Participation

The Commission on the Status of Women, too, has contributed to advancing global policy on women, peace and security. At its forty-eighth session in 2004, the Commission considered women's equal participation in conflict prevention, management and resolution and in post-conflict peacebuilding.

In 2008, the Commission evaluated progress in the implementation of the 2004 agreed conclusions through an interactive dialogue. Many participants reported on initiatives to address sexual violence in armed conflict and to increase the participation of women in peacekeeping and security forces.

Secondly, the protection of civilians is a shared responsibility. Humanitarian workers and peacekeepers have distinct roles and responsibilities, but these need to be brought together in a coherent and strategic way.

The vulnerable situation of civilians in postconflict societies needs special attention. For peace to be sustained, civilian victims must be rehabilitated and reintegrated into their communities more effectively, and the perpetrators must bear the resultant cost. The presence of uniformed female personnel may play a pivotal role in protecting civilians in armed conflict.

Women, being not merely victims, but rather agents of change, should be able to involve themselves more in peace talks to better reflect their priorities in the text of peace agreements.

We particularly commend the adoption early this year of the three-year Joint Strategy on Gender and Mediation initiated by the Department of Political Affairs and UNIFEM, and the proposed seven-point action plan, which contains actions needed to enhance women's participation in peacebuilding — a fundamental factor to prevent war and empower women.

My delegation is of the view that much more remains to be done to better protect women and girls from all forms of violence in conflict and post-conflict situations, further empower them and increase their participation in all stages of peace processes.

Most visible at the international level is the better coordinated work within the United Nations system — particularly among the Special Adviser on GenderIssues, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Development Programme and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affa

The intrinsic complementarity that exists between participation and protection is probably the main concept at the heart of resolution 1325 (2000), on which so much has been built and developed. It is therefore crucial to continue to promote greater participation by women in the various forums and areas linked to peace processes. In that regard, I should like to conclude by making special mention of the appointment of Ms.

I should like to underscore a number of points that we believe are worthy of further efforts, such as the need to pay greater attention to the reintegration of victims whose rights have been seriously violated, in particular in cases of sexual abuse or exploitation; the need to continue fighting against impunity for those responsible for such violations; and the need to take better into account the economic and social dimensions of women's par