Kyrgyzstan welcomes the efforts of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in preventing violence against women in armed conflict. In that respect, important measures aim to strengthen the operational capacity of the United Nations, including through the United Nations International Network of Female Police Peacekeepers, established for those taking part in peacekeeping operations.

Kyrgyzstan believes it is necessary to take additional measures to effectively address impunity for perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict and to ensure the equal participation of women in mediation, humanitarian assistance and post-conflict recovery processes.

Kyrgyzstan attaches the greatest importance to the participation of women in political and peacebuilding processes and takes concrete measures to maintain peace and stability in our country and in the region as a whole.

Kyrgyzstan appreciates the efforts of UN-Women to ensure gender mainstreaming within the United Nations system. We underline the importance of the outcome of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women, held in March, which considered in detail the problems of preventing and eliminating all forms of violence against women.

In the current difficult circumstances, my delegation continues to call on UN-Women to strengthen cooperation with other agencies in providing support to Member States in the preparation and implementation of national plans to implement Security Council resolutions on preventing violence against women and enhancing their role in ensuring peace and security.

In order to effectively implement the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000), on 18 February, the Government approved its national plan of action. The plan provides for a set of measures aimed at establishing an institutional system on the protection of women's rights and creating favourable conditions for increasing women's role and participation in efforts towards peace, security and conflict prevention.

In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm Kyrgyzstan's commitment to further contribute to United Nations efforts in ensuring women's rights and eradicating conflict-related violence.

The Council is taking a positive step by expanding its work at the level of Sanctions Committees by considering sexual violence and rape as designation criteria in various sanctions regimes, as a tool to enhance accountability. It is therefore obligatory on such committees to reinforce those criteria.

Promoting the rights of women is at the core of my country's human rights policy. Kazakhstan, as a member of the Executive Board of UN-Women, has repeatedly voiced the need to accelerate the implementation of global gender commitments.

It would help to have at least one gender expert on every Sanctions Committee and peacekeeping mission or political office in the field. Resources must be allocated to that end. Likewise, the women and peace and security agenda should be incorporated into the terms of reference of Security Council visiting missions when interacting with interlocutors and stakeholders.