The permanent representative of France spoke about my country in a manner that lacks the diplomatic finesse expected from the representative of a permanent member of the Council.

Syria has notified all the specialized organs of the United Nations system, especially the Security Council and the General Assembly, through a number of official communications and reports. Regrettably, the United Nations remains less engaged than expected, despite the important role it could play to achieve justice, to hold perpetrators accountable and to put an end to such an inhuman and immoral phenomenon.

Regrettably, the current crisis in Syria has evoked a strange and inhumane phenomenon that runs contrary to the values of the Syrian people and all the legal instruments that Syria has signed and acceded to in its efforts to support the rights of women and children. The current situation runs contrary to the principles of the Islamic religion and Arab chivalry.

My country, Syria, has long been among the fairest countries in the Arab and Islamic world in securing all the necessary provisions and environment for enabling women to enjoy equal rights with men, free from the ignorance, blindness and social and intellectual shortcomings that prevail elsewhere. A woman serves as a Vice-President in my country at a time when other countries ban women from driving cars.

Thirdly, Switzerland welcomes the fact that the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/525) mentions the importance of access to safe abortion for women and girls who are victims of rape. Switzerland firmly believes that all women and girls have the right to control their own bodies and to be free from coercion and sexual violence.

Secondly, archives are key to the fight against impunity, especially to the full realization of the right to be informed. Switzerland welcomes the work of the experts convoked at the initiative of the British Government on the prevention of gender-based violence, which makes good use of archives in order to expose sexual violence committed in conflict situations and to investigate crimes.

First, Switzerland puts particular stress on a gender-sensitive implementation of the transitional justice mechanisms. As Ms. Balipou pointed out earlier, women's perspectives and needs should be included in all four principles against impunity: the right to be informed, the right to justice, the right to reparations and the guarantee of non-recurrence.

While Switzerland supports the Secretary- General's proposal to draft an independent study on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), the implementation of commitments made almost 15 years ago is one of our chief concerns, which leads to my final remark.

Our country therefore urges the Security Council, among other matters, to ensure that gender advisers are deployed in all peace missions and that effective mechanisms are introduced so that information concerning the situation of women and girls can be presented in a systematic manner in reports and transmitted in Security Council debates.

It is well known that Switzerland is one of the 22 States members of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group, a transregional initiative that seeks to improve the working methods of the Security Council. My country notes that when resolutions on specific crises are adopted by the Security Council, they do not always take into account all the commitments made with regard to women, peace and security.