Participation

As we know, the needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations are unique and, sadly, often overlooked. Today's adoption of resolution 1889 (2009) is a response to a significant body of research findings that reinforce what we have always known — achieving durable peace, recovery and development in post-conflict countries requires the meaningful participation of women in all aspects and at all levels of peace processes.

Thus, ceasefire and peace agreements, as well as disarmament, demobilization and reinsertion programmes, must fully incorporate the specific needs of women and girls. Who better than women themselves to plead this cause? We must therefore guarantee their effective participation in all stages of the peace process.

The emergence of extremist groups in a number of areas and the adoption of legislation legitimizing discriminatory practices restrict women's full enjoyment of their rights. Refugee camps and camps for internally displaced persons, where they exist, sometimes become zones of insecurity for women, instead of serving as the islands of relative tranquility they are supposed to be.

Peacebuilding is first and foremost a responsibility and a challenge that fall to States. In countries emerging from conflict situations, priorities are numerous and all are urgent. In such a context, the situation of women and girls must be an absolute priority.

As to the specific issue of sexual violence, my delegation welcomes the recent adoptions of resolutions 1882 (2009) and 1888 (2009), which provide for the strengthened implementation of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008).

We welcome the considerable progress that has been made in strengthening the protection pillar of resolution 1325 (2000) with the adoption of resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) on sexual violence, as well as resolution 1882 (2009) on children and armed conflict. Let me express our hope for a quick appointment of the special representative requested in resolution 1888 (2009).

Austria will continue to advocate for an increase in the number of women appointed to senior United Nations positions both at Headquarters and, in particular, in field missions. We highly welcome the efforts of the Secretary-General in this regard. Having three female special representatives and six deputy special representatives serving in missions in various conflict areas is already a major step ahead.

The role of troop-contributing countries in that task is very important; in conjunction with the various United Nations programmes and agencies, those countries are in a position to advance joint initiatives to improve the lives of the women in missions in which they participate.

The participation of women in post-conflict peacebuilding processes can be analyzed from the standpoint both of the United Nations system and of the State. In the first case, it is essential to address the issue of gender from the planning stage of activities in the field and to sustain it in all phases of reconstruction and peacebuilding.

From the viewpoint of the State, it is important that the role of women in post-conflict reconstruction activities be incorporated into national implementation plans for resolution 1325 (2000). That involves not only the deployment of a larger number of women in the field, but also acknowledgement of the effective role that women can perform in all stages of that process, including as mediators in peace processes.