Implementation

While much has indeed been accomplished, a great deal remains to be done to obtain real results for women on the ground. To that end, it is of vital importance for all United Nations stakeholders, and especially the Security Council, to continue to use appropriate tools at their disposal for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

We believe that the Security Council, UN Women and the Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict will ensure that the United Nations works in a concerted and coordinated manner that will strengthen the capacity of the United Nations system to match its commitment to gender equality with the leadership, resources and expertise needed to advance achievements on the ground.

We also emphasize that Bosnia and Herzegovina fully supports the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), the provisions of which have been incorporated into the Bosnia and Herzegovina gender action plan and the action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

We affirm our commitment to the rule of law as an imperative for political dialogue and cooperation. In that regard, with the aim of improving the overall situation of women victims of rape, we are making efforts to finalize the drafting of a programme for victims of rape, sexual abuse and torture in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the period 2013-2016.

Increasing the number of women in peacekeeping missions and introducing gender perspectives into the training of participants in peace missions are further priorities for us. We are also making additional efforts to strengthen capacities in fighting trafficking, decreasing the danger of mined areas, improving support networks for women and girls who were victimized during the war, and increasing the knowledge and capacities of civil society.

My delegation thanks the Secretary-General and the Executive Director of UN Women, Ms. Mlambo- Ngcuka; the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, Ms. Balipou; and Ms. Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, for their contributions to this debate.

We believe that a thorough investigation of all acts of sexual violence and the immediate punishment of perpetrators are crucial in combatting this scourge. That violence can be eliminated only through coherent collective efforts by the international community — Member States, international organizations and civil society.

We are grateful to the Secretary-General and his Special Representative on Sexual Violence for their personal commitment and leadership in the fight against violence against women. We also believe that UN Women and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights should play an important role in combating violence against women and protecting women's rights.

Governments bear the primary responsibility for the protection of civilians and for ensuring accountability for conflict-related criminal offenses.

We call on the Security Council to make the best use of the time frame leading up to the high- level review of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in 2015 and to mainstream measures to enhance women's participation in its work, including in the mandates of peacekeeping and political missions. Our immediate concern must be to increase the number of women in police and military contingents in United Nations peacekeeping operations.