United Nations S/PV.6005 Security Council Provisional Sixty-third year 6005th meeting Wednesday, 29 October 2008, 10.15 a.m. New York President: Mr. Zhang Yesui ................................. (China) Members: Belgium ....................................... Mr. Belle Burkina Faso .................................... Mr. Tiendrébéogo Costa Rica ...................................... Mr. Weisleder Croatia ........................................ Mr. Vilović France ......................................... Mr. Ripert Indonesia ...................................... Mr. Natalegawa Italy .......................................... Mr. Terzi di Sant’Agata Libyan Arab Jamahiriya ........................... Mr. Dabbashi Panama ........................................ Mr. Suescum Russian Federation ............................... Mr. Churkin South Africa .................................... Mr. Kumalo United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .... Ms. Pierce United States of America ........................... Mr. Khalilzad Viet Nam ....................................... Mr. Le Luong Minh Agenda Women and peace and security Report of the Secretary-General on women and peace and security (S/2008/622) Letter dated 15 October 2008 from the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (S/2008/655) This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-154A. 08-57476 (E) *0857476* S/PV.6005 The meeting was called to order at 10.15 a.m. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, I shall take it that the Adoption of the agenda Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to The agenda was adopted. Ms. Sarah Taylor, Coordinator of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. Women and peace and security There being no objection, it is so decided. Report of the Secretary-General on women and peace and security (S/2008/622) The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is Letter dated 15 October 2008 from the meeting in accordance with the understanding reached Permanent Representative of China to in its prior consultations. the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (S/2008/655) Members of the Council have before them document S/2008/622, containing the report of the The President (spoke in Chinese): I should like Secretary-General on women and peace and security. I to inform the Council that I have received letters from should also like to draw attention to document the representatives of Afghanistan, Argentina, S/2008/655, which contains a letter dated 15 October Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Canada, Chile, 2008 from the Permanent Representative of China to Colombia, Congo, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Iceland, the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, transmitting a concept paper on the subject of this Liechtenstein, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Norway, meeting. the Philippines, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda and I now give the floor to the Special Adviser to the the United Arab Emirates in which they request to be Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement invited to participate in the consideration of the item of Women, Ms. Rachel Mayanja. on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual Ms. Mayanja: It is an honour for me to introduce practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to the report of the Secretary-General on women and invite those representatives to participate in the peace and security (S/2008/622). I welcome the consideration of the item without the right to vote, in leadership shown by the People’s Republic of China in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter holding this open thematic debate during its and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of presidency, a testimony to its commitment to gender procedure. equality and the full involvement of women in all There being no objection, it is so decided. peace processes. I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for affording me this opportunity to At the invitation of the President, the address the Council on the critical theme of women’s representatives of the aforementioned countries equal participation and full involvement in all efforts took the seats reserved for them at the side of the for the maintenance and promotion of peace and Council Chamber. security. The President (spoke in Chinese): In accordance The report before the Council (S/2008/622) with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior provides an assessment of the progress and challenges consultations, I shall take it that the Security Council in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its measures taken by Member States, United Nations provisional rules of procedure to Ms. Rachel Mayanja, entities and civil society, including best practices, to Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender improve the capacities of Member States. Issues and Advancement of Women; Mr. Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations; Over the past years, some important progress has and Ms. Inés Alberdi, Executive Director of the United been made in mainstreaming a gender perspective into Nations Development Fund for Women. the overall peace and security architecture, making it more sensitive to women’s needs and concerns. This There being no objection, it is so decided. Council has addressed various aspects of women and 2 08-57476 S/PV.6005 peace in its thematic debates and discussions of or deter sexual violence, dispatch of missions of the country-specific conflict situations on its agenda. The Council to assess situations where sexual violence is adoption of resolution 1820 (2008) earlier this year being used as a tactic of war and consideration of marked a new milestone in fighting sexual violence in targeted sanctions on individuals or parties to conflict situations of armed conflict. The Council recognized carrying out widespread or systematic sexual violence. sexual violence as a security problem that requires a The report also recommends strengthening the systematic response. mandates of peacekeeping operations to prevent sexual I commend the Council for its efforts in ending violence in conflict and post-conflict situations, sexual violence. We must maintain and build on the providing peacekeeping operations with adequate momentum created by resolution 1820 (2008); by resources, more systematic gender mainstreaming in General Assembly resolutions 62/133 on the security sector reform and the rule of law, and elimination of all forms of violence against women and increasing the use of Arria formula meetings. 62/134 on eliminating rape and other forms of sexual Allow me to make a few comments on women’s violence; by the Secretary-General’s Unite to End equal participation and full involvement in all efforts Violence against Women campaign, launched on for the maintenance and promotion of peace and 25 February 2008; and by many other initiatives of the security, as mandated by resolution 1325 (2000). United Nations system. Women are most affected by armed conflict and post- There have been undoubted gains in many of the conflict situations. They experience war and conflict in broad areas for action set out in the resolution, namely, different ways compared to men; as victims of rape, awareness of the importance of gender equality, trafficking, sexual slavery and forced prostitution as development of national action plans, gender well as, in some instances, as perpetrators of violence mainstreaming, capacity-building and support for the and participants in conflict. greater participation of women in decision-making and But they are also a driving force for the prevention nation-building, including in elections and governance. and management of conflicts. They are peacemakers and Significant gains have been made in gender advocates for peace and national reconciliation. They are mainstreaming in peacekeeping and humanitarian single heads of households and principal caregivers. assistance. Drawing on shared values of security, women come More attention to gender equality is being paid in together around shared concerns — obtaining wells and peacebuilding. Civil society has been active in the schools, community health, nutrition and care for national implementation process, holding governments children and the elderly. They engage in confidence- accountable and injecting new dynamism into building programmes across communities and play a societies. However, a noticeable gap between policies key role in fostering reconciliation, both during and implementation of the resolution remains, in conflict and after. particular, at the national level. We have a long way to Women’s networks mobilize women across party go in ensuring women’s equal participation and full lines and are sometimes able to build consensus around involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and peace proposals.