Reconstruction and Peacebuilding

I also thank today's speakers for their enlightening briefings. While I fully align myself with the statement made by observer of the European Union, I would like to underline a few aspects that are of particular importance to us. The latest report of the Secretary-General (S/2012/732) shows the headway we have made over the past two years.

When sexual violence is not addressed in the early stages of mediation, such as in ceasefire agreements, it usually remains
ignored throughout the whole peace process. We therefore call on the Security Council and all relevant actors to increase
efforts to promote women's participation in peace negotiations and mediation and to meet the specific concerns of

We fully agree with the statement made by Ms. Bachelet in the Security Council in April (see S/PV.6759) that we should build on women's role as agents of conflict resolution and sustained recovery, without focusing exclusively on the way conflict victimizes women. The role of women is important in the whole crisis cycle, from the prevention and resolution of conflict to peacebuilding, post-conflict reconciliation and reintegration.

The international community's involvement in scaling up women's community initiatives and improving their access to national and international dialogue and mediation processes is of particular relevance. The Security Council recognized as much in its presidential statement on this topic last year (S/PRST/2011/20).

Moreover, the United Nations itself should live up to its own standards by ensuring women's adequate representation in peacekeeping operations at different levels and by improving training on gender- specific issues for military and police in peacekeeping missions.

My country is of the conviction that gender mainstreaming is an absolute necessity and a prerequisite for ensuring a place for women on the peace and security agenda. Gender mainstreaming should be an inalienable component of peacekeeping and peacebuilding, and not an add-on or secondary concern. We have seen a positive trend of women themselves being the driving

In designing peacebuilding strategies, we need to be more sensitive and take into consideration the knowledge and insights of local women at the grass- roots level. It is also important to gather information about the incidence of sexual violence, insecurity and human rights violations as perceived by women, and for women to be represented at all levels.

I thank you, Sir, for having convened this open debate on women and peace and security, which enables the Security Council to focus on the paramount role of women and their civil society organizations in contributing to the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts, as well as to peacebuilding.

Relief and recovery initiatives for women in conflict or post-conflict situations are also key when conflict prevention efforts unfortunately fail. As an example, in close collaboration and consultation with a wide range of women's civil society organizations in the Sudan, Japan supported finding employment for women in poverty, including widows, women in rural places and women with disabilities.

As to refugees and persons displaced as a result of conflicts, Japan supported the efforts to prevent sexual violence in Ivorian refugee camps located in Liberia by providing lighting and electricity in common areas of the camps, as well as vocational training that included awareness-raising activities.