Implementation

We welcome the Secretary-General's conclusions in his recent report (S/2011/598*) that the indicators proposed last year (S/2010/498), which were endorsed by the Council in its presidential statement of 26 October 2010 (S/PRST/2010/22), had made a major contribution to consistency and coherence in international efforts.

We commend you, Madam President, on your concept note (S/2011/654, annex) focusing on the role of women in conflict prevention and mediation.

Luxembourg continues to place great importance on the plight of women in crisis situations and on mainstreaming the gender dimension into the work of international and regional organizations in that respect.

Allow me, in my capacity as Chair of the Guinea configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, to highlight the role that Guinean women must play in the establishment of democracy in Guinea, and specifically in national reconciliation efforts in their country, which was wounded by decades of authoritarian rule and military dictatorship.

We thank the Secretary-General and Under- Secretary-General Michelle Bachelet for their briefings on the efforts undertaken by the United Nations system over the past year to implement the women and peace and security agenda.

With respect to national action plans, we note with interest the references in the Secretary-General's report to the practices in some countries of providing for the production of shadow reports of civil society organizations as part of their monitoring mechanisms. Following the adoption of its national action plan, Lithuania intends to apply for membership in the Group of Friends of resolution 1325 (2000).

The improvement of the status of women, in particular in countries with identified patterns of conflictrelated sexual violence, starts with addressing the very basic issues involved in enabling women to live a more decent life.

Successive chairmanships of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), including that of Lithuania, have sought to include gender issues within the scope of OSCE activities related to peace and security. Ministerial Council Decision 14/05 builds in part on resolution 1325 (2000) and calls for engaging women in conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation.

Lithuania attaches particular importance to conflict prevention. We support the first General Assembly resolution on strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes (resolution65/283), which, inter alia, advocates the enhanced role of women in peace mediation.

Last June, women leaders from all parts of the world — Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral Wallström among them — met in Vilnius at a conference entitled “Women Enhancing Democracy: Best Practices” under the Lithuanian presidency of the Community of Democracies, and shared their experiences and best practices in enhancing the role of women.