Slovenia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the observer of the European Union and welcomes the adoption of the presidential statement (S/PRST/2012/23) on 31 October. Slovenia views issues related to the promotion of the rights of women as one of the key priorities in the field of human rights.

Let me highlight the importance of addressing the challenges to women's and girls' participation and representation. We welcome the increased number of women on the roster of mediation experts and among the Secretary-General's Special Representatives and Deputy Representatives. We consider that in some situations, women mediators or representatives facilitate interactions with local women and civil society organizations.

In conclusion, allow me please to shortly brief the Council on the implementation of Slovenia's national action plan to implement the resolutions on women and peace and security adopted two years ago. Slovenia is preparing its first report in accordance with the action plan to review the progress on implementation since its adoption.

As the promotion of gender equality and women's rights in conflict and post-conflict situations has also been high on Slovenia's foreign policy agenda, we have strengthened efforts to promote women's rights in general and in specific country situations, especially in the framework of the United Nations Human Rights Council and its various mechanisms, including the universal periodic review.

Women particularly suffer during various crisis situations, not only during armed conflicts that are a threat to international peace and security. We welcome the use of background information provided by the Council on questions of violence against women by the General Assembly, the Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council and the Commission on the Status of Women within their mandates.

Women are not only victims of armed conflicts; they make a significant contribution to preventing and settling them. The direct involvement of women in conflict prevention and settlement is, in our view, an important precondition for overcoming violence against them.

We have attentively studied the report of the Secretary-General prepared for today's meeting (S/2012/732). With regard to its contents, collected on the basis of the first third of the assessment indicators for implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), we would like to underscore that the appropriateness and relevance of individual indicators, as well as their scope and application, still raise questions.

We believe that work on the indicators, which is now at the review stage, must be more transparent and open, that is to say, with the participation of all United Nations Member States. With regard to using the so-called national action plans on implementing resolution 1325 (2000) as a tool to assess a country's policy in improving the status of women, States in situations of armed conflict should prepare such plans on a voluntary basis.

Unfortunately, in spite of the multiple efforts undertaken, the number of women who are victims of various forms of violence in armed conflict is not declining. That is why we believe that equal attention should be paid to all categories of violence, including instances of killing and wounding women and children as a result of the indiscriminate or excessive use of force. That problem is not only theoretical; it exists currently.

Russia is convinced that there exists a significant and positive potential for women to participate in various aspects of armed conflict settlement and postconflict recovery. The Council and relevant agencies and mechanisms of the United Nations system must pay more attention to ways to involve women in such processes, as required under resolution 1325 (2000).