As noted in the Secretary-General's report, we are encouraged by the fact that the number of countries that have articulated their priorities on women and peace and security through national action plans has continued to grow.

I welcome the Secretary-General's most recent report on women and peace and security (S/2012/732). In the report, the Secretary-General calls for enhanced women's participation and a stronger commitment to addressing the challenges to women's engagement in the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts and in peacebuilding at all levels.

Women occupy top political leadership positions in our country, from the Prime Minister to ministers of many important ministries. The Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees the equality of men and women, within the broad framework of non-discrimination on the grounds of religion, race or gender. The Government has adopted the National Policy for the Advancement of Women and the National Action Plan for the Advancement of Women.

When we talk about the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), we see the presence of women's civil society organizations at the grass-roots level. They can help implement peace agreements, ensuring the protection of women's human rights defenders in conflict and post-conflict settings and integrating women's and girl's security into the priorities set during transitions, such as drawdowns of United Nations missions.

Twelve years ago, we adopted the landmark resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security in the Council. As a member of the Council at the time and one of its core sponsors, Bangladesh was closely associated with the adoption of that historic document. That was our humble contribution to ensuring the rights and role of women in peace and security.

There have been some developments in women, peace and security, such as the steps taken to implement the seven-point action plan on gender-responsive peacebuilding, the adoption of the United Nations strategic results framework on women and peace and security and the civilian capacity review. Prevention also gained an increased focus with the inclusion of the protection of civilians in the mandates of 8 out of 16 peacekeeping missions.

The participation of women in mediation and peacebuilding efforts needs to be enhanced. In 2011, out of 14 United Nations peace negotiations, only four included woman delegates. As agreements without gender-sensitive provisions can limit the opportunities for women to achieve basic security, as well as their political, economic and social empowerment, the gender dimension of mediation should be clearly and consistently articulated.

The Government has enacted laws to protect women against domestic violence, and is currently implementing a number of innovative projects for developing women's capabilities. In order to involve women in decision-making processes, the Government has adopted a quota system for women in the national Parliament and in recruitment for our civil service jobs — alongside direct election and open competition.

The core message of resolution 1325 (2000) was to ensure women's equal participation at all decision-making levels. In the United Nations context, women's participation should be ensured through achieving a 50/50 gender balance, with a special emphasis on the recruitment of women at higher levels. In general, more female military and police personnel need to be deployed to United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Poverty, the struggle and rivalry for resources, socioeconomic injustices and forced occupation lie at the heart of conflicts. They create a breeding ground for such social scourges as conflicts, including violence against women and girls, increase. The impact of that violence not only weakens the safety and security of women and girls but also tears the entire political, economic and social fabric.