Implementation

In conclusion, allow me please to shortly brief the Council on the implementation of Slovenia's national action plan to implement the resolutions on women and peace and security adopted two years ago. Slovenia is preparing its first report in accordance with the action plan to review the progress on implementation since its adoption.

As the promotion of gender equality and women's rights in conflict and post-conflict situations has also been high on Slovenia's foreign policy agenda, we have strengthened efforts to promote women's rights in general and in specific country situations, especially in the framework of the United Nations Human Rights Council and its various mechanisms, including the universal periodic review.

Women particularly suffer during various crisis situations, not only during armed conflicts that are a threat to international peace and security. We welcome the use of background information provided by the Council on questions of violence against women by the General Assembly, the Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council and the Commission on the Status of Women within their mandates.

Women are not only victims of armed conflicts; they make a significant contribution to preventing and settling them. The direct involvement of women in conflict prevention and settlement is, in our view, an important precondition for overcoming violence against them.

We have attentively studied the report of the Secretary-General prepared for today's meeting (S/2012/732). With regard to its contents, collected on the basis of the first third of the assessment indicators for implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), we would like to underscore that the appropriateness and relevance of individual indicators, as well as their scope and application, still raise questions.

We believe that work on the indicators, which is now at the review stage, must be more transparent and open, that is to say, with the participation of all United Nations Member States. With regard to using the so-called national action plans on implementing resolution 1325 (2000) as a tool to assess a country's policy in improving the status of women, States in situations of armed conflict should prepare such plans on a voluntary basis.

Russia is convinced that there exists a significant and positive potential for women to participate in various aspects of armed conflict settlement and postconflict recovery. The Council and relevant agencies and mechanisms of the United Nations system must pay more attention to ways to involve women in such processes, as required under resolution 1325 (2000).

In conclusion, we would like to reiterate our belief that ensuring the rights of women and their protection in armed conflict will be possible only through the joint efforts of all interested parties, including civil society. The guideline for us all on this issue continues to be implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

We also welcome the fact that this year's annual report of the Secretary-General (S/2012/732) provides us with valuable information on the issue and updates us on the progress in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Against that backdrop, I would like to underscore the following four points with regard to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and women's participation in that regard.

Thirdly, my delegation would like to underline the crucial role played by women's civil society organizations in conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes. Their special expertise, skills and capacities have been critical to building confidence between parties and to integrating a gender perspective in transition structures.