Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform

Thirteen years after the adoption of the historic resolution 1325 (2000), the culmination of a long process concerning women and international peace and security, the Security Council is still considering the issue. Our debates, however, reveal shortcomings in the area of the rights of women, which are being terribly violated, particularly in the Arab world.

The State of Qatar understands the importance of the rule of law and of strengthening women's participation and promoting women's and girls' rights in post-conflict reconstruction and conflict resolution. Their participation should be strengthened in order to enable them to function in the political arena, particularly through a collection of initiatives enabling their comprehensive inclusion.

It is our firm belief that only through the systematic and active participation of women in peace processes can transitional justice truly assume a national dimension and lay the foundations for rebuilding the rule of law and reconciliation. We have been witnessing the very important role women can plan in reconciliation processes when they are included from the outset.

It is increasingly evident that the rule of law is all too often the second victim of conflict, the first victims being women and girls. Portugal reaffirms the view that women and girls are disproportionately affected by armed conflicts and remain particularly vulnerable in post-conflict situations.

"The rule of law is one of the key elements in the promotion of the agenda on women and peace and security. Gender-responsive transitional justice and reform of the justice and security sectors are prerequisites for promoting and protecting women's rights in conflict and post-conflict situations. The rule of law and transitional justice should continue to be developed so as to protect the rights of women in such situations.

To take just one example: the OSCE promotes gender balance in its work with judicial personnel because we believe that diversity has a positive impact on women's access to justice and the perceived legitimacy of the judiciary.

It is essential for Member States to adopt and implement comprehensive legislation on violence against women as a concrete step to increase women's access to justice. Special courts designed to reduce delays in rendering justice should be established where necessary to facilitate access to justice for victims.

New Zealand's experience, in its own region and beyond is that credible, informal and tradition-based justice systems have a demonstrated role in establishing accountability. In post-conflict societies, it is often informal justice mechanisms that are the most accessible for justice, mediation and conflict resolution.

In June, when the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Mary Robinson, made her first statement to the United Nations family in her new role, she spoke of women not as victims but as stakeholders. She questioned the sustainability of any peace that half the population has had no role in building and she called for women to be put at the core of peacebuilding. New Zealand agrees.

Hard tools, such as sanctions regimes that target perpetrators of sexual violence and appropriately mandated and trained peacekeeping missions, are effective instruments for the protection agenda, but the participation dimension of the women and peace and security agenda still requires targeted action by the Council. Indeed, the Council's role in addressing women's political participation in the peace and security agenda remains a challenge.