Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, October 2008

The Croatian national strategy for the promotion of gender equality 2006-20 10 contains several measures related to promoting the application of Security Council resolution 1325 and commitments arising from the Beijing Platform. The national strategy also promotes the collection of data on the role of women during war and the hardships they face and their contribution to peace-building, while the consequences of war on women in Croatia will be systematically collected and analysed. The ensuing results and recommendaiions will be integrated into social and development policies.

Croatia, as a Troop and Police Contributing Country, is fully aware of the ongoing efforts aimed at improving the implementation of the resolution 1325 and the necessity of increasing the deployment of more women in peacekeeping missions. Croatia also uses sex-disaggregated data in order to better monitor and track progress in its reports on levels of military deployments to peacekeeping operations. Croatia will continue act vely contributing to the goals of the 1325 resolution and beyond.

Armed conflict is the single and most crucial factor in exacerbating the security
of women. In an age where international cooperation is closely wedded with humanitarian
international law, it is unacceptable that widespread grave violence against
women in armed conflicts continues to be perpetrated. This must be put to an end
The international community has the obligation to protect and assist women in
armed conflicts,

While providing such space of opportunity is desirable and important, it is also vital to provide beforehand an ample space for women to make their own choices. A space, in which, women can feel secure and free from the harms of violence and reprisal. A space, in which, women can enjoy the freedom and liberty to make informed decisions for their own life. A space for each and every woman in armed conflict situations, where her basic need for personal safety is met. In other words, our approach should not only to view women us a group, but also as an individual with her own aspirations.

Before concluding my remark, let me stress that enhancing women's participation
in peace process requires sustained and long-term efforts. Indeed, eight years
since the adoption of resolution 1325, there is certainly no shortage of action
plans. It is timely, we believe to proceed beyond plan of actions. Indonesia for its
part will redouble its efforts at the national level and within the UN in pursuit of
this objective.

SADC takes this opportunity to thank the Secretary-General for his report contained in document
S/2008/622, which provides an assessment of measures taken to enhance the implementation of
resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. We also take note of the assessment on the
progress made in the protection of women against sexual and gender-based violence. The report
also refers to resolution 1820 (2008) on sexual violence in conflict situations, which was
unanimously adopted by the Council not long ago.

While women may be the first casualties of war, they remain active agents of change and play a
meaningful role in the recovery and reintegration of their families. Women are also instrumental in
bringing about democracy and reconciliation in post-conflict societies. It is for that reason that
SADC welcomes this opportunity, on the eighth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325
(2000), to participate in this open debate on the theme of “Women's equal participation and full
involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security”. This meeting
provides us yet another opportunity to assess the concrete and specific efforts made in the
implementation of the resolution at all levels and the role of the Security Council in such efforts.

In our resolve to mainstream a gender perspective into all aspects of our lives, SADC heads of
State signed the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development on 17 August 2008. That instrument
has been hailed as an important step towards the empowerment of women, the elimination of
discrimination and the achievement of gender equality and equity. In the context of peace and
security, the Protocol stipulates that States parties shall endeavour to put in place measures to
ensure that women enjoy representation and participation in key decisionmaking positions in
conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes by 2015, in accordance with resolution 1325
(2000).

While SADC acknowledges that women and civil society organizations have been the driving
force behind our efforts and achievements, we are committed to continue to strengthen efforts to
address the challenges of peace and security for women. We therefore welcome the seriousness
with which the Security Council continues to address the question. In that connection, SADC
believes that there is a need for women's increased representation and participation at all levels,
particularly in peacekeeping and peacebuilding and within United Nations field-based operations.
Recommendations by the Security Council — such as to provide gender-sensitive training,
establish gender components in peacekeeping operations, deploy more women peacekeepers and
appoint more women as special representatives and special envoys of the Secretary-General —
should be implemented. SADC urges the Secretary-General to strengthen his efforts to identify
suitable female candidates for senior positions, including in the military and police services. In
addition, Member States should nominate women candidates for inclusion in a regularly updated
centralized roster, as called for by resolution 1325 (2000).

In conclusion, I wish to state that SADC remains committed to the full and effective
implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We, as the international community, have an
obligation to women the world over to ensure that their rights are promoted and their place in all
aspects of the peace process is assured. It is their equal participation and their full involvement
that will contribute to the effective maintenance and promotion of sustainable peace and security.

I thank you for convening this open debate of the Security Council on women,
peace and security, with a focus on the participation of women in all stages of the
peace process. I thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report on the
implementation of Security Council resolution 1325, to which Viet Nam attaches
great importance.

My Delegation, however, remains preoccupied by the fact that we are still far
from able to ensure full and equal participation of women in conflict prevention,
peace negotiations, peacemaking and post-conflict building. In many societies,
women are left inactive and with little chance to take part in decision-making
processes, and often excluded from peace and security areas. Women's
representation in security institutions, law enforcement bodies as well as peace
negotiation delegations has had little improvement since the adoption of Security
Council resolution 1325.

With women having served in the war time as generals and peace negotiators,
Viet Nam now ranks 3 " in Asia-Pacific in terms of the female ratio in the
Parliament membership, and has always had: for over two decades, a female
Vice-president of State and several female Ministers. In every State or public
institution there is a women affairs cornmiitee that oversees and promotes
implementation of gender equality policies. Ensuring gender equality and
empowering women has been and continues to be a major policy of the
Vietnamese State and Government. We support and continue to implement
resolution 1325.

The regular review of the state of implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) testifies to the interest of the Security Council and the international community in this important issue. It is comforting to note that there has been significant progress since the resolution was adopted, including the setting up of increasingly effective legal and institutional frameworks that are the xpression of the constantly growing awareness of the importance of the contribution that women have made and could make to peacekeeping and the promotion of peace. Even better, the need to take into account women's specific needs before, during and after conflicts is now part and parcel of strategies and plans for preventing and emerging from crises and for reconstruction and peacebuilding. That is to the credit not only of Member States but of the United Nations — to whose leadership we should pay tribute — and of regional and subregional organizations, as well as of many civil society organizations.

However, significant as that progress is, it cannot mask the reality — the reality that the results of women's participation in peacekeeping and peacebuilding is far from what was expected and that many challenges, such as sexual violence of all types and impunity, remain to be met before resolution 1325 (2000) is truly and fully implemented. We are all the more concerned by this reality because we are but a few days away from the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

My delegation pays tribute to the pertinence of the recommendations in the Secretary-General's report regarding accelerating he full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Those that address the Security Council deserve the greatest attention, given the role this body plays in the maintenance of international peace and security. We especially invite the Council to step up its cooperation with Member States and sub-regional and regional organizations and to make more frequent use of the rria Formula, which will enable it to better consolidate the foundations of some of its actions and decisions.

The adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) represents an important stage in the collective will of the international community to promote the rights and interests of women. However, it should not be regarded as an end in itself. In other words, we should not be satisfied by simple egular reviews. Only genuine political will coupled with concrete commitment to peace will make possible the achievement of the objectives of resolution 1325 (2000). The United Nations overall, and the Security Council in particular, have a central role to play in that regard, which hey must continue to discharge fully.

Negotiation of peace agreements and postconflict reconstruction are nothing new for women, who are catalysts for national econciliation. They strengthen development efforts and are fundamental factors in the restoration of stability in societies that have suffered the ravages of war. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) was the first recognition by the Security Council of the fundamental role that has been played historically by women in maintaining and restoring international peace and security. However, in most cases, the contributions of women have unfortunately been unofficial, far from the negotiation tables, and heir potential to spread peace has been belittled or underestimated on far too many occasions.

Costa Rica does not want to idealize or to overburden women by exaggerating their capacities in those functions. However, because of the characteristic qualities of women, we are convinced that policies of gender equality and the inclusion of women constitute very important contributions in our efforts to avoid conflicts and to resolve them when they do occur.

Mr. Dabbashi (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): Eight years have passed since the
adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). Generally speaking, we are satisfied with the implementation
of the resolution by the United Nations and on the national level by States throughout the world.
However, the situation of women and girls in conflict zones remains a source of great concern, as
shown in the Secretary-General's report (S/2008/622) submitted for our consideration today.
Resolution 1325 (2000) has helped a growing number of women to overcome the obstacles
confronting them along the road to participation in decision-making processes, supported the
promotion of women's rights and contributed to peace and security throughout the world.
Shortcomings remain, however, in the implementation of the resolution, especially in conflict
zones.

We believe that a drastic solution to the problem of violence against women is to resolve conflicts,
to settle them at the very outset, to ensure that peace prevails, to set up an effective and
transparent security sector, to accelerate development in post-conflict States and to strengthen the
role of women in all fields. That is something in which the United Nations specialized agencies
can participate by providing assistance to national efforts towards women's advancement through
the financing of education and training programmes focused as a priority on women and girls.
Finally, I wish to reiterate the support of my country for all of the recommendations included in
paragraph 97 of the report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) to accelerate the full
implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).

Over the past eight years, the Security Council has closely followed the implementation of
resolution 1325 (2000). The report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) clearly indicates that the
overall peace and security architecture of the United Nations has been more sensitive to women's
needs in situations of armed conflict and post-conflict societies. However, a noticeable gap
remains between policies and their implementation, and we need to do more to mainstream
gender perspectives in conflict prevention and resolution as well as in peacebuilding. Full
participation and involvement by women in all peacebuilding efforts and in the promotion of
peace and security increase the likelihood of success and sustainability in these processes and of
post-conflict stability.

There has not been enough research conducted on the cross-border dimensions of armed conflict that stem from the uncontrolled movement of armed forces and groups across poorly patrolled frontiers, especially in places like the Sudan and the DRC region. Since no formal cross-border networks exist between women's peace-building groups, we believe that women's participation in regional peace-building institutions such as the Amani Forum in the Great Lakes region could be encouraged through, for example, the establishment of a task force to examine women-specific cross-border concerns.

Although many women were victims in the wars that took place in South East Europe, they also had an active role in opposing armed conflict and building understanding and peace amongst the national groups of our region. For example, during the aggression committed against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990's, when Croatia played host to over 300,000 internally displaced parsons and as many refugees, women NGOs played an important role in providing psychological help, organizing humanitarian activities and establishing shelters for refugees anc displaced persons regardless of their ethnic background. Similarly, the first attempts to initiate dialogue amongst the different sides in the conflict came from women and their organizations.

We are not suggesting the imposition of a quota for women in such processes; we want to promote
the greatest possible impact of their participation on outcomes and their implementation.
It is also essential to enhance women's participation and the consideration of women's needs in
peacebuilding and peacekeeping operations across the board. In many cases, for example, we
ignore the gender dimension in the process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.
That means that women and girl fighters prefer to remain armed, absent protection and absent
incentives to do otherwise.

The focus of today's debate is "Women's equal participation and full involvement in all effortsfor the maintenance and promotion of peace and security". In this my delegation would like to emphasize several points. To begin, it should be emphasized that in many countries suffering from armed conflict, women peace builders are often faced with male dominated institutions. These women work under difficult conditions and the space given to their issues is often negligible. Women's issues tend to be organized apart from other issues of post-conflict civil society and their associated support groups, which would explain why women's empowerment and gender based violence is easily overlooked, making it easier to exclude women from decision-making structures that could enh,ance their security.

There has not been enough research conducted on the cross-border dimensions of armed conflict that stem from the uncontrolled movement of armed forces and groups across poorly patrolled frontiers, especially in places like the Sudan and the DRC region. Since no formal cross-border networks exist between women's peace-building groups, we believe that women's participation in regional peace-building institutions such as the Amani Forum in the Great Lakes region could be encouraged through, for example, the establishment of a task force to examine women-specific cross-border concerns.

The expansion of women's roles as peace-builders is achievable, notwithstanding negative views that may arise on social change folowing armed conflict and a tendency by male dominated societies in post-conflict regiors to undermine the new roles women can have in helping to resolve conflict and associated violence. Consideration should be given to including marginalized men such as former combatants or those in refugee or IDP camps in our efforts to support women's equal participation in peace processes, while governments should ensure that traditional practices are not misused by men to control women or to violate their rights.

Women activists in many parts of the world suffering from armed conflict are struggling in their efforts to bring public attention to the fact that women and children, including infants, are faced with extremely high levels of violence, including sexual violence and abuse, by men. Its ongoing effects, long after war is over, should be a primary concern to those who advocate greater inclusion of women in peace-building institutions. Strategies to prevent violence against women during armed conflict also include strategies to protect women's participation in reconstruction and democ-acy-building projects in its aftermath. We believe therefore that the Security Council should ensure the prompt and effective implementation of its resolution 1820.

Not least, Mr. President, the international community has every interest to ensure the full involvement of women in all stages of peace process and peacebuilding. Women as peace-makers. Women as peace-builders. In an era where opportunities and knowledge are abundant; we find that women's potential contribution to conflict resolution processes have not been adequately harnessed. Women's perspectives and contribution have been grossly under-utilized.

An enormous deficit for our common efforts. To exclude or omit women's participation from conflict resolution process
deprives the effort of representation of major stakeholders and a sustainable peace based on inclusion of all perspectives.
Thus, widening opportunity for women to participate in various stages of peace and conflict resolution process demands support

A woman can make a fundamental difference in peace process if she has the
necessary negotiating tools at her disposal; if she has the necessary space to
participate and use these tools; and if she has; the support system of her own
constituents. It is from this perspective that Indonesia views the strengthened participation of
women in peace processes. Capacity building is the core component to ensure
that women's participation will bear the fruit of success.

There are at least three aspects in strengthening women's participation in peace
process. First, it is imperative to promote gender balance and equity in the process of
assembling negotiating team, as well as to highlight the concerns of women in
the negotiating agenda. Second, while negotiations at the highest level are central, and indeed critical,
attention must be paid to the situation on the ground. Women's participation
need to be structured at a grassroots level to advocate for a sustainable peace.
Women can advocate for the pursuit of formal peace processes, as well as
cultivating community support for these efforts and their implementation.
And third, women's participation can also be: fostered by efforts that take the
form of a "campaign" model based on demcicratic political campaigning; and
canvassing designed to increase participation by willing parties.

Before concluding my remark, let me stress that enhancing women's participation
in peace process requires sustained and long-term efforts. Indeed, eight years
since the adoption of resolution 1325, there is certainly no shortage of action
plans. It is timely, we believe to proceed beyond plan of actions. Indonesia for its
part will redouble its efforts at the national level and within the UN in pursuit of
this objective.

In conclusion, let me express our support for the adoption of the draft
Presidential Statement, which we are hopeful, could, at its own merit, contribute
to the enhancement of women's participation in peace and security.

Gender equality and the empowerment of women is one of the founding principles of SADC and
is enshrined in the SADC Treaty of 1992. We have been greatly honoured by the leadership and
important contributions of women in recent peace processes and negotiations in our region. We
also take pride in the fact that, throughout our history, the women of Southern Africa have played
a pivotal role in the liberation movements that brought about independence and democracy to
many of our countries.

Furthermore, the Protocol specifies that, in time of armed conflict, States parties shall take such
steps as are necessary to prevent and eliminate incidents of human rights abuses, especially of
women and children, and ensure that the perpetrators of such abuses are brought to justice before
a court of competent jurisdiction. Sexual violence in conflict situations is inextricably linked to
gender inequality. We therefore need to advocate more strongly for the equal participation and full
involvement of women in all efforts aimed at maintaining and promoting peace and security.

From our experience in SADC, we have learned that it is important to build solidarity among all
stakeholders, particularly women. We therefore remain committed to working within a
consultative and collaborative framework to find peaceful solutions to conflicts. To that end, we
believe it would be important for women in local communities to be allowed to participate in
finding solutions for the reconstruction and rebuilding of their countries. The equal need for the
representation and participation of women in formal peace processes and at the negotiating table
cannot be overemphasized. As the ones who are the first to suffer when there is conflict, women
are often the ones who know when and how to rebuild the lives of their communities. Women
should therefore be at the forefront of developing and implementing postconflict strategies and
programmes.

In conclusion, I wish to state that SADC remains committed to the full and effective
implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We, as the international community, have an
obligation to women the world over to ensure that their rights are promoted and their place in all
aspects of the peace process is assured. It is their equal participation and their full involvement
that will contribute to the effective maintenance and promotion of sustainable peace and security.

Women account for more than half of the world's population. Families cannot be
homes without women playing a key role in maintaining and nurturing them.
Societies cannot be peaceful communities without the vital participation of
women. My Delegation commends the measures the United Nations has
undertaken over the past years in promoting the role of women in peace and
security in many parts of the world, particularly in conflict areas. Most notable
among them have been the adoption by the DPKO of directives and plans on
gender equality in peacekeeping operations, the integration of gender quality in
planning, monitoring and collecting data by humanitarian entities and the
development by many United Nations agencies of strategies to further
mainstream gender into the mandates for conflict prevention and peace building.

My Delegation, however, remains preoccupied by the fact that we are still far
from able to ensure full and equal participation of women in conflict prevention,
peace negotiations, peacemaking and post-conflict building. In many societies,
women are left inactive and with little chance to take part in decision-making
processes, and often excluded from peace and security areas. Women's
representation in security institutions, law enforcement bodies as well as peace
negotiation delegations has had little improvement since the adoption of Security
Council resolution 1325.

To enhance the participation of women in peace processes, the most effective
way, we believe, is to empower women, both politically and economically. To
this end, it is important to ensure their equal access to education and information,
since this helps raise their awareness of their own rights and equip them with
necessary knowledge and skills to actively participate in governance and
economic activities and in the peace processes. Gender mainstreaming needs to
be strengthened in peace and security areas with gender incorporated into all
legislations, strategies and policies on conflict prevention and resolution, and
reconstruction. This in turn will build foundations to back women's equal
representation and leadership in peace and security institutions while enlarging
space for their participation in peace talks. The implementation of these can and
should be assisted by the United Nations, through a wide range of measures, from
legal and technical assistance to negotiation and leadership skills training
programs.

With women having served in the war time as generals and peace negotiators,
Viet Nam now ranks 3 " in Asia-Pacific in terms of the female ratio in the
Parliament membership, and has always had: for over two decades, a female
Vice-president of State and several female Ministers. In every State or public
institution there is a women affairs cornmiitee that oversees and promotes
implementation of gender equality policies. Ensuring gender equality and
empowering women has been and continues to be a major policy of the
Vietnamese State and Government. We support and continue to implement
resolution 1325.

However, significant as that progress is, it cannot mask the reality — the reality that the results of women's participation in peacekeeping and peacebuilding is far from what was expected and that many challenges, such as sexual violence of all types and impunity, remain to be met before resolution 1325 (2000) is truly and fully implemented. We are all the more concerned by this reality because we are but a few days away from the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The exclusion of women from the processes of conflict resolution and peacebuilding has an excessively high cost that we cannot afford. That exclusion not only weakens the effectiveness of conflict-prevention mechanisms, but also drastically reduces the opportunities for peacebuilding. It is important to remember that in traditional societies — in many cases that is where armed conflicts have taken place or are continuing — the role of women in the family and in society is
absolutely pivotal. Lasting peace cannot be built based upon the status quo, which has allowed inequality and the imbalance of power to continue and has, in the majority of cases, been one of the deep-seated causes of conflict. The peace process must identify the specific needs of women and must appropriate the necessary resources to address them. Such a process would the produce enormous results for society. We must transform prejudices and patterns of social discrimination and those laws and customs that are obstacles to the equal participation of women.

As Simone de Beauvoir said, one is not born a woman, but becomes one. But in order to change this, we must give explicit support to the participation of women, in particular in decision-making, so as to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) also represented a change of paradigm by placing women at the heart of the consideration of the issue, not just as victims but as engines for change forging their own destinies and as brave contributors to peace and development in societies suffering from armed conflict or emerging from conflict.

Mr. Dabbashi (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): Eight years have passed since the
adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). Generally speaking, we are satisfied with the implementation
of the resolution by the United Nations and on the national level by States throughout the world.
However, the situation of women and girls in conflict zones remains a source of great concern, as
shown in the Secretary-General's report (S/2008/622) submitted for our consideration today.
Resolution 1325 (2000) has helped a growing number of women to overcome the obstacles
confronting them along the road to participation in decision-making processes, supported the
promotion of women's rights and contributed to peace and security throughout the world.
Shortcomings remain, however, in the implementation of the resolution, especially in conflict
zones.

Over the past eight years, the Security Council has closely followed the implementation of
resolution 1325 (2000). The report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) clearly indicates that the
overall peace and security architecture of the United Nations has been more sensitive to women's
needs in situations of armed conflict and post-conflict societies. However, a noticeable gap
remains between policies and their implementation, and we need to do more to mainstream
gender perspectives in conflict prevention and resolution as well as in peacebuilding. Full
participation and involvement by women in all peacebuilding efforts and in the promotion of
peace and security increase the likelihood of success and sustainability in these processes and of
post-conflict stability.

We are not suggesting the imposition of a quota for women in such processes; we want to promote
the greatest possible impact of their participation on outcomes and their implementation.
It is also essential to enhance women's participation and the consideration of women's needs in
peacebuilding and peacekeeping operations across the board. In many cases, for example, we
ignore the gender dimension in the process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.
That means that women and girl fighters prefer to remain armed, absent protection and absent
incentives to do otherwise.

The expansion of women's roles as peace-builders is achievable, notwithstanding negative views that may arise on social change folowing armed conflict and a tendency by male dominated societies in post-conflict regiors to undermine the new roles women can have in helping to resolve conflict and associated violence. Consideration should be given to including marginalized men such as former combatants or those in refugee or IDP camps in our efforts to support women's equal participation in peace processes, while governments should ensure that traditional practices are not misused by men to control women or to violate their rights.

Not least, Mr. President, the international community has every interest to ensure the full involvement of women in all stages of peace process and peacebuilding. Women as peace-makers. Women as peace-builders. In an era where opportunities and knowledge are abundant; we find that women's potential contribution to conflict resolution processes have not been adequately harnessed. Women's perspectives and contribution have been grossly under-utilized.

An enormous deficit for our common efforts. To exclude or omit women's participation from conflict resolution process
deprives the effort of representation of major stakeholders and a sustainable peace based on inclusion of all perspectives.
Thus, widening opportunity for women to participate in various stages of peace and conflict resolution process demands support

A woman can make a fundamental difference in peace process if she has the
necessary negotiating tools at her disposal; if she has the necessary space to
participate and use these tools; and if she has; the support system of her own
constituents. It is from this perspective that Indonesia views the strengthened participation of
women in peace processes. Capacity building is the core component to ensure
that women's participation will bear the fruit of success.

Gender equality and the empowerment of women is one of the founding principles of SADC and
is enshrined in the SADC Treaty of 1992. We have been greatly honoured by the leadership and
important contributions of women in recent peace processes and negotiations in our region. We
also take pride in the fact that, throughout our history, the women of Southern Africa have played
a pivotal role in the liberation movements that brought about independence and democracy to
many of our countries.

From our experience in SADC, we have learned that it is important to build solidarity among all
stakeholders, particularly women. We therefore remain committed to working within a
consultative and collaborative framework to find peaceful solutions to conflicts. To that end, we
believe it would be important for women in local communities to be allowed to participate in
finding solutions for the reconstruction and rebuilding of their countries. The equal need for the
representation and participation of women in formal peace processes and at the negotiating table
cannot be overemphasized. As the ones who are the first to suffer when there is conflict, women
are often the ones who know when and how to rebuild the lives of their communities. Women
should therefore be at the forefront of developing and implementing postconflict strategies and
programmes.

In conclusion, I wish to state that SADC remains committed to the full and effective
implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We, as the international community, have an
obligation to women the world over to ensure that their rights are promoted and their place in all
aspects of the peace process is assured. It is their equal participation and their full involvement
that will contribute to the effective maintenance and promotion of sustainable peace and security.

It is now recognized that the systematic involvement of women in negotiation and mediation efforts, in the elaboration of peace agreements and in reconstruction and reconciliations strategies is essential. The Security Council has reaffirmed that on many occasions. It did so quite recently, on 23 September, on the occasion of its 5979th meeting, the high-level meeting on mediation as a peaceful way to settle conflicts.

The exclusion of women from the processes of conflict resolution and peacebuilding has an excessively high cost that we cannot afford. That exclusion not only weakens the effectiveness of conflict-prevention mechanisms, but also drastically reduces the opportunities for peacebuilding. It is important to remember that in traditional societies — in many cases that is where armed conflicts have taken place or are continuing — the role of women in the family and in society is
absolutely pivotal. Lasting peace cannot be built based upon the status quo, which has allowed inequality and the imbalance of power to continue and has, in the majority of cases, been one of the deep-seated causes of conflict. The peace process must identify the specific needs of women and must appropriate the necessary resources to address them. Such a process would the produce enormous results for society. We must transform prejudices and patterns of social discrimination and those laws and customs that are obstacles to the equal participation of women.

We must expand the role of women in negotiation, mediation, dialogue, constitution drafting, elections, reconstruction and justice. The report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) gives us various examples of success stories around the world, where the effective participation of women has borne fruit. That has been the case in some peacekeeping operations, where, as members of ilitary observers or police forces, women have made it possible to increase security and to reduce incidents of sexual abuse, facilitating the involvement of other women and strengthening access to services. That is part of the purpose of the Secretary-General's report, and it is a balanced report.

Costa Rica considers that incorporation of the gender perspective is an indispensable tool for dealing with the terrible effects of conflict and is helpful too in conflict prevention. Women have the capacity to bring peace to all factions and to every home. For that reason, we should capitalize on their potential and work actively to include them in the processes and strategies for conflict resolution and the political tasks of the post-conflict period, because peace should not only be sustainable but above all, it must be inclusive, allowing everyone to enjoy its dividends on an equal footing.

That obliges the international community and, in particular, the Security Council to focus their
efforts on including women in peace processes to the greatest extent possible. To that end, a
number of creative ways to involve women in peace processes have been identified over the past
few years, and we must make a careful effort to document and promote such models so that they
can be reproduced and adapted to each specific situation.

In our view, it is critical to include women in negotiations and in the preparation of the strategies
and objectives of mediators. That will facilitate the analysis of men's and women's differing needs,
interests and links to power in a particular conflict situation, of the inequalities between them and
of their roles in society.

We are not suggesting the imposition of a quota for women in such processes; we want to promote
the greatest possible impact of their participation on outcomes and their implementation.
It is also essential to enhance women's participation and the consideration of women's needs in
peacebuilding and peacekeeping operations across the board. In many cases, for example, we
ignore the gender dimension in the process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.
That means that women and girl fighters prefer to remain armed, absent protection and absent
incentives to do otherwise.

The involvement of women involves a collective and shared responsibility. It is an individual responsibility, for we must rid ourselves of certain prejudices and other demeaning concepts regarding the place and role of women in society. Indeed, it is no secret that the challenge of socio-cultural inertia in this regard is often one of the most difficult challenges to take on. It is a responsibility of States and parties to conflicts, as they have the primary obligation to ensure the protection of women and their involvement in the search for solutions to crises and to mainstream the concept of women, peace and security and to strive to ensure its effective implementation. Among other things, we call for strengthening women's capacities, especially in the techniques of negotiation and mediation, as well as strengthening the female components of military and police contingents in peacekeeping operations.

The focus of today's debate is "Women's equal participation and full involvement in all effortsfor the maintenance and promotion of peace and security". In this my delegation would like to emphasize several points. To begin, it should be emphasized that in many countries suffering from armed conflict, women peace builders are often faced with male dominated institutions. These women work under difficult conditions and the space given to their issues is often negligible. Women's issues tend to be organized apart from other issues of post-conflict civil society and their associated support groups, which would explain why women's empowerment and gender based violence is easily overlooked, making it easier to exclude women from decision-making structures that could enh,ance their security.

Women activists in many parts of the world suffering from armed conflict are struggling in their efforts to bring public attention to the fact that women and children, including infants, are faced with extremely high levels of violence, including sexual violence and abuse, by men. Its ongoing effects, long after war is over, should be a primary concern to those who advocate greater inclusion of women in peace-building institutions. Strategies to prevent violence against women during armed conflict also include strategies to protect women's participation in reconstruction and democ-acy-building projects in its aftermath. We believe therefore that the Security Council should ensure the prompt and effective implementation of its resolution 1820.

SADC takes this opportunity to thank the Secretary-General for his report contained in document
S/2008/622, which provides an assessment of measures taken to enhance the implementation of
resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. We also take note of the assessment on the
progress made in the protection of women against sexual and gender-based violence. The report
also refers to resolution 1820 (2008) on sexual violence in conflict situations, which was
unanimously adopted by the Council not long ago.

Furthermore, the Protocol specifies that, in time of armed conflict, States parties shall take such
steps as are necessary to prevent and eliminate incidents of human rights abuses, especially of
women and children, and ensure that the perpetrators of such abuses are brought to justice before
a court of competent jurisdiction. Sexual violence in conflict situations is inextricably linked to
gender inequality. We therefore need to advocate more strongly for the equal participation and full
involvement of women in all efforts aimed at maintaining and promoting peace and security.

However, significant as that progress is, it cannot mask the reality — the reality that the results of women's participation in peacekeeping and peacebuilding is far from what was expected and that many challenges, such as sexual violence of all types and impunity, remain to be met before resolution 1325 (2000) is truly and fully implemented. We are all the more concerned by this reality because we are but a few days away from the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We must expand the role of women in negotiation, mediation, dialogue, constitution drafting, elections, reconstruction and justice. The report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) gives us various examples of success stories around the world, where the effective participation of women has borne fruit. That has been the case in some peacekeeping operations, where, as members of ilitary observers or police forces, women have made it possible to increase security and to reduce incidents of sexual abuse, facilitating the involvement of other women and strengthening access to services. That is part of the purpose of the Secretary-General's report, and it is a balanced report.

However, we still lack sufficient political will and resources to promote the systematic participation of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The report of the Secretary- General disturbingly highlights the fact that only 2.2 per cent of military personnel in United Nations peacekeeping operations and 7.6 per cent of civilian police personnel are women. To date, our Organization has only one woman Head of Mission in one peacekeeping operation. It is crucial that we adopt essential easures to avoid gender violence in armed conflicts, in particular the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Reality as it exists for millions of women should be taken into account. We must offer them equal opportunities and we must identify their specific needs. In order to do that, we must break with the patterns of marginalization in protection and economic recovery and strength of democratic institutions, governance, justice, reform of the security sector and compliance with the rule of law.

Despite all of those efforts by the United Nations, the African Union and individual States, we are
seriously concerned by sexual violence against women in conflict areas, whether during conflict
or in postconflict situations. Effective prevention and response, in our view, requires
comprehensive, coordinated and multidimensional long-term efforts involving all stakeholders.
We believe that certain measures adopted by peacekeeping operations in conflict areas are
effective and, to a large extent, contribute to preventing sexual violence against women. For
example, there are policewomen deployed in conflict zones and 24-hour peacekeeping police
patrols in refugee and displaced persons' camps.

When we refer to violence against women in conflict zones, we must bear in mind the violence
and psychological terror visited upon Palestinian women suffering under Israeli occupation, in
brazen violation of all the principles of international law. We can all imagine the terrible suffering
of pregnant women who give birth at checkpoints because they are prevented from reaching
hospitals. We can all imagine the suffering of thousands of women deprived of drugs and food and
whose vital needs remain unmet, including in the Gaza Strip. We can all imagine the suffering of
women who see their children killed before their eyes, or women whose children are arrested and
then languish in Israeli jails without being brought to trial. I mention the suffering of the Palestinian
women because, unfortunately, the Secretary-General's report made no mention of it.

We believe that a drastic solution to the problem of violence against women is to resolve conflicts,
to settle them at the very outset, to ensure that peace prevails, to set up an effective and
transparent security sector, to accelerate development in post-conflict States and to strengthen the
role of women in all fields. That is something in which the United Nations specialized agencies
can participate by providing assistance to national efforts towards women's advancement through
the financing of education and training programmes focused as a priority on women and girls.
Finally, I wish to reiterate the support of my country for all of the recommendations included in
paragraph 97 of the report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) to accelerate the full
implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).

Croatia, as a Troop and Police Contributing Country, is fully aware of the ongoing efforts aimed at improving the implementation of the resolution 1325 and the necessity of increasing the deployment of more women in peacekeeping missions. Croatia also uses sex-disaggregated data in order to better monitor and track progress in its reports on levels of military deployments to peacekeeping operations. Croatia will continue act vely contributing to the goals of the 1325 resolution and beyond.

While SADC acknowledges that women and civil society organizations have been the driving
force behind our efforts and achievements, we are committed to continue to strengthen efforts to
address the challenges of peace and security for women. We therefore welcome the seriousness
with which the Security Council continues to address the question. In that connection, SADC
believes that there is a need for women's increased representation and participation at all levels,
particularly in peacekeeping and peacebuilding and within United Nations field-based operations.
Recommendations by the Security Council — such as to provide gender-sensitive training,
establish gender components in peacekeeping operations, deploy more women peacekeepers and
appoint more women as special representatives and special envoys of the Secretary-General —
should be implemented. SADC urges the Secretary-General to strengthen his efforts to identify
suitable female candidates for senior positions, including in the military and police services. In
addition, Member States should nominate women candidates for inclusion in a regularly updated
centralized roster, as called for by resolution 1325 (2000).

Women account for more than half of the world's population. Families cannot be
homes without women playing a key role in maintaining and nurturing them.
Societies cannot be peaceful communities without the vital participation of
women. My Delegation commends the measures the United Nations has
undertaken over the past years in promoting the role of women in peace and
security in many parts of the world, particularly in conflict areas. Most notable
among them have been the adoption by the DPKO of directives and plans on
gender equality in peacekeeping operations, the integration of gender quality in
planning, monitoring and collecting data by humanitarian entities and the
development by many United Nations agencies of strategies to further
mainstream gender into the mandates for conflict prevention and peace building.

The regular review of the state of implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) testifies to the interest of the Security Council and the international community in this important issue. It is comforting to note that there has been significant progress since the resolution was adopted, including the setting up of increasingly effective legal and institutional frameworks that are the xpression of the constantly growing awareness of the importance of the contribution that women have made and could make to peacekeeping and the promotion of peace. Even better, the need to take into account women's specific needs before, during and after conflicts is now part and parcel of strategies and plans for preventing and emerging from crises and for reconstruction and peacebuilding. That is to the credit not only of Member States but of the United Nations — to whose leadership we should pay tribute — and of regional and subregional organizations, as well as of many civil society organizations.

As Simone de Beauvoir said, one is not born a woman, but becomes one. But in order to change this, we must give explicit support to the participation of women, in particular in decision-making, so as to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) also represented a change of paradigm by placing women at the heart of the consideration of the issue, not just as victims but as engines for change forging their own destinies and as brave contributors to peace and development in societies suffering from armed conflict or emerging from conflict.

However, we still lack sufficient political will and resources to promote the systematic participation of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The report of the Secretary- General disturbingly highlights the fact that only 2.2 per cent of military personnel in United Nations peacekeeping operations and 7.6 per cent of civilian police personnel are women. To date, our Organization has only one woman Head of Mission in one peacekeeping operation. It is crucial that we adopt essential easures to avoid gender violence in armed conflicts, in particular the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Reality as it exists for millions of women should be taken into account. We must offer them equal opportunities and we must identify their specific needs. In order to do that, we must break with the patterns of marginalization in protection and economic recovery and strength of democratic institutions, governance, justice, reform of the security sector and compliance with the rule of law.

We recognize that the greatest share of responsibility for the implementation of the resolution lies
with Member States. Indeed, the United Nations cannot provide for greater female participation in
peacekeeping operations if Member States do not ensure that there are sufficient women
candidates for peacekeeping missions. One cannot expect the promotion of women's rights and
their advancement and protection in conflict areas and in other States if there are no national
strategies for that.

Despite all of those efforts by the United Nations, the African Union and individual States, we are
seriously concerned by sexual violence against women in conflict areas, whether during conflict
or in postconflict situations. Effective prevention and response, in our view, requires
comprehensive, coordinated and multidimensional long-term efforts involving all stakeholders.
We believe that certain measures adopted by peacekeeping operations in conflict areas are
effective and, to a large extent, contribute to preventing sexual violence against women. For
example, there are policewomen deployed in conflict zones and 24-hour peacekeeping police
patrols in refugee and displaced persons' camps.

We are not suggesting the imposition of a quota for women in such processes; we want to promote
the greatest possible impact of their participation on outcomes and their implementation.
It is also essential to enhance women's participation and the consideration of women's needs in
peacebuilding and peacekeeping operations across the board. In many cases, for example, we
ignore the gender dimension in the process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.
That means that women and girl fighters prefer to remain armed, absent protection and absent
incentives to do otherwise.

While providing such space of opportunity is desirable and important, it is also vital to provide beforehand an ample space for women to make their own choices. A space, in which, women can feel secure and free from the harms of violence and reprisal. A space, in which, women can enjoy the freedom and liberty to make informed decisions for their own life. A space for each and every woman in armed conflict situations, where her basic need for personal safety is met. In other words, our approach should not only to view women us a group, but also as an individual with her own aspirations.

The expansion of women's roles as peace-builders is achievable, notwithstanding negative views that may arise on social change folowing armed conflict and a tendency by male dominated societies in post-conflict regiors to undermine the new roles women can have in helping to resolve conflict and associated violence. Consideration should be given to including marginalized men such as former combatants or those in refugee or IDP camps in our efforts to support women's equal participation in peace processes, while governments should ensure that traditional practices are not misused by men to control women or to violate their rights.

Furthermore, the Protocol specifies that, in time of armed conflict, States parties shall take such
steps as are necessary to prevent and eliminate incidents of human rights abuses, especially of
women and children, and ensure that the perpetrators of such abuses are brought to justice before
a court of competent jurisdiction. Sexual violence in conflict situations is inextricably linked to
gender inequality. We therefore need to advocate more strongly for the equal participation and full
involvement of women in all efforts aimed at maintaining and promoting peace and security.

We recognize that the greatest share of responsibility for the implementation of the resolution lies
with Member States. Indeed, the United Nations cannot provide for greater female participation in
peacekeeping operations if Member States do not ensure that there are sufficient women
candidates for peacekeeping missions. One cannot expect the promotion of women's rights and
their advancement and protection in conflict areas and in other States if there are no national
strategies for that.

We agree with the statement in the Secretary- General's report that there is no single agreed
approach for dealing with the issue of the gender gap. We must take into account the specificities
and needs of each State. We reaffirm yet again that it is the responsibility of States to adopt
effective national legislation to promote the rights of women, to eliminate the culture of impunity
and to encourage greater participation by women in decision-making processes. We should also
undertake media campaigns and set up education programmes to raise awareness of women's
rights and to eliminate cultural discrimination against them.

In terms of the African continent, we are satisfied to see the commitment shown by African States
to promoting gender equality and empowerment of women, in conformity with the Constitutive
Act of the African Union. We pay tribute to the progress achieved so far at the regional level.
Indeed, a final draft of African Union policies for women has been elaborated with the assistance
of civil society organizations. That final draft will be submitted to the Assembly of Heads of State
and Government in the preparations leading up to the declaration of the period from 2010 to 2020
as the African Decade for Women. We should also note that the recently established African
Women's Rights Observatory is an important tool to ensure follow-up in the enforcement of
women's rights in Africa and to take into account the need to overcome the gender gap.

It is indispensable to understand that gender equality is not the same as strict equality between
men and women; rather, women and men must have the same opportunities to exercise their
rights and meet their responsibilities. If we understand and support that principle, women will be
able to better play their role as essential agents in the promotion of peace and development.

We must expand the role of women in negotiation, mediation, dialogue, constitution drafting, elections, reconstruction and justice. The report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) gives us various examples of success stories around the world, where the effective participation of women has borne fruit. That has been the case in some peacekeeping operations, where, as members of ilitary observers or police forces, women have made it possible to increase security and to reduce incidents of sexual abuse, facilitating the involvement of other women and strengthening access to services. That is part of the purpose of the Secretary-General's report, and it is a balanced report.

We agree with the statement in the Secretary- General's report that there is no single agreed
approach for dealing with the issue of the gender gap. We must take into account the specificities
and needs of each State. We reaffirm yet again that it is the responsibility of States to adopt
effective national legislation to promote the rights of women, to eliminate the culture of impunity
and to encourage greater participation by women in decision-making processes. We should also
undertake media campaigns and set up education programmes to raise awareness of women's
rights and to eliminate cultural discrimination against them.

There has not been enough research conducted on the cross-border dimensions of armed conflict that stem from the uncontrolled movement of armed forces and groups across poorly patrolled frontiers, especially in places like the Sudan and the DRC region. Since no formal cross-border networks exist between women's peace-building groups, we believe that women's participation in regional peace-building institutions such as the Amani Forum in the Great Lakes region could be encouraged through, for example, the establishment of a task force to examine women-specific cross-border concerns.

The expansion of women's roles as peace-builders is achievable, notwithstanding negative views that may arise on social change folowing armed conflict and a tendency by male dominated societies in post-conflict regiors to undermine the new roles women can have in helping to resolve conflict and associated violence. Consideration should be given to including marginalized men such as former combatants or those in refugee or IDP camps in our efforts to support women's equal participation in peace processes, while governments should ensure that traditional practices are not misused by men to control women or to violate their rights.

The United Nations, national governments as well as individual donors should listen clearly to the views of women civil society orgarizations. These organizations in turn need to receive their fair share of professional education and support. It is a government's obligation to fulfill their responsibilities to establish and maintain women-friendly security, health and education services.

Women activists in many parts of the world suffering from armed conflict are struggling in their efforts to bring public attention to the fact that women and children, including infants, are faced with extremely high levels of violence, including sexual violence and abuse, by men. Its ongoing effects, long after war is over, should be a primary concern to those who advocate greater inclusion of women in peace-building institutions. Strategies to prevent violence against women during armed conflict also include strategies to protect women's participation in reconstruction and democ-acy-building projects in its aftermath. We believe therefore that the Security Council should ensure the prompt and effective implementation of its resolution 1820.

The Croatian national strategy for the promotion of gender equality 2006-20 10 contains several measures related to promoting the application of Security Council resolution 1325 and commitments arising from the Beijing Platform. The national strategy also promotes the collection of data on the role of women during war and the hardships they face and their contribution to peace-building, while the consequences of war on women in Croatia will be systematically collected and analysed. The ensuing results and recommendaiions will be integrated into social and development policies.

Female experts on gender issues will be included in political activities related to peace- building, regional cooperation and national security. The representation of women in the Croatian Ministry of Defence and Croatia's Armed Forces will be increased, with special emphasis on increasing their representation in managerial positions. According to the Long-term Development Plan of the Armed Forctls of the Republic of Croatia for the period 2006 - 2015, by the year 2015 we expect that women will make up 10% of the operating staff of the armed forces. Moreover, the Ministry of Defence has recently established a Gender Equality Commission, a bod3 in-charge of creating the appropriate environment for the expansion of women's presence in the armed forces.

Although many women were victims in the wars that took place in South East Europe, they also had an active role in opposing armed conflict and building understanding and peace amongst the national groups of our region. For example, during the aggression committed against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990's, when Croatia played host to over 300,000 internally displaced parsons and as many refugees, women NGOs played an important role in providing psychological help, organizing humanitarian activities and establishing shelters for refugees anc displaced persons regardless of their ethnic background. Similarly, the first attempts to initiate dialogue amongst the different sides in the conflict came from women and their organizations.

Not least, Mr. President, the international community has every interest to ensure the full involvement of women in all stages of peace process and peacebuilding. Women as peace-makers. Women as peace-builders. In an era where opportunities and knowledge are abundant; we find that women's potential contribution to conflict resolution processes have not been adequately harnessed. Women's perspectives and contribution have been grossly under-utilized.

An enormous deficit for our common efforts. To exclude or omit women's participation from conflict resolution process
deprives the effort of representation of major stakeholders and a sustainable peace based on inclusion of all perspectives.
Thus, widening opportunity for women to participate in various stages of peace and conflict resolution process demands support

A woman can make a fundamental difference in peace process if she has the
necessary negotiating tools at her disposal; if she has the necessary space to
participate and use these tools; and if she has; the support system of her own
constituents. It is from this perspective that Indonesia views the strengthened participation of
women in peace processes. Capacity building is the core component to ensure
that women's participation will bear the fruit of success.

There are at least three aspects in strengthening women's participation in peace
process. First, it is imperative to promote gender balance and equity in the process of
assembling negotiating team, as well as to highlight the concerns of women in
the negotiating agenda. Second, while negotiations at the highest level are central, and indeed critical,
attention must be paid to the situation on the ground. Women's participation
need to be structured at a grassroots level to advocate for a sustainable peace.
Women can advocate for the pursuit of formal peace processes, as well as
cultivating community support for these efforts and their implementation.
And third, women's participation can also be: fostered by efforts that take the
form of a "campaign" model based on demcicratic political campaigning; and
canvassing designed to increase participation by willing parties.

In our resolve to mainstream a gender perspective into all aspects of our lives, SADC heads of
State signed the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development on 17 August 2008. That instrument
has been hailed as an important step towards the empowerment of women, the elimination of
discrimination and the achievement of gender equality and equity. In the context of peace and
security, the Protocol stipulates that States parties shall endeavour to put in place measures to
ensure that women enjoy representation and participation in key decisionmaking positions in
conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes by 2015, in accordance with resolution 1325
(2000).

From our experience in SADC, we have learned that it is important to build solidarity among all
stakeholders, particularly women. We therefore remain committed to working within a
consultative and collaborative framework to find peaceful solutions to conflicts. To that end, we
believe it would be important for women in local communities to be allowed to participate in
finding solutions for the reconstruction and rebuilding of their countries. The equal need for the
representation and participation of women in formal peace processes and at the negotiating table
cannot be overemphasized. As the ones who are the first to suffer when there is conflict, women
are often the ones who know when and how to rebuild the lives of their communities. Women
should therefore be at the forefront of developing and implementing postconflict strategies and
programmes.

To enhance the participation of women in peace processes, the most effective
way, we believe, is to empower women, both politically and economically. To
this end, it is important to ensure their equal access to education and information,
since this helps raise their awareness of their own rights and equip them with
necessary knowledge and skills to actively participate in governance and
economic activities and in the peace processes. Gender mainstreaming needs to
be strengthened in peace and security areas with gender incorporated into all
legislations, strategies and policies on conflict prevention and resolution, and
reconstruction. This in turn will build foundations to back women's equal
representation and leadership in peace and security institutions while enlarging
space for their participation in peace talks. The implementation of these can and
should be assisted by the United Nations, through a wide range of measures, from
legal and technical assistance to negotiation and leadership skills training
programs.

With women having served in the war time as generals and peace negotiators,
Viet Nam now ranks 3 " in Asia-Pacific in terms of the female ratio in the
Parliament membership, and has always had: for over two decades, a female
Vice-president of State and several female Ministers. In every State or public
institution there is a women affairs cornmiitee that oversees and promotes
implementation of gender equality policies. Ensuring gender equality and
empowering women has been and continues to be a major policy of the
Vietnamese State and Government. We support and continue to implement
resolution 1325.

The regular review of the state of implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) testifies to the interest of the Security Council and the international community in this important issue. It is comforting to note that there has been significant progress since the resolution was adopted, including the setting up of increasingly effective legal and institutional frameworks that are the xpression of the constantly growing awareness of the importance of the contribution that women have made and could make to peacekeeping and the promotion of peace. Even better, the need to take into account women's specific needs before, during and after conflicts is now part and parcel of strategies and plans for preventing and emerging from crises and for reconstruction and peacebuilding. That is to the credit not only of Member States but of the United Nations — to whose leadership we should pay tribute — and of regional and subregional organizations, as well as of many civil society organizations.

The involvement of women involves a collective and shared responsibility. It is an individual responsibility, for we must rid ourselves of certain prejudices and other demeaning concepts regarding the place and role of women in society. Indeed, it is no secret that the challenge of socio-cultural inertia in this regard is often one of the most difficult challenges to take on. It is a responsibility of States and parties to conflicts, as they have the primary obligation to ensure the protection of women and their involvement in the search for solutions to crises and to mainstream the concept of women, peace and security and to strive to ensure its effective implementation. Among other things, we call for strengthening women's capacities, especially in the techniques of negotiation and mediation, as well as strengthening the female components of military and police contingents in peacekeeping operations.

The exclusion of women from the processes of conflict resolution and peacebuilding has an excessively high cost that we cannot afford. That exclusion not only weakens the effectiveness of conflict-prevention mechanisms, but also drastically reduces the opportunities for peacebuilding. It is important to remember that in traditional societies — in many cases that is where armed conflicts have taken place or are continuing — the role of women in the family and in society is
absolutely pivotal. Lasting peace cannot be built based upon the status quo, which has allowed inequality and the imbalance of power to continue and has, in the majority of cases, been one of the deep-seated causes of conflict. The peace process must identify the specific needs of women and must appropriate the necessary resources to address them. Such a process would the produce enormous results for society. We must transform prejudices and patterns of social discrimination and those laws and customs that are obstacles to the equal participation of women.

We must expand the role of women in negotiation, mediation, dialogue, constitution drafting, elections, reconstruction and justice. The report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) gives us various examples of success stories around the world, where the effective participation of women has borne fruit. That has been the case in some peacekeeping operations, where, as members of ilitary observers or police forces, women have made it possible to increase security and to reduce incidents of sexual abuse, facilitating the involvement of other women and strengthening access to services. That is part of the purpose of the Secretary-General's report, and it is a balanced report.

Costa Rica considers that incorporation of the gender perspective is an indispensable tool for dealing with the terrible effects of conflict and is helpful too in conflict prevention. Women have the capacity to bring peace to all factions and to every home. For that reason, we should capitalize on their potential and work actively to include them in the processes and strategies for conflict resolution and the political tasks of the post-conflict period, because peace should not only be sustainable but above all, it must be inclusive, allowing everyone to enjoy its dividends on an equal footing.

To achieve all of those objectives, professionals involved in mediation and peacebuilding should
have the tools they need to mainstream the gender perspective in their work. Reports of the United
Nations and of various early warning mechanisms would benefit from the identification and
analysis of empirical data disaggregated by gender and other key factors. Sources for such
indicators are limited and in some cases non-existent. For that reason, as mandates are carried out,
Security Council members and, in particular, donor countries should provide the technical and
financial resources required for the preparation and exchange of such information.

The United Nations, national governments as well as individual donors should listen clearly to the views of women civil society orgarizations. These organizations in turn need to receive their fair share of professional education and support. It is a government's obligation to fulfill their responsibilities to establish and maintain women-friendly security, health and education services.

The Croatian national strategy for the promotion of gender equality 2006-20 10 contains several measures related to promoting the application of Security Council resolution 1325 and commitments arising from the Beijing Platform. The national strategy also promotes the collection of data on the role of women during war and the hardships they face and their contribution to peace-building, while the consequences of war on women in Croatia will be systematically collected and analysed. The ensuing results and recommendaiions will be integrated into social and development policies.

Female experts on gender issues will be included in political activities related to peace- building, regional cooperation and national security. The representation of women in the Croatian Ministry of Defence and Croatia's Armed Forces will be increased, with special emphasis on increasing their representation in managerial positions. According to the Long-term Development Plan of the Armed Forctls of the Republic of Croatia for the period 2006 - 2015, by the year 2015 we expect that women will make up 10% of the operating staff of the armed forces. Moreover, the Ministry of Defence has recently established a Gender Equality Commission, a bod3 in-charge of creating the appropriate environment for the expansion of women's presence in the armed forces.

Although many women were victims in the wars that took place in South East Europe, they also had an active role in opposing armed conflict and building understanding and peace amongst the national groups of our region. For example, during the aggression committed against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990's, when Croatia played host to over 300,000 internally displaced parsons and as many refugees, women NGOs played an important role in providing psychological help, organizing humanitarian activities and establishing shelters for refugees anc displaced persons regardless of their ethnic background. Similarly, the first attempts to initiate dialogue amongst the different sides in the conflict came from women and their organizations.

Croatia, as a Troop and Police Contributing Country, is fully aware of the ongoing efforts aimed at improving the implementation of the resolution 1325 and the necessity of increasing the deployment of more women in peacekeeping missions. Croatia also uses sex-disaggregated data in order to better monitor and track progress in its reports on levels of military deployments to peacekeeping operations. Croatia will continue act vely contributing to the goals of the 1325 resolution and beyond.

Before concluding my remark, let me stress that enhancing women's participation
in peace process requires sustained and long-term efforts. Indeed, eight years
since the adoption of resolution 1325, there is certainly no shortage of action
plans. It is timely, we believe to proceed beyond plan of actions. Indonesia for its
part will redouble its efforts at the national level and within the UN in pursuit of
this objective.

While women may be the first casualties of war, they remain active agents of change and play a
meaningful role in the recovery and reintegration of their families. Women are also instrumental in
bringing about democracy and reconciliation in post-conflict societies. It is for that reason that
SADC welcomes this opportunity, on the eighth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325
(2000), to participate in this open debate on the theme of “Women's equal participation and full
involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security”. This meeting
provides us yet another opportunity to assess the concrete and specific efforts made in the
implementation of the resolution at all levels and the role of the Security Council in such efforts.

Gender equality and the empowerment of women is one of the founding principles of SADC and
is enshrined in the SADC Treaty of 1992. We have been greatly honoured by the leadership and
important contributions of women in recent peace processes and negotiations in our region. We
also take pride in the fact that, throughout our history, the women of Southern Africa have played
a pivotal role in the liberation movements that brought about independence and democracy to
many of our countries.

In our resolve to mainstream a gender perspective into all aspects of our lives, SADC heads of
State signed the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development on 17 August 2008. That instrument
has been hailed as an important step towards the empowerment of women, the elimination of
discrimination and the achievement of gender equality and equity. In the context of peace and
security, the Protocol stipulates that States parties shall endeavour to put in place measures to
ensure that women enjoy representation and participation in key decisionmaking positions in
conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes by 2015, in accordance with resolution 1325
(2000).

While SADC acknowledges that women and civil society organizations have been the driving
force behind our efforts and achievements, we are committed to continue to strengthen efforts to
address the challenges of peace and security for women. We therefore welcome the seriousness
with which the Security Council continues to address the question. In that connection, SADC
believes that there is a need for women's increased representation and participation at all levels,
particularly in peacekeeping and peacebuilding and within United Nations field-based operations.
Recommendations by the Security Council — such as to provide gender-sensitive training,
establish gender components in peacekeeping operations, deploy more women peacekeepers and
appoint more women as special representatives and special envoys of the Secretary-General —
should be implemented. SADC urges the Secretary-General to strengthen his efforts to identify
suitable female candidates for senior positions, including in the military and police services. In
addition, Member States should nominate women candidates for inclusion in a regularly updated
centralized roster, as called for by resolution 1325 (2000).

Women account for more than half of the world's population. Families cannot be
homes without women playing a key role in maintaining and nurturing them.
Societies cannot be peaceful communities without the vital participation of
women. My Delegation commends the measures the United Nations has
undertaken over the past years in promoting the role of women in peace and
security in many parts of the world, particularly in conflict areas. Most notable
among them have been the adoption by the DPKO of directives and plans on
gender equality in peacekeeping operations, the integration of gender quality in
planning, monitoring and collecting data by humanitarian entities and the
development by many United Nations agencies of strategies to further
mainstream gender into the mandates for conflict prevention and peace building.

With women having served in the war time as generals and peace negotiators,
Viet Nam now ranks 3 " in Asia-Pacific in terms of the female ratio in the
Parliament membership, and has always had: for over two decades, a female
Vice-president of State and several female Ministers. In every State or public
institution there is a women affairs cornmiitee that oversees and promotes
implementation of gender equality policies. Ensuring gender equality and
empowering women has been and continues to be a major policy of the
Vietnamese State and Government. We support and continue to implement
resolution 1325.

The regular review of the state of implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) testifies to the interest of the Security Council and the international community in this important issue. It is comforting to note that there has been significant progress since the resolution was adopted, including the setting up of increasingly effective legal and institutional frameworks that are the xpression of the constantly growing awareness of the importance of the contribution that women have made and could make to peacekeeping and the promotion of peace. Even better, the need to take into account women's specific needs before, during and after conflicts is now part and parcel of strategies and plans for preventing and emerging from crises and for reconstruction and peacebuilding. That is to the credit not only of Member States but of the United Nations — to whose leadership we should pay tribute — and of regional and subregional organizations, as well as of many civil society organizations.

It is now recognized that the systematic involvement of women in negotiation and mediation efforts, in the elaboration of peace agreements and in reconstruction and reconciliations strategies is essential. The Security Council has reaffirmed that on many occasions. It did so quite recently, on 23 September, on the occasion of its 5979th meeting, the high-level meeting on mediation as a peaceful way to settle conflicts.

The involvement of women involves a collective and shared responsibility. It is an individual responsibility, for we must rid ourselves of certain prejudices and other demeaning concepts regarding the place and role of women in society. Indeed, it is no secret that the challenge of socio-cultural inertia in this regard is often one of the most difficult challenges to take on. It is a responsibility of States and parties to conflicts, as they have the primary obligation to ensure the protection of women and their involvement in the search for solutions to crises and to mainstream the concept of women, peace and security and to strive to ensure its effective implementation. Among other things, we call for strengthening women's capacities, especially in the techniques of negotiation and mediation, as well as strengthening the female components of military and police contingents in peacekeeping operations.

It is a responsibility of United Nations bodies and subregional and regional organizations, which must further strengthen the use of women's peacemaking and negotiating talents. That means, inter alia, enlarging the female component of representatives, envoys and heads of offices — all key elements of the good offices of those organizations, without forgetting an increase in the number of women decision makers at all levels. To illustrate, the African Union included in its Constitutive Act the obligation to take gender equality into account in its programmes and activities, while the gender aspect is a reality in the composition of the Commission of the African Union. As to the Economic Community of West African States, it has elaborated a plan of action on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

My delegation pays tribute to the pertinence of the recommendations in the Secretary-General's report regarding accelerating he full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Those that address the Security Council deserve the greatest attention, given the role this body plays in the maintenance of international peace and security. We especially invite the Council to step up its cooperation with Member States and sub-regional and regional organizations and to make more frequent use of the rria Formula, which will enable it to better consolidate the foundations of some of its actions and decisions.

However, we still lack sufficient political will and resources to promote the systematic participation of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The report of the Secretary- General disturbingly highlights the fact that only 2.2 per cent of military personnel in United Nations peacekeeping operations and 7.6 per cent of civilian police personnel are women. To date, our Organization has only one woman Head of Mission in one peacekeeping operation. It is crucial that we adopt essential easures to avoid gender violence in armed conflicts, in particular the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Reality as it exists for millions of women should be taken into account. We must offer them equal opportunities and we must identify their specific needs. In order to do that, we must break with the patterns of marginalization in protection and economic recovery and strength of democratic institutions, governance, justice, reform of the security sector and compliance with the rule of law.

Mr. Dabbashi (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): Eight years have passed since the
adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). Generally speaking, we are satisfied with the implementation
of the resolution by the United Nations and on the national level by States throughout the world.
However, the situation of women and girls in conflict zones remains a source of great concern, as
shown in the Secretary-General's report (S/2008/622) submitted for our consideration today.
Resolution 1325 (2000) has helped a growing number of women to overcome the obstacles
confronting them along the road to participation in decision-making processes, supported the
promotion of women's rights and contributed to peace and security throughout the world.
Shortcomings remain, however, in the implementation of the resolution, especially in conflict
zones.

We recognize that the greatest share of responsibility for the implementation of the resolution lies
with Member States. Indeed, the United Nations cannot provide for greater female participation in
peacekeeping operations if Member States do not ensure that there are sufficient women
candidates for peacekeeping missions. One cannot expect the promotion of women's rights and
their advancement and protection in conflict areas and in other States if there are no national
strategies for that.

We agree with the statement in the Secretary- General's report that there is no single agreed
approach for dealing with the issue of the gender gap. We must take into account the specificities
and needs of each State. We reaffirm yet again that it is the responsibility of States to adopt
effective national legislation to promote the rights of women, to eliminate the culture of impunity
and to encourage greater participation by women in decision-making processes. We should also
undertake media campaigns and set up education programmes to raise awareness of women's
rights and to eliminate cultural discrimination against them.

In terms of the African continent, we are satisfied to see the commitment shown by African States
to promoting gender equality and empowerment of women, in conformity with the Constitutive
Act of the African Union. We pay tribute to the progress achieved so far at the regional level.
Indeed, a final draft of African Union policies for women has been elaborated with the assistance
of civil society organizations. That final draft will be submitted to the Assembly of Heads of State
and Government in the preparations leading up to the declaration of the period from 2010 to 2020
as the African Decade for Women. We should also note that the recently established African
Women's Rights Observatory is an important tool to ensure follow-up in the enforcement of
women's rights in Africa and to take into account the need to overcome the gender gap.

Despite all of those efforts by the United Nations, the African Union and individual States, we are
seriously concerned by sexual violence against women in conflict areas, whether during conflict
or in postconflict situations. Effective prevention and response, in our view, requires
comprehensive, coordinated and multidimensional long-term efforts involving all stakeholders.
We believe that certain measures adopted by peacekeeping operations in conflict areas are
effective and, to a large extent, contribute to preventing sexual violence against women. For
example, there are policewomen deployed in conflict zones and 24-hour peacekeeping police
patrols in refugee and displaced persons' camps.

We believe that a drastic solution to the problem of violence against women is to resolve conflicts,
to settle them at the very outset, to ensure that peace prevails, to set up an effective and
transparent security sector, to accelerate development in post-conflict States and to strengthen the
role of women in all fields. That is something in which the United Nations specialized agencies
can participate by providing assistance to national efforts towards women's advancement through
the financing of education and training programmes focused as a priority on women and girls.
Finally, I wish to reiterate the support of my country for all of the recommendations included in
paragraph 97 of the report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) to accelerate the full
implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).

Over the past eight years, the Security Council has closely followed the implementation of
resolution 1325 (2000). The report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) clearly indicates that the
overall peace and security architecture of the United Nations has been more sensitive to women's
needs in situations of armed conflict and post-conflict societies. However, a noticeable gap
remains between policies and their implementation, and we need to do more to mainstream
gender perspectives in conflict prevention and resolution as well as in peacebuilding. Full
participation and involvement by women in all peacebuilding efforts and in the promotion of
peace and security increase the likelihood of success and sustainability in these processes and of
post-conflict stability.

That obliges the international community and, in particular, the Security Council to focus their
efforts on including women in peace processes to the greatest extent possible. To that end, a
number of creative ways to involve women in peace processes have been identified over the past
few years, and we must make a careful effort to document and promote such models so that they
can be reproduced and adapted to each specific situation.

To achieve all of those objectives, professionals involved in mediation and peacebuilding should
have the tools they need to mainstream the gender perspective in their work. Reports of the United
Nations and of various early warning mechanisms would benefit from the identification and
analysis of empirical data disaggregated by gender and other key factors. Sources for such
indicators are limited and in some cases non-existent. For that reason, as mandates are carried out,
Security Council members and, in particular, donor countries should provide the technical and
financial resources required for the preparation and exchange of such information.