Implementation

Rwanda has adopted a range of policies to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, and I will touch on only some of those in a moment.

Ensuring accountability at the national level is equally important. However, it is regrettable that the lack of adequate national capacity to investigate and prosecute sexual violence remains one of the main impediments to ensuring accountability for such crimes. In that regard, my delegation would like to commend the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, established pursuant to resolution 1888 (2009).

As a supporter of the landmark resolution 1820 (2009), Italy is convinced of the evident connection between ending sexual violence and promoting peace and security. That is why the Italian national action plan on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) includes specific provisions to address sexual violence in conflict.

My delegation welcomes this debate, and would like to make a few remarks in addition to the statements by the observer of the European Union and others underlining the importance of women's civil society organizations in contributing to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

Accordingly, we call on the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, in carrying out her activities, to strictly comply with her mandate, according priority to those situations on the agenda of the Security Council, where sexual violence is one of the basic issues in the framework of the protection of civilians.

The positive ramifications of increasing women's participation in every context and at every stage of political transition are widely recognized and critically important. Situations of political transition should be perceived as providing opportunities for enhancing women's roles in decision-making at every level. It is equally important to redouble our efforts to combat impunity.

We recognize the relevance and relationship between the Council's preventive diplomacy initiatives and its women, peace and security agenda. As women are usually some of the first and worst hit in any conflict, preventing conflicts from breaking out serves to ensure the peace and security of women and girls.

Kazakhstan welcomes the drafting of a comprehensive set of indicators aimed at tracking implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), which can serve as benchmarks for standards to design and set in place a methodical monitoring system allowing countries to review their own structures and mechanisms and resource allocations. We must also condemn rape as a tactic of terror and war.

We hope and expect that the adoption of a set of global indicators to track implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) (see S/2010/498, annex) at the conclusion of the tenth anniversary debate last year (S/PV.6411), will help the Council to re-energize and strategize its efforts in an effective manner.