Furthermore, as peacekeeping has grown to encompass the broader humanitarian approach, it is worth underlining the importance of strengthening our efforts to increase the number of female peacekeepers in United Nations peacekeeping missions. Their role and presence in United Nations peacekeeping missions have been critical, including in supporting peacebuilding and protecting civilians.

In the past two years, we have had the privilege of having contributed to the development of the evolving conceptual framework behind the protection of civilians in situations of armed conflict.

We therefore welcome actions such as taken by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to break the cycle of violence, rape and death affecting thousands of civilians and in particular women and children.

We strongly support the Secretary-General's “Rights up front” initiative and call for its swift implementation. The initiative, if taken seriously, has the potential not only to help peacekeeping missions to better protect civilians, but also to place the overall goal of protecting people at the centre of the Organization's policies throughout the system.

On Red Hand Day, let me recall that those who are traditionally the most vulnerable members of society, women and children, deserve our special attention and protection.

Whatever the strength of the protection-of-civilians mandates given to peacekeeping operations, they will be effective only if the operations themselves are beyond reproach. That is why we welcome the policies implemented by the Secretary-General to ensure that the work of the United Nations fully respects human rights.

With the aim of assisting Malian authorities in consolidating peace and security and, more generally, in order to find lasting solutions to the crisis in the Sahel region, in close coordination with other regional and international stakeholders, from the beginning the EU Training Mission in Mali has been incorporating the issues of the protection of civilians, human rights and gender in the training curriculum.

The protection of civilians in armed conflicts is a treaty obligation under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, which States have the responsibility to respect and observe. But few treaty-based obligations are as abused and overlooked as the obligation to protect civilians in armed conflicts. That is a real tragedy, and it highlights how much we have failed as an international community.

The Secretary-General notes in his latest report (S/2013/689) that the current state of the protection of civilians leaves little room for optimism. Estonia strongly condemns all forms of violence against civilian populations and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. We hear with great concern about children being killed and maimed in Syria and women being raped in the Central African Republic.

Estonia is particularly concerned about the implications of armed conflicts for the most vulnerable groups. There is growing understanding that women and children are impacted uniquely and disproportionately by the effects of conflict and its aftermath. I should like to encourage the Council to include in the mandates of peacekeeping missions provisions on human rights monitoring, with special focus on the rights of children and women.