Participation

The Pacific is also committed to international efforts, and in this regard we welcome support for the Pacific SIDS candidate from the Solomon Islands for the Executive Board of UN-Women. We ask that the United Nations and donor partners continue to provide resources and support for our efforts to implement resolution 1325 (2000), particularly those aimed at enhancing women's participation in prevention and broader peacebuilding.

The Secretary-General's report provides examples of both real progress and the challenges ahead of us. We welcome the initiative of DPKO and DPA to include gender components, advisors, or focal points in all field missions on this issue.

Over the past several years, the United Nations and its member states have taken important steps to increase women's participation in issues related to peace and security. We established UN Women and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Sexual Violence in Conflict. Through this Council's work, we defined what we expect of parties to conflict with respect to the protection of women.

More can be done to ensure that personnel of UN missions are adequately prepared to implement resolution 1325 and supported in their efforts. Both pre-deployment training and mission-wide strategies on the protection of civilians, including the needs of vulnerable groups such as women and girls, need to be improved.

In the Prevention Pillar, the U.S. has developed multiple programs that seek to address the root causes of conflict, including a $26 million annual Reconciliation Program that supports innovative programming in conflict-affected countries and includes gender analysis. In the Relief and Recovery Pillar, the U.S. has provided significant funding to improve water and sanitation in situations in which women's safety and security are at risk.

In the Participation Pillar, the U.S. supported Afghan women's inclusion in the High Peace Council and in follow-on shuras and negotiations, in the reintegration and reconciliation process at the local level. We've also awarded $16.9 million in direct grants to Afghan women-focused NGOs. In the Protection Pillar, the U.S.

Though we support the comprehensive PRST that will be adopted in this debate. I regret that because of the opposition of some, we were unable to unreservedly welcome the Secretary-General's report. The United Kingdom does whole-heartedly welcome that report. Women have a central role in building stability in countries at risk from conflict.

The United Kingdom believes that women's inclusion in political settlements and peace processes, the protection of women and girls in situations of armed violence, and women's access to security and justice, are essential building blocks for more peaceful and stable societies.

The Arab Spring has shown that the threats to security and to women and girls in particular are changing constantly. In our work on Women, Peace and Security we must be flexible enough to respond to new threats and challenges as they emerge. There are sweeping and positive social and economic trends at work. This Council needs to show that we are responsive to these trends.