Participation

Today we recognise in particular the invaluable contribution civil society organisations make to this agenda. Their contribution is vital. In Liberia, organisations like the Women's Situation Room help promote women's participation in political life and prevent electoral violence.

The United Kingdom itself benefits substantially from early, regular and close consultation with women's civil society organisations. The United Kingdom civil society umbrella group Gender Action for Peace and Security played an integral part in our own recent National Action Plan review process.

The first is the valuable role that women can play in mediation efforts. As a co-chair of the Group of Friends of Mediation, Turkey, together with Finland, endeavoured to ensure that the very first United Nations resolution on mediation (resolution 65/283), of 2011, reflected the main elements of resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women and peace and security.

Since the adoption of the landmark resolution 1325 (2000), thanks to the efforts of the international community, including non-governmental organizations and women's organizations, progress has been made across a broad range of issues concerning the protection and promotion of women's and girl's rights in conflict-affected situations. However, as today's debate has shown, many obstacles remain.

Trinidad and Tobago remains committed to working with other Member States, as well as its partners at the regional, hemispheric and international levels, to provide an environment that promotes the involvement of women as equal partners in matters related to peace and security, including at all levels of decision-making processes.

Trinidad and Tobago is fully committed to the achievement of the goal of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Trinidad and Tobago agrees that the full, equal and effective participation of women is critical to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and related resolutions, as well as to the implementation of the future arms trade treaty.

Additionally, efforts have been undertaken during this session of the General Assembly to strengthen draft resolution A/C.1/67/L.35/Rev.1 on the subject of women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, which was first piloted by Trinidad and Tobago in the First Committee in 2010. The draft resolution was again adopted by consensus during this session of the First Committee, with a notable increase in sponsorship.

Women cannot play this positive role unless they are given responsibilities within the support structures for rebuilding the country. We are therefore welcome the participation of women in the facilitation and mediation processes for conflicts in countries such as the Central African Republic, Cyprus and Malawi.

The gaps in the implementation of peace agreements — which are undoubtedly complex — have led the United Nations and international human rights organizations to require the effective participation of civil society, in particular women's organizations. These organizations have, of course, an important role to play in the prevention and resolution of conflicts.