lict resolution and recovery.

Fifthly and lastly, we stand ready to share experiences and improve on our joint implementation of the women and peace and security agenda. We offer our full support and cooperation to the global review on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) that UN Women is currently undertaking. In that context, we are pleased to announce that, in late 2014, the Netherlands will host an international conference on lessons learned.

As the focus of today's debate is on the importance of the rule of law and justice, let me highlight an example. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, my Government is helping to establish a gender-sensitive judicial system, including by training women to become lawyers themselves.

As I have said, the Kingdom of the Netherlands wants to be a partner for peace, justice and development. The role of women is crucial in all three dimensions.

The overall responsibility for ensuring the rule of law and equality before the law rests with nations, but the role of international law in setting standards and ensuring accountability is also very important. Real gains have been made in developing the international legal frameworks and institutions to secure accountability and justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The heinous crimes, and in particular the sexual and gender-based violence, committed during conflicts have amplified the need to stand united in the struggle against impunity. Sexual and gender-based violence in conflict undermines freedom, security and stability, and, if unpunished, it undermines the credibility of any legal system, denying access to justice for all.

NATO's overall purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of all its members by political and military means. The Alliance is not defined by the threats we face, rather it is defined by the values we share. We are united by the principles of individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

NATO is exploring how we, as a politico-military regional organization, can best, within our role and responsibilities, prepare and assist in supporting the rule of law and gender equality through our activities. For example, under ISAF, we have been running a Rule of Law Field Support Mission to support and enable Afghan officials and international organizations in their rule of law efforts.

NATO fully recognizes the need to ensure access to justice for all, and we recognize the challenges that occur when the rule of law breaks down in a conflict situation and when there is no equality before the law.