Participation

The commemoration of the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) last year resulted in a number of renewed commitments and achievements on the part of Member States in implementing that resolution and others on women and peace and security.

Finally, Bosnia and Herzegovina firmly believes that there can be no lasting peace and security without the full participation of women in every aspect and at every stage of peacekeeping and peacebuilding, as well as in conflict-prevention activities. We therefore remain committed to expanding our support for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), other relevant resolutions, and future efforts of the Security Council on this issue.

We recognize that empowering women will lead to their taking command of resources and acquiring adequate leadership capabilities for the efficient management of those resources. Therefore, we emphasize the fulfilment of women's economic needs and the necessity of their engagement internationally at all levels and in all forms of decision-making.

In Bangladesh, through our experience of nation- building and women's empowerment, we have embraced that view and developed what our Prime Minister, Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, calls a peace model.

In Bangladesh, women occupy the top political leadership posts in the country. The Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees the equality of men and women within the broad framework of non-discrimination on the grounds of religion, race or gender. The Government has adopted a national policy for women's advancement and a national plan of action.

The topic of our debate is a very timely one. Today we should acknowledge the important contribution made by women in the Arab world to bring about political transformation, and the decisive role they have played and continue to play in the quest for democracy, transparent political systems, the rule of law and the promotion and protection of human rights.

Peace negotiations not only shape the post-conflict political landscape directly, through agreements on justice, power-sharing and constitutional issues, but also indirectly, by lending legitimacy to those represented at the peace table. A properly integrated role for women enhances the prospects of a durable and lasting peace.

It is not possible to create a legitimate and durable post-conflict political system that does not include the full and equal participation of women in decision-making. The role of women in economic development must be recognized in order to grow a post-conflict economy. Women, after all, are most likely to be providing direct support to children and extended kinship networks.

For example, FemLINKPacific leads a community and media policy network on women, peace and security in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. Through the production of a wide range of media initiatives, they are empowering women across the Pacific to engage with decision makers at all levels on issues that affect them.

We would also like to take this opportunity to express the importance of women's political participation in times of peace and conflict alike, and at all stages of peaceful settlements. We have experienced this first-hand in our region. Representatives of Armenian and Azerbaijani women's non-governmental organizations have discussed ways of finding peaceful solutions to the Nagorno Karabakh issue.