Participation

Unfortunately, peace processes and accords rarely include concrete provisions for promoting access to justice and women's representation in government bodies to enable inclusive access to power or prevent and punish sexual violence. This perpetuates the exclusion and vulnerable conditions in which half of the population lives and is an obstacle to peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

Mexico also believes it essential that we include the gender dimension in all phases of building our new societies, in particular in the electoral processes. This is important not just when votes are cast, but also during the process of electoral observation and in subsequent political representation.

It is evident, in reading the concept paper circulated by Guatemala (S/2012/774, annex), that the work of women's organizations is truly admirable, especially since they are often intentionally excluded from official processes and political dialogue and yet are able to move forward. We recognize the importance of the work of such non-governmental organizations from the very onset of these processes.

As a member of the Group of Friends of Mediation, my delegation welcomes in particular the inclusion of the gender dimension in the most recent report of the Secretary-General (A/66/811) on the strengthening of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution as well as in guidelines for effective mediation.

There is a self-evident interconnection. There can be no prevention of conflict without the participation of women, and no participation without effective protection of the rights and the physical and moral integrity of women. It is therefore necessary to make progress simultaneously on all these issues. It is also encouraging that a growing number of regional cooperation mechanisms and national action plans have been launched.

The regions most affected by conflicts are, alas, often also the regions in which the social and political situation of women is the least advantageous. For this reason, we must lay stress not only on women's training for political participation, but also on improving material conditions so that women can participate in elections, as well as on protecting women during electoral processes, including before and after the elections.

In this context, since 2010 Luxembourg has supported an important programme set up by the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

I also thank today's speakers for their enlightening briefings. While I fully align myself with the statement made by observer of the European Union, I would like to underline a few aspects that are of particular importance to us. The latest report of the Secretary-General (S/2012/732) shows the headway we have made over the past two years.

However, the overall result remains mixed. We can only share the Secretary-General's disappointment at the weak representation of women in peace talks, at the structural problems that limit women's participation in political life, and at the resurgence of violence against women.

“The future of men is women”, wrote Louis Aragon. I leave the poet's assertion to listeners' interpretation. In any case, the conviction that women have a specific role to play in the future of a world liberated from the scourge of war is gaining ground. It is up to us to seize this chance by continuing to support women and women's civil society organizations in their actions for peace.