Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform

Beyond simply being a just democratic principle, there are many tangible reasons for that. It builds trust in post-conflict justice institutions, and UN Women's research shows that women are more likely to report sexual and gender-based crimes to transitional justice institutions that involve women judges and officials.

We encourage the Security Council to remain committed to the full agenda of resolution 1325 (2000), including the meaningful participation of women in all peace negotiations, security sector reform and decision-making related to conflict resolution and post- conflict rebuilding. We call upon the Security Council to more systematically implement the women and peace and security agenda.

Thirdly, we support legal systems based on equality. We need a gender-sensitive approach to the rule of law and transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict situations. Women and girls should have equal access to fair and transparent justice services and they should be able to influence justice policies and institutions in their country.

As the focus of today's debate is on the importance of the rule of law and justice, let me highlight an example. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, my Government is helping to establish a gender-sensitive judicial system, including by training women to become lawyers themselves.

The overall responsibility for ensuring the rule of law and equality before the law rests with nations, but the role of international law in setting standards and ensuring accountability is also very important. Real gains have been made in developing the international legal frameworks and institutions to secure accountability and justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

NATO's overall purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of all its members by political and military means. The Alliance is not defined by the threats we face, rather it is defined by the values we share. We are united by the principles of individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

NATO is exploring how we, as a politico-military regional organization, can best, within our role and responsibilities, prepare and assist in supporting the rule of law and gender equality through our activities. For example, under ISAF, we have been running a Rule of Law Field Support Mission to support and enable Afghan officials and international organizations in their rule of law efforts.

NATO fully recognizes the need to ensure access to justice for all, and we recognize the challenges that occur when the rule of law breaks down in a conflict situation and when there is no equality before the law.

In September, all NATO allies fully subscribed to the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. It is highlighted, both in that Declaration and in resolution 2106 (2013), that the collection of data and the documentation of sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflict can be instrumental in bringing perpetrators to justice and in ensuring justice for survivors.

We recognize the important role of non-governmental organizations such as Justice Rapid Response in training Member State officials as investigators of gender-based violence and rapidly deploying them to conflict areas. Namibia will continue to support such initiatives, as they can go a long way in assisting the international community in investigating such horrible crimes, which specifically target women and children.