Gender expertise must inform the planning of these operations from the very beginning. For example, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration must be designed to meet the special needs of women combatants, of the girls and women who have been abducted into armed groups, or of the families of former soldiers who are trying to return to civilian life. Electoral systems must take women into account - as voters or as candidates. Civilian police must address the issues of trafficking and sexual violence which are associated with conflict. Mr. President, I name these few examples to show how the Security Council can help ensure that international and regional initiatives not only benefit women - but are also strengthened by them.
Successful reconstruction depends upon the use of every available resource.
Women, who have held social and economic fragments together, represent the most precious and under-utilised of these resources. Unless a country's constitutional, legal, judicial and electoral frameworks deal with gender equality, then no matter what happens after conflict, no matter how peaceful a transition, the entire country will never have a fair chance at development. During the transition to peace, a unique opportunity exists to put in place a gender responsive framework for a country's reconstruction. Nowhere is this more possible than in East Timor. Last week during my visit there, I saw a country struggling to rebuild.