In conclusion, I wish to once again reiterate Kenya's commitment to implementing resolution 1325 (2000). In so doing, we must ensure greater coherence and coordination in addressing women's issues in conflict and post-conflict situations in a holistic manner.

Finally, Kenya expresses its gratitude to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report (S/2011/598*) on this agenda item, which, inter alia, showcases the key sectors where tangible progress has been made by countries, and identifies gaps and challenges in implementation. Kenya is particularly grateful for the thematic indicators under which Member States reports were compiled.

We must continue to ensure that women play key roles in peacekeeping operations and political missions; we must not only look at gender as a thematic issue, but ensure that women hold key and responsible positions at every level.

We are pleased to note that resolution 1325 (2000) has continued to open new perspectives of awareness about women's role in peace negotiations, humanitarian planning, peacekeeping operations, post- conflict peacebuilding and governance. Even so, there is a wide gap between aspirations and the reality on the ground.

The prevention of the violation of women and girls' human rights, including sexual violence, must enjoy the highest priority. It is high time that we bring war criminals to justice, end impunity for their atrocities, and invest in immediate service and assistance mechanisms for women and girl war crime victims.

The flagship agency on gender — UN-Women — has begun to prove its leadership in theimplementation of resolution 1325 (2000) through United Nations system-wide coherence. It has been able to pulled together a set of key universal and regional human rights instruments.

In addition, there must be dedicated budgets, targets, timelines and indicators aligned to national peacebuilding plans, overall national defence and security strategies or poverty reduction programmes. Focus in the post-conflict recovery phase must ensure that women's needs and rights are consistently addressed.

We welcome the fact that the General Assembly's very first resolution on mediation, which was adopted this June, underlined the importance of the participation of women and the provision of gender expertise in mediation.

The promotion of women's participation in peacekeeping and peacebuilding is key to the protection and empowerment of women. The strengthening of gender expertise and perspectives in peacekeeping activities and increasing the number of female peacekeepers remain a challenge. In that regard, Japan deployed a female military liaison officer to the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste this year.

The indicators and strategic framework in the reports of the Secretary-General contribute to identifying the gaps and addressing those limitations in a more systematic manner. Japan, for its part, will continue to do its utmost to close the implementation gaps before the fifteenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), in cooperation with our partners and, in particular, with women's organizations and civil society.