The Secretary-General will soon form a senior appointments group, whose tasks will include advising him on the selection of women for senior mission posts. And I expect that Member States will now take the necessary steps to present us with as many qualified women candidates as possible for these positions. Beyond that, the resolution adopted by the Council is groundbreaking in another respect. It recognizes that, while women are often the first victims of armed conflict, they can also be a key to preventing, managing and resolving it. The resolution calls for their full participation and involvement in all peacekeeping efforts.
Women suffer disproportionately from the impact of armed conflict.
Worse still, they are increasingly targeted because they are women. Rape, forced pregnancies, sexual slavery and assault are often used as deliberate instruments of modern warfare. But at least this is now being recognized and some of the perpetrators have been brought to justice. A few weeks ago, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia convicted three men of rape and enslavement as crimes against humanity. These convictions send a clear message that such revolting practices will no longer go unpunished.