Implementation

My country aligns itself with and supports the proposal to establish an appropriate monitoring mechanism within the Security Council on the problem of sexual violence in conflict.

Protecting and promoting the rights of the Afghan people has been the cornerstone of all our efforts to build a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. Central to those efforts is enabling women to regain their historical role as proactive citizens in Afghan society. Afghanistan is pursuing the vigorous implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) through our national priority programme.

Afghanistan is fully committed to preventing all forms of violence against women, including sexual violence. In that regard, in 2009, we enacted a law on the elimination of violence against women, which provided for stronger judicial means to combat violence. Throughout the country, perpetrators of such crimes are increasingly being held accountable where such crimes are committed, with their cases being prosecuted before the law.

The falling number of casualties can be attributed in part to the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme, which continues its roll-out, and to the significant role of the High Peace Council. By late December 2012, more than 6,000 combatants had joined the programme with the aim of laying down their arms and joining the Afghan National Army.

Third, more military police and civilian personnel should receive relevant guidance and training before arriving at theatres. The Secretariat has made strides in developing standards, training materials, specialized guidance and policies on issues ranging from the protection of civilians to gender and health. Those resources must be put to good use.

Seventh, the special representatives of the Secretary-General should promote multidisciplinary cooperation, not only within the United Nations system but also among multilateral and bilateral assistance providers. We hope she — and I say “she” deliberately — will foster information-sharing among those actors and help forge a division of labour that builds on their comparative strengths.

My delegation also welcomes the reiteration in the resolution of the importance of the gender dimension in peacekeeping, in particular with regard to promoting the participation of women in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. We highly appreciate the Secretary-General's call for stronger action to meet the challenges to integrating women at all levels and within the United Nations structure itself.

For its part, in September 2012 Thailand established a subcommittee on women and the promotion of peace and security under the National Committee on the Policy and Strategy for the Advancement of Women. Thailand has always attached great importance to supporting the role and impact of women peacekeepers in the field.

In addition to police and military personnel, missions also require stronger civilian capabilities. We fully support the Secretary-General's initiative to respond to the increasing demands for civilian personnel. In this context, the creation of CAPMATCH was a very important step forward.

The contribution of women in peacekeeping operations requires special acknowledgement. Often, women in peacekeeping missions serve as a source of inspiration to women and girls in conflict-ridden parts of the world. On its part, Namibia has heeded the Secretary-General's call by nominating women to serve in various United Nations peacekeeping missions.