It is obvious that States bear the primary responsibility for enhancing women's participation in conflict-prevention and resolution and in peacebuilding, and all United Nations mechanisms should work closely with respective Governments to support and complement their efforts.

Despite some achievements since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), women's participation in conflict prevention and resolution remains too low. We support the appointment of more women as mediators, special representatives, special envoys and heads of missions.

As the Secretary-General has pointed out in his report, 37 States have adopted national action plans to implement that resolution. Several countries have also adopted temporary special measures to increase the number of women in decision-making bodies. The protection of civilians has been included in the mandates of 8 of 16 peacekeeping missions.

Women and women's civil society organizations are all too often excluded from participating in peace efforts and negotiations.

We should also step up our efforts with regard to women in decision-making positions. While temporary special measures, including electoral gender quotas, can be an effective tool for increasing women's political participation both as voters and as candidates, we agree that more attention must be paid to addressing the structural factors that discourage women's candidacy and electoral participation.

Much has been achieved in the 12 years since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). However, as the Secretary-General has pointed out, we clearly need to do more. The number of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations and political missions, including in senior positions in field missions, as well as appointments of women mediators, must be enhanced.

In accordance with presidential statement S/PRST/2010/22, 1 would like to inform the Council about the measures taken by Austria in the past year to implement resolution 1325 (2000). Austria

Austria has developed an interdisciplinary training course on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The training course is tailored to the requirements of command personnel active in international crisis management. It will be held for the first time in December at the Austrian Peace Center in Stadtschlaining, with participants from 20 Member States and international organizations.

Women's participation in post-conflict peacebuilding is also crucial. The international community must work to facilitate women's full and equal political participation in post-conflict election processes, including by addressing the structural impediments that discourage women's candidacies.

We join other States in condemning the ongoing high incidence of sexual violence in conflicts, and support all efforts to prevent such crimes and to put an end to impunity for perpetrators of such crimes. That must be a priority for the Security Council and other parts of the United Nations system.