Implementation

With respect to combating sexual violence, France supports the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and calls for accelerated appointment of women's protection advisers in peacekeeping missions. We look forward to specific proposals in the next report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 1820 (2008), which is due in December.

The fight against impunity is integral to our approach. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, following the mass rapes that took place in Walikale last summer, we call upon the Council to remain vigilant in monitoring compliance with the recommendations set out its presidential statement of 17 September (S/PRST/2010/17) with a view to punishing the perpetrators and to preventing such horrors from happening again.

In more general terms, France will continue its efforts to integrate into peacekeeping operations the approach recommended in resolution 1325 (2000) and to convince parties to conflict themselves to do the same in their peace processes.

In closing, I commend the establishment of UN Women and the appointment of Ms. Bachelet as its Executive Director. Beyond the contribution of the Security Council, the entire United Nations system needs to intensify its action to free women from the scourge of war.

France was instrumental in recasting operational documents of the European Security and Defence Policy to include protection of women in conflict situations and promotion of their role with respect to emerging from crisis.

France is fully playing its role in these efforts, as reflected in its adoption of a national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

National Action Plans on implementation of Resolution 1325 have proved to be the primary tool in strategic and systematic impiementation. Finland's National Action Plan was jointly drafted by five Ministries and civil society partners, who are also actively engaged in its implementation and follow-up.

As an additional tool, I wish to highlight the potential of the Justice Rapid Response mechanism, a multilateral stand-by facility to deploy rapidly criminal justice and related professionals, trained for international investigations and at the service of States and international institutions.

We are willing to share our lessons learnt and experiences with other countries engaged in the preparation and implementation of their own National Action Plans. At the moment Finland cooperates with Kenya in drafting its National Action Plan through a twinning-project. Should the experiences from this programme be successful, we remain open to consider twinning with another partner country in the future.

Participation of both women and men in peacekeeping, peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction is crucial for the sustainability of their ultimate objective: peace. Let me be clear: full and equal participation is important for the delivery of the mandates that this Council has provided. Recent study from Afghanistan showed that women's participation in Provincial Reconstruction Teams benefitted their operational effectiveness.