Reconstruction and Peacebuilding

Italy recalls the Secretary-General's appeal to involve women's organizations from the early stages of conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts. That should become standard practice. Women leaders also have an important role to play in transitions, including in the drawdown of United Nations and international missions, when the previous gains in gender equality can be at risk.

In 2003, the Golda Meir Mount Carmel Training Center hosted an international conference for women leaders entitled “Women's Role in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding”. As a result of the conference, the Center initiated a series of seminars entitled “Women Building a New Reality”. Those seminars promote dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian women.

To make just a quick point in relation to civil society, the Secretary-General's report makes specific mention of one model for civil society engagement, namely, the election “situation room”. It was my privilege recently to co-host at the Irish Mission a panel discussion on the contribution made by the women's situation room to ensuring peace and stability during the Senegalese presidential elections held earlier this year. Ms.

The first point relates to transitions. The Secretary General's report of 2 October bluntly states that “considerable obstacles persist to women's participation and representation in public decision-making in relation to peace and transition processes” (S/2012/732, para. 65). Times of transition are absolutely critical; as a society is being reshaped, opportunities can be either seized or squandered.

In keeping with that message, Indonesia does not view women as merely passive victims of conflict situations. They are also agents and important contributors to the many dimensions of peacebuilding processes. Therefore, Indonesia is committed to implementing resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security and will work to ensure women's full participation at all levels in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

First, States should prepare a national action plan to ensure implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) as part of their national agenda, strategy and commitment. That should be accomplished through detailed national policies. Secondly, States must undertake bureaucratic reform, in particular security sector reform, to support the prevention and resolution of conflicts from the inter-faith and women's perspectives.

Resolution 1325 highlighted the impact of armed conflict on women and the need for effective institutional arrangements to guarantee their protection and full participation in peace processes. India has consistently held that greater participation of women in areas of conflict resolution, peace negotiations, peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction is the sine qua non for lasting peace and security.

call for enhanced participation, representation and involvement of women in prevention and resolution of armed conflict and in peacebuilding, as well as a stronger commitment to address challenges to such engagement of women at all levels.

We need to do more to help States develop constitutional reforms that include a gender-specific perspective and take into account issues related to gender-based violence. We must also support the security sector and institutions for the rule of law, both for professionals and for those who will be held accountable.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 5,000 women of all political tendencies, including from civil society, f looded Kinshasa's main commercial avenue a week ago to protest the fall of Goma to rebels from the Mouvement du 23 mars. That was the most massively organized non-violent protest in the country following the fall of that city. The women protesters were received by MONUSCO's senior management.