Participation

We have established under this Action Plan five main strategic objectives, translated into thirty specific objectives, for which implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are identified and developed. These are:To increase women's participation and mainstream gender equality in all phases of peace building processes and at all levels of decision-making;

To promote and protect women's human rights in conflict areas and post-conflict scenarios, having in consideration the need to: .
Prevent and eliminate all gender-based violence perpetrated against women and girls; Promote· the empowerment of women, both political and economic, and their participation in all post-conflict activities;

Portugal believes that important progress has been accomplished in the implementation of 1325 and the other important resolutions that have followed. However, we all recognize that significant challenges still remain. On the one hand, women are still underrepresented at all levels of peacekeeping and peace building efforts and they are poorly represented in formal peace negotiations.

It is our understanding that women are indispensable actors of change and ·development. Therefore, it is fundamental to overcome the traditional perspective of these actors as mere vulnerable victims in need of protection and to implement measures that guarantee that their perspective is taken into all stages of peace building processes by the international and local actors involved.

In this context, we should seize this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring
women's effective participation in peace and security and to translate this commitment into
enhanced action. This open debate of the Security Council and the many side- events that are taking
place this week are an excellent opportunity to review the progress achieved in the implementation

The Philippines attaches great importance to the integration of gender equality perspectives in peace and security issues. This is demonstrated by the fact that five years before the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the Philippines had already established the Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive Development, 1995-2025, a 30-year plan that gives due recognition to the important role of women in peacebuilding efforts and initiatives.

Significant steps have been taken by my country to enhance the participation of women in peacekeeping operations, and we are determined to pursue policies and programmes that would help ensure full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the international arena.

Notwithstanding the advances made in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), challenges and obstacles remain.

I am pleased to say that this year, on 25 March 2010, the Philippines became the first Asian country to adopt a national action plan on women and peace and security, implementing Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008). Our plan envisions enhancing and strengthening women's role in peacebuilding processes.

We have made progress in recognizing the importance of the participation of women in peace and security. However, there are many challenges that we have yet to tackle, given that this is a matter of changing the lives of women and girls, who have the right to live free from fear and violence, enjoying respect and equal opportunities.