The first is the valuable role that women can play in mediation efforts. As a co-chair of the Group of Friends of Mediation, Turkey, together with Finland, endeavoured to ensure that the very first United Nations resolution on mediation (resolution 65/283), of 2011, reflected the main elements of resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women and peace and security.

Since the adoption of the landmark resolution 1325 (2000), thanks to the efforts of the international community, including non-governmental organizations and women's organizations, progress has been made across a broad range of issues concerning the protection and promotion of women's and girl's rights in conflict-affected situations. However, as today's debate has shown, many obstacles remain.

Secondly, there is conflict-related violence against women. As a way of tackling that problem, we believe that the Security Council should, as appropriate, ensure that ceasefire agreements include sexual violence in their definitions.

I wish to conclude by underlining my country's commitment to the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and the four subsequent resolutions on women and peace and security, namely, resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), and1960 (2010).

Before concluding, I would like to underline the valuable contribution of UN-Women in pursuing United Nations gender-related efforts in a more systematic and coordinated manner. That is evident also in the women and peace and security agenda. In that respect, we welcome the joint strategy on gender and mediation launched by UN-Women and the Department of Political Affairs.

It must be recognized that there is much greater awareness today of the multifaceted discrimination faced by women in conflict and that significant efforts have been made with a view to remedying that situation.

We are compelled to acknowledge that, despite the progress achieved, much remains to be done to achieve all the goals set out in resolution 1325 (2000). It is critical that the Council remain seized of the issue and take further dynamic steps to enhance the protection of women in armed conflict.

Tunisia's interest in the issue is based on its renewed commitment to promoting the rights of women and on its conviction that peace, development and democracy will not be achieved without women acting as active partners in the processes of preventing, mediating and resolving conflict.

In the same vein, we believe that men also play a crucial role in the promotion of gender equality. The initiatives of civil society organizations that are either led by men or that focus on raising men's awareness on gender equality deserve particular attention, since the struggle of women to enjoy all their rights can succeed only with the full involvement and engagement of men.

In that respect, we believe that national ownership of the relevant Security Council resolutions remains the best way to achieve their effective implementation. My delegation is also convinced that all national actors, including civil society, should be able to contribute actively to promoting the peace process, since a State can lay the foundations of a lasting peace only with the inclusion and support of all of its citizens.