Regional organizations can also play a role. The African Union's recent decision to establish a commission of inquiry to investigate events surrounding the current conflict in South Sudan is an example.

We value the efforts of UN WOMEN and the United Nations Development Programme and their initiatives to improve women's access to justice during and after conflicts, as reflected in the report before us today. We also value the critical role of civil society, particularly that of local women's groups that assist victims in various aspects of recovery, from health services to access to justice.

We welcome the adoption of resolution 2122 (2013) today, which joins other efforts of the Security Council to carry out a systematic follow up to the implementation of the women, peace and security agenda and to move towards the full participation of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

We believe that full accountability is crucial and requires a broad, multisectoral response that, apart from medical and psychological aspects and reparations, should also include a focus on social and economic reintegration for victims.

The United Nations system must continue to fight against the impunity of those responsible for such violations and promote national capacity-building, along with regional efforts, as well as international justice mechanisms and the work of organizations that defend women's human rights.

The natural synergy between participation and protection is probably the central aspect of resolution 1325 (2000). The role of women in bringing peace and security to conflict situations and their greater participation in post-conflict processes and in transitional justice is crucial to laying the groundwork for sustainable peace.

Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the women, peace and security agenda has clearly advanced in terms of scope and depth, and now occupies an important place in the realm of legal instruments, policies and specific actions of the Organization in defending the importance of including a gender perspective in addressing the needs of women and girls in all conflict situations, and particularly in post- conflict reconstruction and recove

Peacekeeping operations are one of the most important aspects of the women and peace and security agenda. In recent years, such operations have gradually incorporated protection-of-civilian mandates, with special attention to women and girls. The progress has been significant, but there are still limitations in meeting the expectations of both local populations and the international community.

In that context, we would like to point out that Uruguay has been in the vanguard when it comes to including women into the armed forces, as reflected in the number of women deployed by the armed forces and by the national police in Uruguayan contingents to peacekeeping missions.

This plan is backed by leaders across the U.S. government. President Obama is personally determined to change the DNA of the U.S. government so that this inexorable link between women's inclusion and lasting peace is a premise or an axiom brought to every policy discussion.