Implementation

We welcome the comprehensive set of indicators developed for use at the global, regional and national levels to track implementation of resolution 1325, as outlined in the Secretary-General's report on women, peace and security. We call on the Security Council to endorse these indicators and to put them to use, particularly where they are relevant to its work.

We have seen some improvements in the capacity of women at the local level to engage in peace processes that affect them. For its part, Australia continues to be active in this field. We have supported women who are themselves mobilising in the Solomon Islands, Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga and elsewhere to end conflict and foster peace and reconciliation in their own communities.

The recent mass rapes in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo highlight the challenges still faced in ensuring that sexual violence in conflict is addressed comprehensively throughout the entire UN system - particularly as part of UN peacekeeping operations. There remains a gap between our collective expectations on what the UN system should be able to do and the actual capacity of peacekeepers on the ground.

The last year witnessed a rapid rise in our collective will to address sexual violence in conflict. Resolution 1888 broke important new ground in this regard. We welcome the appointment of Margot Wallstrom as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict.

The establishment of UN Women provides real opportunities to move forward on women, peace and security. We commend Ms Bachelet's commitment towards this goal and stand ready to support her. Effective and tailored' in-country programmes', formulated on the basis of data analysed against the global indicators, will be essential.

Australia was pleased to support the joint 'Analytical Inventory' developed by DPKO and UNIFEM, under the auspices of the inter-agency network UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict. This is a key tool for the UN to use in improving its ability to protect civilians from sexual violence in conflict as part of peacekeeping operations.

Although many activities have been undertaken in this field over the last ten years, a comprehensive analysis on the impact of these initiatives is yet to be conducted. To do so will require data. That data will need to be assessed against reliable and relevant indicators to assess results, determine the impact as well as identify best practices and lessons learned. That must then form the basis for new and effective policy responses.

We have experienced this first hand in our region. Earlier this year, representatives of Armenian and Azerbaijani women's non-governmental organizations discussed ways to find peaceful solutions to theNagorny Karabakh conflict. The peace dialogues are oriented towards increasing the role of Armenian and Azerbaijani women in peace processes and towards the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

Peacebuilding needs the involvement of women. Women's roles in peacebuilding in Bosnia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and many other places in recent decades highlight the importance of their full participation. Women need to be present to discuss issues such as genocide, impunity and security if just and enduring peace is to be built.

Armenia takes note of some positive developments. During the past decade, the Security Council has put in place a normative framework for women's participation in peace processes, the elimination of sexual violence in armed conflict, the protection and promotion of women's human rights, and the mainstreaming of gender equality and perspectives in the context of armed conflict, peacebuilding and reconstruction.