A Vietnamese representative to the United Nations has affirmed Vietnam’s support to UN Resolution 1325, which aims to promote women’s role and rights in relation to peace and security.

Addressing an UN Security Council high-level meeting to mark the 10th anniversary of Resolution 1325 in New York on Oct. 26, Ambassador Bui The Giang noted the UNSC’s increased commitment to women’s role in peace and security.

He appreciated a greater awareness at both national and international levels that “resulted in an unprecedented number of activities carried out in highly diverse forms and in a wide range of areas by all stakeholders to promote women’s role”.

“Most visible at the international level is the better coordinated work within the UN system in mainstreaming gender in peace and security, and in addressing issues which may impact women’s participation in peace processes,” he stressed.

The ambassador also commended the adoption of the three-year Joint Strategy on Gender and Mediation initiated by the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA) and the UN Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and the proposed seven-point Action Plan which contains actions needed to enhance women’s participation in peace-building.

He expressed hope that the newly-established UN WOMEN will take the lead in the agenda “Women and Peace and Security”.

At the national level, he said National Action Plans being designed, adopted and put in place represent a meaningful contribution.

However, Ambassador Giang said that “much more remains to be done to better protect women and girls from all forms of violence in conflict and post-conflict situation, further empower them and increase their participation in all stages of peace processes.

He stressed that Vietnam, emerging from many destructive wars, is convinced that “women can play an active role in peace building and reconstruction if and when they are empowered economically, financially, politically and institutionally, and their special needs, including health and education, are properly addressed.”

Appreciating the work done by the UN entities in building a set of indicators for assessing the implementation of Resolution 1325, Ambassador Giang expressed his belief that the indicators would provide a helpful toolkit for the UN system and countries that wish to use them on a voluntary basis. At the same time he also said that certain indicators need more careful consideration in order for the whole set to be balanced and contain “encouraging” rather than “imposing”, hence effectiveness.

In conclusion, he said “As a nation deeply committed to women’s emancipation and empowerment, Vietnam has always supported full implementation of Resolution 1325, and our contribution to the drafting and adoption of Resolution 1889 by the Security Council in October 2009 is just an example of this.”

“In the same vein, we seriously take this review of the ten-year implementation of Resolution 1325 as a chance to reinforce our determination to work harder with the international community and the UN system in the first place, towards a world of genuine equity and equality for women.”/.