We warmly welcome today's landmark resolution of the Security Council (resolution 2122 (2013), a resolution that can fairly be described as representing the high water mark so far in terms of advancing the agenda relating to women and peace and security.

We should, however, recognize the profoundly positive contribution to be made to conflict resolution by the empowerment of women, allied to the treatment of women and men on equal terms. Peace is more effectively secured when women are involved. Peace initiatives that have strong participation by women tend to be more resilient than those that do not. There is no denying the moral imperative for equal treatment between women and men.

It is clear that real transformative progress will be possible only when national political leaders in conflict- affected societies, almost all of the them men at present, adopt the women and peace and security agenda as their own, and when more male voices are heard and more male champions stand up. We need to expand understanding of the enormous contribution that women can make in meeting peace and security challenges.

Ireland is a founding member of the ACT (accountability, coherence and transparency) group, which is pressing for the Security Council to be more accountable, more coherent and more transparent in its working methods. I assume that the enhanced focus on women and peace and security in today's resolution will mean improvements in both the quantity and quality of briefing that will be provided to the Council on those issues.

Fortunately, as the report of the Secretary- General of 4 September (S/2013/525) acknowledges, times of transition and flux can present opportunities to strengthen women's leadership, empowerment and rights in the process of restoring the rule of law and governance systems. As his report indicates, the participation of women in peace negotiations and donor conferences has increased over the past year.

At its core, the women and peace and security agenda presents an ambitious, even a radical, challenge. It calls on us to fundamentally revise the role of women within society. It requires men to reflect on their own roles and abandon traditional mindsets.

The resolution 2122 (2013), adopted this morning, is another clear ref lection of the strong resolve of the Council concerning the critical role of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and peacekeeping.

The critical role of women in all stages of and throughout any peace process has been reaffirmed in various United Nations resolutions and documents — not the least, of course, in resolution 1325 (2000) and its subsequent texts.

It is a matter of regret that respecting the rule of law in conflict situations continues to be a significant challenge for the international community. In our view, that is a strong reason for inclusive peace negotiations that produce peace that is durable, sustainable and long- lasting. It is also reason for including the participation and engagement of women in that process.

In that regard, any assistance from the United Nations, including that undertaken through the Peacebuilding Commission, must be carried out in a concerted manner and include a gender perspective. In addition, it must also be in accordance with the principle of national ownership, taking into account the unique and specific needs and situations present in each country.