Almost 12 years ago the UN Security Council put the resolution on Women, Peace and Security into place. UNSCR 1325 was the first resolution to address the impact of conflict on women and the contribution women can make to solidifying peace.

It recognizes that the major security, economic and governance challenges of our time cannot be solved without the protection and participation of women at all levels of our society.

As such, UNSCR 1325 is truly a landmark resolution to which all of us must live up.
Reality makes this imperative. Today millions of women still do not have access to quality healthcare, education and economic opportunities. They are taking a heavy toll in the conflict zones across the globe. When getting between the fighting parties, they loose their families, their homes and opportunities for a better future. On top of
everything, every year thousands of women and girls become victims of sexual violence, particularly rape – a purposeful strategy of modern warfare which is often left without punity.

But women are also chronically under-represented at all political levels. They represent half of the world’s population, yet they hold less than 1/5 of the positions in national governments. And far too often women are excluded from the negotiating table where conflicts are to be resolved, although their experiences and actions are critical for building and sustaining peace.

UNSCR 1325 has certainly helped to change this to the better.

NATO welcomes the efforts of all those that have worked hard during the past years to put 1325 into practice. In the spirit of the Alliance's comprehensive approach to security, we are closely engaged with other international organizations, such as the UN, EU and OSCE, and many NGOs. In the past years we have made good progress in identifying where NATO can add value, within its own framework and competencies, and how we can meaningfully complement each others’ efforts in managing crises and peace building. UNSCR 1325 has become an integral element of NATO’s comprehensive approach to security, and this is exactly how it should be.

The Allies’ and partner countries’ national contributions are particularly important to make UNSCR 1325 a success. During the past years many NATO Member and partner countries have developed National Actions Plans, and together they agreed on a joint NATO/Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) policy on implementing UNSCR 1325. The policy, which was updated in June 2011, provides the overall framework for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and related resolutions by NATO and its partners. It takes into account the four pillars of UNSCR 1325 – prevention, protection, participation and relief and recovery – and draws on both internal and external NATO resources for implementation.

UNSCR 1325 is not only a matter of moral and human rights; it is also about security and development. I strongly believe that an investment in girls and women is an investment in our own security, prosperity and future. The global empowerment of women and girls will not happen overnight. It will require persistence and a sustained multilateral commitment to realize change on a global scale. NATO and its partners have already made