Participation

I will soon come back to the Council with further elements for the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, which will be built on three critical pillars: political and security, humanitarian and development.

I will continue to encourage women-led initiatives in the region through the establishment of a communications platform, through which experts and donors could provide technical advice and funds to women's projects in support of the “framework of hope”.

I would like to add that all of our assistance will be informed by a gender perspective. We will provide additional resources for programmes to address sexual and gender-based violence, as well as assistance for basic health services for vulnerable women and children through networks of health centres.

Moreover, upon the initiative of the President of the Republic, national consultations are to begin in August. Their purpose is to endeavour together to find ways and means to enhance national unity in order to better cope with all of the challenges facing the Congolese nation.

To face the challenges in least developed and conflict-affected countries, our development work needs to support them through an integrated approach in four areas. First, we must get the legal, institutional and policy frameworks right and build national capacities and law enforcement mechanisms to implement them properly.

The second area demanding more attention is the involvement and active participation of affected communities. Countries working with development partners should take measures to ensure full participation of communities, especially women, indigenous and vulnerable groups. We have learned from experience that the involvement of communities from the start is critical to preventing misunderstandings, defusing tensions and preventing conflict.

Businesses have a clear interest in promoting peace, security and stability and in ensuring that natural resources are a blessing, not a curse. We therefore encourage them to engage proactively in voluntary initiatives in this field — the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the Kimberley Process, the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the United Nations Global Compact.

Uruguay has been in the vanguard of incorporating women into the armed forces, and that can be seen in the number of women who are deployed in the armed forces as well as in the Uruguayan police and in the formed police units of peacekeeping operations.

One instrument in such efforts is peacekeeping operations, which in recent years have included mandates for the protection of civilians that pay particular attention to women and children. There has been significant progress.

At the outset, I would like to join the many previous speakers who have thanked you, Sir, for having convened this debate. I also express our gratitude to all those, especially the women, who work every day to promote peace and security.