On the subject of United Nations coherence and effectiveness in particular, we recognize the important and central role of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (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.

Nigeria is also committed to fulfilling its obligations under the African Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights on the rights of women in Africa. As Ms. Bachelet has often said, the obstacles to women's political participation, which I believe have a direct bearing on their capacity to play an active role in preventive diplomacy and conflict prevention, are indeed enormous.

Although Ms. Bachelet aptly highlighted the modest progress made by Member States and the United Nations in advancing the agenda of resolution 1325 (2000), we must heed her warning that we are very far from sufficiently and systematically integrating women into the process of conflict prevention and peacebuilding. We believe that this is an auspicious moment in the history of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

Such efforts at creating the right conditions for ensuring women's full participation should include increasing the participation and representation of women in preventive diplomacy initiatives.

On 4 December 2007, the Netherlands adopted its first national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The Dutch national action plan relies on a broad support base, and is unique in its kind as it was signed jointly by Dutch Government and civil society. The plan has led to many joint activities benefiting from the complementarity between Government bodies and civil society.

In past years, important initiatives and strategies have been developed, and many examples of joint achievements, such as the ones I mentioned in Burundi and Afghanistan, are at hand. The Netherlands is one of a group of countries that work hard and make real progress. These are important accomplishments, but far more needs to be done.

At this very moment, the Dutch ministries and civil society are developing the second resolution 1325(2000) national action plan for the period 2012-2015, to be launched in December. While the first action plan focused on the physical and legal security of women and men, this second national action plan is fully dedicated to the enhancement of female leadership and the political participation of women in conflict-affected societies.

Another example is the number of Afghan women in Government and Parliament. The Netherlands Government, together with other Governments, the Afghan Women's Network and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) — now UN-Women — organized meetings and lobbies that resulted in more female candidates being nominated for political positions.

Accordingly, it is not surprising that the Netherlands continues to emphasize that the local men, and especially women, living the daily reality of a conflict are the key stakeholders in any intervention. Individual local women and men, women's organizations and women's movements are the real drivers of durable change. Concretely, this means that the second resolution 1325 (2000) national action plan emanates from a demand-driven approach.

With the support and cooperation of all, we intend to translate our commitments into actions. Ensuring the effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) will have a long-term salutary impact on the international community as a whole. It ensures the rightful place of women as peacemakers, peacebuilders and peacekeepers in this turbulent world. That is what we need the most at this time.