The effective prevention of sexual violence also requires stringent measures to vigorously combat the root causes of conflict exacerbation. Since there is an established link between what is known as low-level conflicts and wide-scale violence against women, I would like to launch an appeal for coordinated and focused action against the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.
We have carefully studied the report of the Secretary-General (S/2011/598*) prepared for this meeting. We suggest that it would be proper to ensure that future reports reflect the multifaceted nature of violence against women, as is required by resolution 1325 (2000) itself.
We also suggest that artificially linking gender issues in all their ramifications exclusively to the Security Council contradicts its mandate and leads to imbalances in terms of system-wide coordination. Let us not forget also that this issue is dealt with not only by the Security Council but also by the General Assembly, the Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council and the Committee on the Status of Women.
The history of resolution 1325 (2000), more than ten years of it, has clearly confirmed in practice the key role and significance of this instrument for advancing the role of women in conflict prevention and resolution and in post-conflict reconstruction and also in protecting women during conflicts.
Nor are we convinced that it would be proper to establish a specialized mechanism under the Security Council to oversee the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Clearly, what is needed is increasing the effectiveness of existing mechanisms within the system by improving their coordination and accountability under the leadership of UN-Women. We welcome the efforts, led by Ms.
In terms of the Security Council's Charter-based functions, its attention should be given only to those situations that represent a threat to international peace and security. Issues ofviolence against women should be considered in the Council only as they relate to themes of maintaining peace and security and in strict relation to those situations that are on the Council's agenda.
If required, we are ready to come back to this theme and provide details on what we actually mean by this. In this context, with regard to the first part of the report, with the indicators of the effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), we wish to stress that there are still open questions about the suitability and relevance of individual indicators and their scope and use.
As we have said on many occasions, in various forums and events, women must not be seen just as victims in armed conflicts. That in itself would be a form of discrimination. An important precondition for eliminating discrimination against women in such situations is their full participation in all related aspects of preventive diplomacy. Women can and must make a more significant contribution to conflict prevention and resolution.
Thirdly, we need to pay greater attention to the vulnerability of displaced women and girls, given their particular risk of sexual and gender-based violence.
States need to further strengthen their justice systems to prosecute gender based crimes and improve systems for the protection of victims and witnesses.
