The United Kingdom welcomes the report of the Secretary General and the important recommendations that it makes. We welcome the ongoing work of UN Women. And we recognise the continuing challenges in implementing this agenda lie beyond the topic of today's debate.

Rebuilding justice and the rule of law is fundamental to protecting women's equal rights and creating a more stable, secure and just society.

I do want to welcome the adoption today of the resolution on Women and Peace and Security. This resolution reiterates the central role for women in resolving conflict and helping to build sustainable peace. I want in particular to highlight three aspects of the resolution.

First of all, it places Women, Peace and Security front and centre in the Council's work. The Secretary- General has outlined what that means for the Council and his own personal commitment to this, but it also means, in a very practical sense, that the Council will now receive more regular briefings and more updates from UN bodies and officials on this subject. That means that it is central to our work.

We have two years before the Council's high level review in 2015 to demonstrate our collective commitment to this agenda. Ahead of this, let us all - Member States, the Council, and UN entities - invigorate our efforts and give this agenda the attention it deserves and take the action that we have committed to here today.

The United Kingdom welcomes the Council's consultation with women's organisations during its trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo this month. We also commend the recent work of Mary Robinson, I agree with the Secretary-General that was an excellent appointment, on engaging with women's civil society in the Great Lakes region, and hope others will follow by example.

As the Secretary-General has highlighted, women's representation in the justice sector is crucial and helps increase the reporting of crimes. Barriers must be removed so that women can access justice in formal and traditional settings. For example, we have seen success through the use of mobile courts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and paralegal support groups in Nepal.

The United Kingdom has established a Team of Experts on the Rule of Law. This Team which includes lawyers, gender advisors and experts in the protection of victims and witnesses provides training and mentoring to national authorities to help them develop appropriate laws and build their capabilities. The teams also worked on the frontline with grassroots organisations, local peace builders and human rights defenders.

Throughout the world security and justice systems fail women time and time again. In conflict and post- conflict settings when institutions break down and violence is rampant, existing injustices are often exacerbated.

We welcome the fact that the international community has been paying increasing attention to the crime of sexual violence in conflict. The Security Council has hosted many debates on the issue and addressed the crucial issues of transitional justice, capacity-building and the rule of law. International and regional organizations are devoting more attention to thistopic.