It is noteworthy that provisions for protection against gender-based violence and violence against women and children were incorporated into article 7, paragraph 4, of the Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates the transfer of major types of weapons and which the General Assembly adopted earlier this month.

In conclusion, we commend the Security Council's continuing attention to the urgent and crucial issue of women and peace and security and strengthening it on its ongoing agenda.

I would like to highlight some key proposals and strategies to minimize the prevalence of sexual violence in conflict. Sexual violence is a global phenomenon in times of peace and war and in post-conflict phases. It also affects my region and demands our urgent attention

At the same time, we need to facilitate and reinforce women's participation, through their local networks and groups, by assessing and overcoming factors that impede their effective involvement.

Japan strongly supports the idea of shifting the stigma attached to crimes of sexual violence off the victims and onto the perpetrators. We also support efforts to comprehensively address cultures of impunity. In that regard, Japan has, for instance, been supporting Afghanistan's Ministry of Women's Affairs in implementing its law on the eIimination of violence against women.

Japan condemns attacks on women's human rights defenders and emphasizes that Member States should take steps to ensure the protection of such defenders. We also recognize the importance of multisectoral services for victims of sexual violence.

I would like to touch on Japan's primary policy. Conflict-related sexual violence should be tackled by the international community as a whole. Japan places great emphasis on this issue. As our Foreign Minister stated in a recent speech on foreign policy, Japan will continue to address this issue, and will participate actively in international initiatives on human rights issues, including the protection of women's rights.

First of all, Japan welcomes the Secretary-General's recent report (S/2013/149). We reiterate our full support for the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in
Conflict, Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, and for her priorities of fostering political leadership and action and deepening national ownership, leadership and responsibility. We welcome the work of the Team

Before concluding, I am very pleased to announce that Japan has begun to develop a national action plan based on resolution 1325 (2000). We are hard at work on the plan, which includes our commitment to further strengthening our efforts to help protect women's rights in humanitarian settings. We are in close consultation with United Nations organizations such as UN-Women, and hope to complete the plan as soon as possible.

As was pointed out in the Secretary-General's report, addressing sexual violence in the context of security sector reform processes is of key importance. Over the past five years, Japan has provided $900 million to help support the Afghanistan National Police, part of which has been used for employing and training female police officers. So far, more than 1,400 female police officers have been hired.