Implementation

Liberia continues to make progress in its efforts to involve women at decision-making levels in all areas of national governance. At critical junctures in Liberia's history, its women have demonstrated the ability to lead. Liberia holds the distinct honour of being the birthplace and home of the first woman and the first African to be appointed President of the General Assembly at its twenty-fourth session in 1970.

Already one year has passed since we commemorated the tenth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) with many activities, including a similar debate in this very Council (S/PV.6411); a plethora of commitments by Member States to translate the major tenets of that resolution into smart national action plans; the adoption of initial indicators to measure progress; and a request that the Secretary-General develop a strategic framework to guide the

Partnerships with male community leaders and opinion-shapers could also play an important role in raising awareness of the benefits of women's participation and could help to implement gender related programming at the local level.

More than a decade has passed since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). Throughout that period, the United Nations system, regional organizations, Member States and civil society have made significant efforts to adapt the resolution to local settings through a wide spectrum of measures and initiatives.

International, regional and national actors should therefore spare no efforts to engage women and to ensure the inclusion of gender expertise in peace efforts. It is also essential that regular consultations between special envoys and mediators and women's civil society groups become standard operating procedure.

Finally, it is our collective and individual responsibility as Member States to adopt a determined and consistent approach that will lead to positive and concrete results in the lives of women in conflict and post-conflict situations. The framework and the tools are at hand; let us back them with the necessary political will.

Despite important national, regional and international efforts, however, the conditions that women and girls still face in situations of armed conflict continue to be abhorrent. The benefits of resolution 1325 (2000) have yet to reach most women in conflict and in fragile settings. In that regard, allow me to make the following comments. First, we view the prevention of conflict as a crucial element of resolution 1325 (2000).

Preventive actions in post-conflict countries, including comprehensive reform of judicial and law enforcement systems, are important as the only way to ensure the rule of law and better protection of the rights of women, particularly in protecting them from violence and increasing their participation in the law enforcement sector. My country believes that positive experience in that area must be mainstreamed and disseminated.

Kyrgyzstan welcomes the report of the Secretary-General (S/2011/598*) and his recommendations, including the strategic framework to clearly guide actions to implement resolution 1325 (2000) at the national, regional and global levels in the next 10 years.

Kyrgyzstan has made significant headway over the past two years in promoting the participation of women in the country's political life, conducting democratic reforms and peace-based initiatives. The 2010 national referendum resulted in the election of the first female president in Central Asia. Today, women occupy nearly one-third of the parliamentary seats.