As our colleague from Namibia said, in all phases of conflict, before, during or after, the position of women deserves specific attention. Women are crucial to the prevention of conflicts, to protection during conflicts and to reconciliation after conflicts. Therefore my Government has worked closely with UN-Women in recent months so as to have a group of Syrian women invited to Geneva and to New York.

The role of women in conflict prevention and post-conflict peacebuilding is of great importance. Therefore, Namibia fully supports the inclusion of women in security systems such as the armed forces, the police and peacekeeping operations and special political missions in support of various United Nations resolutions that recognize that important role.

We would therefore call for such a team to provide a voice for those without voices, namely, victims, and collect testimony from the most vulnerable groups, such as women, children and minorities. In so doing, we will avoid the pitfall of an official uniform narrative of the past that would be out of kilter with the conflict in fact experienced by the people.

Secondly, we are deeply pained to think of the comfort women who experienced immeasurable pain and suffering. Japan has extended its sincere apologies and remorse to all those women on various occasions. We established the Asian Women's Fund in the 1990s to offer atonement to former comfort women. At this juncture, Japan's position is that this issue should not be politicized or be turned into a diplomatic issue.

At the international level, the United Nations is promoting similar objectives through a wide range of instruments available to it in dealing with the aftermath of conflict. Those include support for transitional justice and the rule of law, for political dialogue and mediation, for truth-telling processes, for reparations, for institutional reform, and for the role of women in the renewal and rebuilding of societies emerging from conflict.

The Asian countries and the international community did not hesitate to voice their outrage at and condemnation of the visit. A State Member of the United Nations that has a close alliance with Japan did not hesitate to adopt a resolution on the sexual slavery of Korean women, as well as those of other Asian and European countries.

I want to draw attention to a second principal issue. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea insists that the United Nations should pay due attention to and make every effort with regard to the unresolved issue of crimes against humanity committed during the Second World War.

Furthermore, the role of civil society organizations in identifying early signs of violence and the capacity of such organizations to provide warning of dangerous situations to national and international authorities are crucial. We emphasize in particular the contribution and role that women must play in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding.

The conflicts of today have devastating effects on women and children in the form of killings, injuries, imprisonment, detainment against their will by armed groups and their exploitation for various purposes, including as victims of sexual violence and human trafficking. Conflicts tear families apart, destroy social fabrics and deprive States of their resources for a very long time.

It is essential that we not forget those most affected by conflict. A commitment to peace requires a commitment to the protection and empowerment of all members of a society, especially women and girls. A society's development is inextricably tied to the engagement and leadership of women. Peace cannot exist when the rights of half of the population are compromised. Peace cannot exist when the rights of women are compromised.