Implementation

We thank the Secretary-General for his report (A/66/811) on strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution and its annex I, entitled “Guidance for Effective Mediation”. Both the report and the Guidance highlight the importance of the role of women.

The Nordic countries work with numerous civil society organizations from many different countries and we plan to do so in the future. The implementation and review of our own national action plans has greatly benefitted from our close cooperation with civil society.

The Nordic countries support civil society, in particular women's organizations that tirelessly work to prevent and solve conflicts, build peace and stability and defend human rights, while often putting themselves at great personal risk in difficult conditions. Their work contributes to more sustainable and legitimate peace. They deserve our full political and financial support, as well as physical protection.

The incorporation of a gender perspective in peace and security efforts is not only necessary, but effective and strategically opportune. Not only women, but whole families and communities will benefit; as will national institutions, the overall security situation and the rule of law, which is strengthened through, for example, measures to address impunity for human rights violations, including sexual violence.

That of course requires everyone to do their part. As committed Member States, we commit to supporting women's active participation and to fostering a gender perspective in all our peace and security efforts. That includes promoting women's inclusion in peace processes and ensuring that personnel and troops are adequately trained to take women's rights and perspectives fully into account.

Let me finish by commending UN-Women for its crucial work in leading and coordinating the United Nations system work on women and peace and security. We commend the work of the former Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Margot Wallström. We also welcome the appointment of her successor, Ms.

My Government has also established a number of specialized units at the national and provincial levels to coordinate women's activities in the areas of peace and development and to provide guidance to women on gender equality.

My country adopted the rural development plan for women, which is an integrated project focusing on the States of the Sudan, in particular Darfur state. The plan covers issues and concerns of rural women and funds microprojects to alleviate poverty, to promote training and to further raise awareness of women's health and nutrition, human rights and peacebuilding. Thirty per cent of the national budget has been earmarked for microprojects.

Mindful of the need to strengthen the role of women in society, in 2007 my Government adopted a national strategy for the empowerment of women, which focused on six main pillars: health, the environment, education, economic development, women's active participation in decision-making, conflict settlement and peacemaking, and the protection of their rights.

In concluding, we hope that the deliberations of the Council on this important matter will lead to the development of an integrated approach to addressing the issue of women and peace and security. After all, women constitute half of society, if not, in a certain way, all of it.