Participation

This meeting marks an important milestone — the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). My delegation praises the valiant efforts of the countless people who have worked tirelessly to put women at the centre of global efforts for peace, not only in responding to their needs as victims, but — equally importantly — in drawing on women's talents as peacemakers.

In recognition of the meaningful participation of women at all stages of the peace process, including disarmament, and in the integration of a gender perspective, we note the recent introduction of a draft resolution in the First Committee (A/C.1/65/L.39), spearheaded by our sister Caribbean Community country of Trinidad and Tobago, on women, disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation, and we welcome this as another important step in the

Over the past decade, progress in the implementation has been slow and uneven. The resolution's real impact remains to be felt on the ground in many areas. All too often women do not make it to the tables where decisions are taken in peace processes or post-conflict reconstruction that have a direct impact on their lives. There are no issues that are not also women's issues.

Austria commits to contextualize education, and pre-deployment training of its armed forces personnel in order to address specific operational realities in regions of deployment, including the impact of conflict on gender relations and the role and participation of women (on the basis of relevant UN Guidelines).

Australia remains committed to ensuring the protection and empowerment of women in conflict situations and has been a supporter of resolution 1325 since its adoption in 2000. Women are particularly vulnerable to the effects of conflict, but can be powerful in ending it. Durable peace requires the specific needs of women and girls to be addressed. Women must be recognised as powerful agents of peace.

Armenia takes note of some positive developments. During the past decade, the Security Council has put in place a normative framework for women's participation in peace processes, the elimination of sexual violence in armed conflict, the protection and promotion of women's human rights, and the mainstreaming of gender equality and perspectives in the context of armed conflict, peacebuilding and reconstruction.

Despite the progress, however, much still needs to be addressed and accomplished, as the female voice is not always heard. In that regard, the most important item on the agenda is to increase the presence of women in decision-making processes. Women remain largely excluded, especially from efforts to find workable solutions to conflicts. We should further promote their participation.

As noted by the Secretary-General earlier this year, many peace processes now regularly include consultations with women's peace groups. In many post-conflict countries, the number of women in Government has increased dramatically, and they have used their public decision-making roles to advance women's rights.

In that connection we wish to highlight the policies carried out by our Government in the defence sector. In recent years the Ministry of Defence — under the leadership of a woman, Dr. Nilda Garré — has undertaken a profound process of mainstreaming a gender perspective.

Resolution 1325 (2000), then, reaffirms the important role that women play in the prevention and solution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, underscoring the importance of women's participating on equal footing with men and of their full participation in all initiatives aimed at maintaining and fostering peace and security.