Implementation

In addition, peacekeeping forces have implemented training programmes for police to investigate crimes of sexual violence and other crimes and have contributed to building domestic institutional capacity.

As our colleague from Namibia said, in all phases of conflict, before, during or after, the position of women deserves specific attention. Women are crucial to the prevention of conflicts, to protection during conflicts and to reconciliation after conflicts. Therefore my Government has worked closely with UN-Women in recent months so as to have a group of Syrian women invited to Geneva and to New York.

The role of women in conflict prevention and post-conflict peacebuilding is of great importance. Therefore, Namibia fully supports the inclusion of women in security systems such as the armed forces, the police and peacekeeping operations and special political missions in support of various United Nations resolutions that recognize that important role.

At the international level, the United Nations is promoting similar objectives through a wide range of instruments available to it in dealing with the aftermath of conflict. Those include support for transitional justice and the rule of law, for political dialogue and mediation, for truth-telling processes, for reparations, for institutional reform, and for the role of women in the renewal and rebuilding of societies emerging from conflict.

Furthermore, the role of civil society organizations in identifying early signs of violence and the capacity of such organizations to provide warning of dangerous situations to national and international authorities are crucial. We emphasize in particular the contribution and role that women must play in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding.

We value the efforts of UN WOMEN and the United Nations Development Programme and their initiatives to improve women's access to justice during and after conflicts, as reflected in the report before us today. We also value the critical role of civil society, particularly that of local women's groups that assist victims in various aspects of recovery, from health services to access to justice.

We welcome the adoption of resolution 2122 (2013) today, which joins other efforts of the Security Council to carry out a systematic follow up to the implementation of the women, peace and security agenda and to move towards the full participation of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

This plan is backed by leaders across the U.S. government. President Obama is personally determined to change the DNA of the U.S. government so that this inexorable link between women's inclusion and lasting peace is a premise or an axiom brought to every policy discussion.

Clearly, the involvement of women in peace and security is a goal that must be approached from many directions simultaneously. And that's why the United States encourages every country to develop an action plan.

"Because of UN Women and its partners, numerous productive initiatives are underway. These range from peace building efforts by women in Mali to new legal protection measures in Colombia to smoother access to justice in Haiti to the enhanced role for women in the police of Zimbabwe.