Participation

In that regard, we note the Declaration facilitated by Mexico and Denmark and adopted at the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels in September 2012. The text enshrines “the importance of ensuring that women...fully enjoy the benefits of the rule of law” (General Assembly resolution 67/1, para.

The Pacific region is working to achieve better participation in formal conflict prevention and management and post-conflict recovery efforts, as well as oversight and accountability mechanisms for the security sector. The region recognizes the value of having women at the negotiating table in leadership roles and the need to provide sufficient recognition and resources to ensure that they are able to do their work.

In many violent situations in the Pacific region, women have demonstrated their capacity to contribute to solutions as mediators, providers of safe havens, or in working to improve local communities. Women and young women have also played an important part in conflict prevention, management and recovery in the region. Women have generally been first to actively work across ethnic divides, despite considerable risks.

Despite some positive steps, including the number of women serving in important and very senior Government positions, women's parliamentary representation in the Pacific is the lowest of any region in the world. The region has recently witnessed and continues to be affected by armed conflict, civil unrest and local-level conflicts over resources, as well as increasingly violent crimes and political crises.

In that regard, there is a need to increase the number of women in high-level decision-making positions in peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations. Malaysia is also supportive of appointing more women protection advisers to monitor and report on sexual violence in all relevant situations.

Malaysia welcomes today's adoption of the resolution 2122 (2013) on the issue discussed. My delegation hopes that there will be sufficient impetus toward the actual realization of the resolution and the landmark resolution 1325 (2000). Malaysia therefore appreciates the ongoing update on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/525) of 4 September.

In that context, one cannot but emphasize the importance of transitional justice. Not only does it allow the possibility to redress past wrongs, but it also affords an opportunity to transform women's situations, thereby guaranteeing lasting peace in a more egalitarian society.

I would add that, in the past year, we supported a Department of Peacekeeping Operations project aimed at bolstering the role of women in the maintenance and building of peace, specifically by holding a regional workshop in Liberia to provide women leaders working for peace and security in West Africa an opportunity to share their experiences and to strengthen their networks.

We must pay greater attention to providing better support for victims, including by ensuring protection for witnesses, victims and justice officials, providing reparation mechanisms and ensuring the systematic inclusion of women in all aspects of conflict resolution. United Nations special representatives, peacekeeping and political missions and United Nations agencies have a much greater role to play.

In previous statements my delegation has already spoken about the importance of ensuring the empowerment of women. Their participation at all levels of economic, political and social life is as crucial to sustainable peace as it is to poverty reduction, economic recovery and sustainable development. We welcome the the Peacebuilding Commission's declaration on women's economic empowerment for peacebuilding.