Participation

We fully support the mainstreaming of the gender perspective in peacekeeping operations and believe that the appointment of gender advisers in the field and at Headquarters has served a useful purpose. We are supportive of all steps that increase the participation of women in peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities.

The gender perspective in peacekeeping must be dovetailed with a comprehensive peacebuilding endeavour, factoring in particular requirements of women in post-conflict zone. For long-term peace, economic recovery and social cohesion, women's access to health, education and entrepreneurship is essential.

Resolution 1325 (2000), in addition to other issues, also underscored the desirability of expanding the role and contribution of women in United Nations field-based operations. The Secretary-General has observed in his report that significant progress in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) has been made in the peacekeeping arena. However, more needs to be done.

We must get better at explaining that 1325 is not about political correctness. Better protection and more equal participation of women in social, economic and political life - including in peace processes and security services - improves the quality of the process and the service, making the results more sustainable. We simply can't afford to ignore half of society's talent and capacity.

Ten years after the adoption of 1325 - at the NATO Ministerial Council meeting earlier this month - I called for including 1325 in NATO's concept of operation. We obviously have a job to do, to make the military men take this seriously. As Minister of Defence, I note that all of the UN force commanders are men. It is high time to rectify this.

For Norway's own sake, beyond what we have already done, I hereby announce that we immediately take on the following commitments:

1. We continue to increase the number of female Norwegian soldiers and officers, both in our standing military forces and our contributions to international operations. The next two commanders of Norway's national command in Afghanistan will be women.

5. And finally, we also act urgently to boost the work ofUN Women - and will support their new and welcome strategic partnership with the Department of Political Affairs specifically the project to increase women's participation in peace processes and improve the gender balance at all levels of mediation. The Norwegian government will immediately provide one million US dollars to this project.

2. Recognizing that we also have a way to go, I will now make sure our military operations rest on a gender analysis and adjust our operational demands accordingly. We will strengthen gender education of our armed forces and our police. And we will introduce a new system of reporting on gender and the role of women in field missions, starting in December with the Norwegian led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Maymaneh in Afghanistan.

Nowhere is this failure more pronounced than in many of our decision-making structures, which underrepresent women in conflict prevention and peacemaking processes. Not only do we lose out on the unique contribution that women can make to peace and stability, but we also render ourselves complicit in their marginalization.

It is a well-known fact that women rarely initiate violent conflicts, yet they suffer its worst consequences on multiple fronts: physically, psychologically, economically, socially and politically. Too often, women fall victim to predatory warlords, who systematically use rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war. Their suffering is compounded by their exclusion from key decision-making processes that might lead to peace and stability.