Efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence in conflict must be strengthened. The Nordic countries welcome UN Security Council Resolution 2122 and its much-needed focus on women's participation and empowerment and look forward to it being translated into action.

A new generation of peacekeeping mandates has emerged. Peacekeeping operations are increasingly given a robust mandate, and are being deployed to places with high levels of violence. Efforts to protect civilians and minimize civilian harm should begin at the very early planning stages of a mission.

Confronting the root causes of conflicts and pushing for comprehensive and lasting political settlements are the best guarantee for the protection of civilians. The concept note is quite right when it says that the vast majority of victims in armed conflicts are civilians.

In today's debate, my delegation would like to call attention to three very special situations concerning the protection of civilians: first, the use of cluster bombs and explosives in urban centres; secondly, the severe impact of conflicts on the elderly, women and persons with disabilities, but especially children; and, thirdly, attacks against medical facilities and personnel and humanitarian personnel.

Appropriate training for armed forces is another fundamental aspect in the protection of civilians in armed conflict. In that context, I would highlight that Spain warmly welcomed the adoption of resolution 2106 (2013), which underscores the importance of training regarding gender-based violence and the deployment of protection advisers.

The third challenge is accountability. States have the obligation to comply with international humanitarian and human rights law and to investigate and prosecute any serious crime committed within its borders. In that regard, we condemn sexual and gender-based violence, including the use of sexual violence as a military tactic. Impunity is not an option. It encourages perpetrators to continue their atrocious acts.

Seven, we should concentrate on the elimination of post-conflict effects on the mortality rate of children and women as an indirect cause of war. In ongoing conflicts, men die more frequently in direct armed actions, whereas women die more frequently in the post-conflict period.

In the event that we fail to prevent wars or conflicts, we must combine our efforts, capacities, means and resources to protect those who are most vulnerable, namely, women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities. Those groups are always the easiest targets in conflict situations and the most likely victims.

As the concept note puts it, the experience of the past 15 years offers many challenges and opportunities for modern peacekeeping operations with protection-of-civilians mandates. We believe that such protection can be achieved only through the concerted efforts of integrated civil, military and police components with peacekeeping operations.

The protection provisions of international law, including the Geneva Conventions — in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention, which includes provisions explicitly aimed at ensuring the safety of civilians in armed conflict, including specific provisions for civilians under foreign occupation — the Additional Protocols to the Conventions, the international covenants on human Rights, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Co