Participation

Secondly, every conflict resolution effort or peace and mediation process has a gender dimension. As such, ensuring and increasing women's participation in all aspects of decision-making and policy processes related to the protection of international peace and security is necessary

Trinidad and Tobago is fully committed to the goal of gender equality. For us, the empowerment of women is an integral part of national development as well as an essential pillar in the maintenance of sustainable peace. Trinidad and Tobago is strongly supportive of the need to enhance efforts to ensure that women are equally represented in all spheres. These include decision-making at all levels, as well as in the field of peace and security.

In conclusion, Trinidad and Tobago remains committed to working with other Member States as well as its partners at the regional, hemispheric and global levels to promote the involvement of women as equal partners in matters related to peace and security, including at all levels of the decision-making processes.

Finally, allow me to reiterate the importance of linking our efforts to protect and strengthen women's rights with our commitment to promote women's participation. Men, too, have everything to gain from such efforts. The development of a truly global society will be achieved only by insuring the equal participation of women and men in all aspects of the peacemaking, peacebuilding and reconstruction processes.

Therefore, investments in gender equality and women's full enjoyment of human rights — not least in fragile States — must be seen as core to preventing sexual violence in conflict. We know that women's participation is essential for building sustainable peace.

The Nordic countries would also like to emphasize the importance of women's participation in the design of security sector reform (SSR) and in disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) processes.

Promoting gender equality and women's participation is critical if we are to ever tackle the causes of sexual violence. We must always remember that women are not only victims; they are also a great resource for their communities and countries.

I should like to reiterate the fact that among States that are particularly involved in protecting women in conflict and on the question of sexual violence in conflict much progress has been made in our country since 2005.

While there is value in developing monitoring mechanisms by the Security Council to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the relevant resolutions, greater participation by women in negotiation and peacemaking processes will allow for greater inclusivity and incorporation of gender perspectives reflective of the interests and concerns of women, thereby contributing to the sustainability of peace efforts.

In that regard, Member States, and key United Nations bodies such as the Peacebuilding Commission, UN-Women and the United Nations Development Programme, working with United Nations country teams and peace missions, have a critical role to play in supporting and capacitating the development of civil society and women's organizations at community and local levels.