Nigeria recognizes the central role of UN-Women, working in close partnership and collaboration with the Special Representatives of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and for Children and Armed Conflict, respectively. The gaps and challenges hindering the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) are indeed substantial. National, regional and international actors must rededicate themselves to addressing them.

In the area of assistance to women, Nigeria will ensure the provision of social security and safety nets that can guarantee a better future for vulnerable members of society, especially women and children.

In compliance with those principles and the provisions of the various gender frameworks, and as a means to confront the challenges of meeting gender equality and women's empowerment, Nigeria, under the leadership of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has for the first time attained 33 per cent representation for women in the decision-making process, appointing, for instance, 13 women ministers in the federal Cabinet.

As a signatory to the Dakar Declaration of the Economic Community of West African States, Nigeria has committed itself to accelerating the national and regional implementation of that important resolution. Nigeria is also committed to fulfilling its obligations under the African Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights on the rights of women in Africa.

We particularly note the important role played by women's organizations in our own region. They were vital components of peace processes in Bougainville in Papua New Guinea and in the Solomon Islands. And we anticipate that Papua New Guinea will speak on that in some detail shortly. As Luxembourg highlighted in its statement to the Council, that was also the case in Timor-Leste.

We are pleased at the growing acknowledgement of the need to address the negative impact of armed violence on women and the need to integrate gender perspectives into disarmament policy and practice, particularly with regard to small arms and light weapons. For most of us, those arms are indeed the real weapons of mass destruction, killing over half a million people each and every year.

We also welcome the Secretary-General's report on women and peace and security (S/2012/732) and draw attention to several points. First, in planning for the transition phase in peacekeeping missions, we must ensure that we do not lose gender expertise and the United Nations-led advances for women, peace and security.

Secondly, we must continue to push for an enhanced role for women in political-level peace discussions, both as mediators — again as highlighted by the representative of Sweden — and as principal political actors. That can be best achieved through the increased political representation of women in both elected and appointed posts, a point that was highlighted by Croatia among others.

It is appropriate that this particular debate should focus on the role of women's civil society organizations. Resolution 1325 (2000) was neither created in a vacuum, nor did it result from the foresight of Member States.

In that regard, we particularly commend the leadership of Trinidad and Tobago in bringing to the United Nations the issues of women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, and we are very pleased that this year's First Committee draft resolution (A/C.1/67/L.35/Rev.1) was adopted by consensus.