Participation

In the spirit of advancing the dual agenda of the attainment of international peace and security and the empowerment of women, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago announced during the general debate of the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly (20th plenary meeting) our intention to introduce in the First Committee at the present session a draft resolution on women, disarmament, nonproliferation and arms control.

You are perhaps surprised, Sir, that I am wearing a scarf today. As chair of the Burundi configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, I travelled to Bujumbura a few weeks ago, and I had the opportunity to meet with women's organizations there. During the elections, they had decided to wear a white shawl like this in public to show their desire for peace.

We welcome the efforts ofthe senior Police Adviser of the DPKO, including her struggle to increase the number of female police officers in peace keeping operations since this also responds to operational needs on the ground. Sweden is committed to continuing to sustain at least the same proportion of female police officers in peace keeping operations as in the National Police Service.

The Secretary General's report shows once again, that enhancing women's participation is an efficient method to achieve security and development for local communities as a whole. Given the importance ofhaving women in leading positions we would strongly encourage the appointment of more female Special Representatives and deputies of missions. We welcome the targeted efforts to train and deploy more female mediators.

When considering the status of women, we are able to say proudly that the Sudan has deep-rooted pioneering experience in this field, as Sudanese women have always been genuine partners in the political and decision-making structures of our country since their participation in the election of the first Sudanese parliament in 1954 on the eve of our declaration of independence.

It is also worth noting that preparatory work for the open day included workshops attended by women in several parts of the Sudan, including Khartoum and Juba, the capital of the southern province, the Warab province in the south and the provinces of East and Central Equatoria, as well as the three provinces of Darfur.

We believe that the proliferation of small arms increases the risk of interpersonal violence, including domestic and societal violence, which often continue after conflicts. Hence, curbing the spread of small arms would be a step in the right direction in minimizing gender based violence.

My delegation believes that the full participation of women in the prevention and resolution of conflict has become a critical element in adequately addressing such tragedies. Placing women in leadership positions, at senior levels, as decision makers in peace consolidation processes, in public life and in transitional Governments could provide space for gender perspectives in order to resolve conflict and achieve stability.

In Africa, the African Union and subregional organizations, as well as civil society, play a pivotal and strategic role in the prevention and resolution of conflict. Women are always ready to play a role in conflict resolution initiatives, such as the promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law, both of which are vital to peace, security, stability and prosperity.

I am pleased to say that Solomon Islands has not shied away from looking at the issue of gender representation in our national Parliament. An ambitious plan for temporary measures to advance women's participation was launched last year. However, it did not receive enough support and needed more consultation. We hope that it will receive attention over time.