In his report, the Secretary- General judiciously outlines a number of fundamental aspects to be addressed in that regard, such as security sector reform and civilian protection, placing particular emphasis on the most vulnerable groups, such as children and women, as well as the need to bring to justice the perpetrators of international crimes.
Mexico recognizes the importance that the concept of the rule of law has acquired through a number of Security Council resolutions, in particular when it comes to establishing mechanisms for the protection of civilians in armed conflict, the attention that has been given to the justice and security needs of women and children, and the promotion of gender equality in access to justice.
It is also necessary to eliminate policies and practices that discriminate against women and to adopt laws and promote practices that protect the rights of women and other vulnerable sectors of society and promote gender equality.
The presence or non-presence of the rule of law ultimately determines success or failure. This applies just as equally to the protection of civilians as it does to children in armed conflict, or to women, peace and security, to name but a few key areas.
It is important to ensure that the rule of law is fully taken into account in all reform and reconstruction efforts undertaken in conflict and postconflict situations. In so doing, priority should be given to access to justice for those who often suffer disproportionately in conflict and whose voices are unfortunately still the weakest in peace negotiations and post-conflict processes: women, children and marginalized groups.
Security Council support for national capacity-building for justice is an important investment in peace and security. Special attention should be paid to giving women, children and other vulnerable groups greater access to justice. Specialized courts, for example family courts or mobile courts, are tools to help to bring justice closer to women and children.
Resolution 1325 (2000) and other Council resolutions on women, peace and security and on children in armed conflict should remain high on the agenda of the United Nations. We are concerned by continued reporting about mass rapes as a method of war and the very low numbers of perpetrators who have been brought to justice.
Considering that the Council has recognized that conflict-related sexual violence is a legitimate threat to international peace and security, we hope that it will remain actively engaged with the matter. It is important to maintain focus on gender equality and the empowerment of women in broader rule of law activities.
We welcome the progress that has been made in providing for the protection of persons, in particular civilians, including women and children, when addressing security-related issues.
