Through the unanimous adoption of resolution 2118 (2013), the Council called for the speedy implementation of procedures drawn up by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) “for the expeditious destruction of the Syrian Arab Republic’s chemical weapons programme and stringent verification thereof.”

In the text, the Council underscored “that no party in Syria should use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain, or transfer chemical weapons.”

Defiance of the resolution, including unauthorized transfer of chemical weapons, or any use of chemical weapons by anyone in Syria, would bring about measures under the UN Charter’s binding Chapter VII, which can include sanctions or stronger coercive action, the Council said.

The 15-member body added that it would work with the OPCW in deploying a chemical weapons “monitoring and destruction team” – expecting the full cooperation of the Syrian Government – and it appealed to UN Member States for support, including personnel, expertise, funding and equipment.

It also authorized Member States to acquire, control, transport, transfer and destroy chemical weapons identified by the Director-General of the OPCW, in a way consistent with the Chemical Weapons Convention and the interest of non-proliferation.

“Today’s historic resolution is the first hopeful news on Syria in a long time,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Council following the adoption. “For many months, I have said that the confirmed use of chemical weapons in Syria would require a firm, united response.

“Tonight, the international community has delivered,” he stated.

“As we mark this important step, we must never forget that the catalogue of horrors in Syria continues with bombs and tanks, grenades and guns,” Ban added. “A red light for one form of weapons does not mean a green light for others. This is not a license to kill with conventional weapons. All the violence must end. All the guns must fall silent.”

Earlier yesterday, Ban’s spokesperson said that the UN team led by Swedish scientist ?ke Sellström has been able to resume its fact-finding activities related to all pending credible allegations of chemical weapons use, following its return to Syria this week.

Those allegations include, he said, the 19 March incident at Khan al-Asal, reported first by Syria and subsequently by other Member States. As previously agreed with Syria, the other allegations to be investigated include the 13 April incident at Sheikh Maqsud, reported by the United States, and the 29 April incident at Saraqueb, reported by France and the United Kingdom.

In addition, he said, the mission has continued to follow-up with the Government of Syria and to evaluate information it has provided on three additional allegations, including the incidents at Bahhariyeh on 22 August, at Jobar on 24 August, and at Sahnaya on 25 August.

The team, assisted by experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the OPCW, visited the country last month and found “clear and convincing evidence” that Sarin gas was used in an incident that occurred on 21 August in the Ghouta area on the outskirts of Damascus in which hundreds of people were reportedly killed.

Under the General Assembly-approved guidelines, the spokesperson recalled, the mission is obliged to evaluate all available information related to all allegations reported by Member States, for the purpose of preparing its final report.

Also in today’s resolution, the Council endorsed a plan for a Syrian-led process, with participation of all parties, to end the conflict, which has claimed over 100,000 lives since it began in March 2011 and has led to over 2 million people fleeing the country, with some 4 million internally displaced.

It also called for convening, as soon as possible, an international peace conference that is fully representative of the Syrian people.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Ban said the aim is to hold the conference in mid-November. “The United Nations is ready to host Geneva II. It is time for the parties to focus on how to build the peaceful, democratic future Syria needs. All those with influence on the parties must use that influence now. It is crucial to keep up the momentum.

“Today can and must be a stepping stone to peace.”

“I am encouraged that Israelis and Palestinians have re-engaged in direct dialogue. But for these negotiations to have a chance at success, they need to be meaningful,” Mr. Ban said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I know that when a problem has remained an open wound for decades, causing hardships and casualties on both sides, it might sometimes seem that the problem will never be solved,” he continued.

“Dealing [with] the symptom might seem easier in the short term. It takes courage, vision, and creativity to decide that the long-term cost of that problem is actually too high. That is what is happening now with the Israeli-Palestinian issue.”

Direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians stalled in September 2010, after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory. Following recent efforts by United States Secretary of State John Kerry, the two sides resumed negotiations this week.

“I am here to urge all the leaders to continue along the path to peace and to underscore a shared commitment to work together to make 2013 a decisive year for Israeli-Palestinian peace and peace in the region,” stated Mr. Ban, who is visiting Israel for the sixth time as Secretary-General.

In addition to Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Ban also met with Israeli President Shimon Peres. Speaking to reporters along with Mr. Peres, the Secretary-General noted that direct negotiations remain the “single most credible path” to a solution.

He also urged all parties to avoid actions that risk undermining the negotiations. “Both sides need to sustain an environment conducive for the peace process to move forward. People need to see improvements on the ground, including economic progress for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and greater security for Israelis and Palestinians.”

Mr. Ban also held meetings with Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon and the Leader of the Opposition, Shelly Yachimovich. A separate meeting with Ambassador Martin Indyk, the US Special Envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations, covered the resumption of direct negotiations between the parties.

In addition, Mr. Ban took part in an Israeli Model UN event at the UN headquarters in Jerusalem, at which he said students everywhere should have both passion and compassion, and lift their vision beyond boundaries. While at the UN headquarters, the Secretary-General met the new head of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), Major-General Michael Finn.

Also today, Mr. Ban visited the grave site on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who the UN chief noted lived through the war to become “a champion of peace and security” for Israel and the region.

“As Secretary-General of the United Nations it is a great honour for me to work together with the people of Israel to build upon his legacy,” Mr. Ban said, adding that he hoped that both parties, Israelis and Palestinians, will remember Mr. Rabin’s legacy and realize a two-State solution.

Mr. Ban’s two-day visit to the region also took him to Jordan and Palestine.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council noted UNMISS’ priority task of protecting civilians, and urged the Mission to “deploy its assets accordingly.”

The Council welcomed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s intention that “UNMISS will geographically reconfigure its military and asset deployment so as to focus on volatile high-risk areas and associated protection requirements.”

In his recent report on South Sudan, Ban wrote that while UNMISS continues to focus on the protection of civilians as one of its core tasks, the primary responsibility for the protection of civilians in South Sudan lies with the Government.

“A peacekeeping mission, however configured, cannot replace the Government, which is also responsible for ensuring the safety and security, and freedom of movement, of United Nations personnel and assets deployed to assist it in this regard,” he stated.

Ban reiterated his condemnation of violence against UN personnel in South Sudan and recalled the requirement for the Government to hold the perpetrators of those attacks accountable, irrespective of who the perpetrators are.

He added that, in particular, those responsible in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army for the December 2012 shooting of an UNMISS helicopter – which killed all four crew members onboard – must be brought to justice immediately.

The Council today reiterated its call on the Government of South Sudan to take greater responsibility for the protection of its civilians and in this respect encourages greater cooperation with UNMISS.

It also demanded that the Government and all relevant parties cooperate fully in the deployment, operations, and monitoring, verification, and reporting functions of UNMISS, particularly by guaranteeing the safety, security and unrestricted freedom of movement of UN personnel, as well as of associated personnel throughout the country.

Among its many other provisions, the resolution expressed deep concern at the increasing violence, particularly in the Tri-States Area of Lakes, Unity and Warrap, and in Jonglei and Western Bahr el-Ghazal states, and underlined the need to address the causes of communal violence in South Sudan.

“A genuine and collaborative political effort must now take place at the regional level,” Ban said in his remarks at the 11+4 regional oversight meeting of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Region, which was held on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“While the situation remains volatile, we have an historic opportunity to end the suffering and stabilize the region, which holds such a great potential for human development.”

Βan emphasized that while the signing of the UN-brokered Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Region was “a milestone” in efforts to launch a comprehensive peace process, countries now face a test of implementation that will be met “only if all the signatory countries work together to end the political impasse and generate momentum towards human security and economic development.”

The Framework, which was signed in February by 11 African leaders including Rwanda and Uganda, aims to end the cycles of conflict and crisis in the eastern DRC – where, in the most recent hostilities, rebels from the 23 March Movement (M23) have been clashing with the DRC national armed forces (FARDC) – and to build peace in the wider region.

Ban reiterated the support of the international community, including the four organizations that were witnesses to the signing of the Framework – the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the Southern African Development Community and the UN.

In addition, Ban said that his Special Representative to the region, Mary Robinson, is working closely with all signatories and is spearheading the effort to define benchmarks on regional commitments.

Ban also commended DRC President Joseph Kabila’s commitment to implement significant reforms in the country, including the establishment of a national oversight mechanism.

On the margins of the Summit, The Secretary-General has been meeting with various African leaders.

Ban met separately with the President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, South African President Jacob Zuma, Senegalese President Macky Sall, President of Zambia Michael Chilufya Sata, and Vice-President of Angola Manuel Domingos Vicente, with whom he discussed regional developments.

In his meeting with the President of the Republic of the Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, Mr. Ban praised the Head of State for his efforts to address the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), in his capacity as Mediator in the crisis there, and for hosting the first meeting of the International Contact Group on the CAR.

Ban also met with the President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, with whom he discussed the persistent violence in the northern part of the country and the state of emergency declared in three states. Mr. Ban said he hoped that the state of emergency would be lifted quickly and that the safety and welfare of civilians will be protected.

“This is a critical moment for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region,” Ban told reporters in the capital, Kinshasa, following a meeting with President Joseph Kabila.

The “unprecedented” joint visit is in support of the UN-brokered peace agreement, which was signed in February by 11 African leaders and aims to end the cycles of conflict and crisis in the eastern DRC and to build peace in wider region.

“We believe it offers the best hope for peace in a generation,” Ban said. “But that agreement must translate into concrete actions. A peace deal must deliver a peace dividend for people.

Coinciding with the visit, the World Bank Group today announced $1 billion in proposed new funding to help countries in the Great Lakes provide better health and education services, generate more cross-border trade, and fund hydroelectricity projects in support of the peace deal.

“We made extraordinary efforts to secure an additional $1 billion in funding because we believe this can be a major contributor to a lasting peace in the Great Lakes region,” Kim said.

“This funding will help revitalize economic development, create jobs, and improve the lives of people who have suffered for far too long. Now the leaders of the Great Lakes region, by restarting economic activity and improving livelihoods in border areas, can boost confidence, build economies, and give new opportunities for millions of people.”

In addition to meeting with President Kabila and other Government officials, Ban and Kim will also meet parliamentarians and representatives of civil society. As part of their visit, both men will travel tomorrow to the eastern city of Goma.

Recent days have witnessed renewed clashes between rebels from the 23 March Movement (M23) and the DRC national armed forces in Goma, which was the scene of intense fighting late last year.

The fifth Implementation Follow-up Commission (IFC) wrapped up in Doha, Qatar, on 9 April to review the progress made so far in the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).

“We are on the right track and peace is the solution,” said the Chairperson for the Implementation Follow-up Commission (IFC), Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud, who is also the deputy Prime Minister of the State of Qatar and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs.

On 14 July 2011, the Sudanese Government – which has been fighting rebel groups in Darfur since 2003 – signed the DDPD with the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), and more recently with the Justice and Equality Movement led by Mohamed Bashar (JEM-Bashar).

The agreement focuses on seven areas: human rights; power-sharing; wealth-sharing; justice and reconciliation; compensation of refugees and internally displaced persons; ceasefire and security arrangements; and internal dialogue and consultation.

It is overseen by a follow-up committee that includes Mohamed Ibn Chambas – the head of the joint African Union-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and Joint Chief Mediator for the AU and UN – and representatives of the AU, the Sudanese Government, armed movements, the Qatari Government mediation and other organizations and governments.

The committee meets regularly to review the progress made so far in implementing the DDPD.

During the latest meeting, representatives from more than 15 countries acknowledged the continued cooperation between the Government of Sudan and the LJM, and reaffirmed the international community’s support to the DDPD as the only framework for peace in Darfur.

“The DDPD has greatly contributed to the decline in levels of violence and to bringing security that large parts of Darfur are enjoying today,” said IFC Chairperson Al Mahmoud, speaking to the media after the meeting.

“It is crucial to preserve and build on the various accomplishments made so far to achieve a sustainable peace in the region,” he added.

He called on the hold-out movements to walk in the footsteps of the Justice and Equality Movement-Sudan (JEM-Sudan) and join the peace process on the basis of the DDPD.

The meeting came one day after a pledging conference which organizers had hoped would raise $7.2 billion to cover reconstruction and development of Darfur over a six-year period.

Meanwhile, thousands of civilians are seeking protection, many of them with their livestock, near joint AU-UN peacekeeping teams in Muhajeria and Labado, East Darfur State, after attacks and “possible air strikes” on the towns.

UNAMID has condemned the 6 April attacks. The peacekeeping mission is working with UN agencies to ascertain the best means of supporting aid delivery to the population, particularly the civilians concentrated around the team site.

Council members “condemned the attacks conducted recently by rebels from the ‘Séléka’ coalition, in particular in Bangassou and the surrounding region, and the threat of a resumption of hostilities,” Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council for this month, said in a statement read out to the media.

“The members of the Security Council also condemned the threats by militias and related movements against civilians and called upon all actors, including the media, to refrain from inciting violence,” he added.

Fighting flared up again in CAR in December 2013 when the Séléka rebel coalition launched a series of attacks. The fighters took control of major towns and were advancing on the capital, Bangui, before agreeing to start peace talks under the auspices of the regional group known as the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

A peace agreement was reached on 11 January, resulting in a ceasefire agreement and creating a government of national unity in which opposition figures were given key posts, but the rebels claim the Government is failing to live up to its commitments. The rebels have resumed their attacks, and have overrun a wide swathe of the country’s territory.

“Séléka now controls three–quarters of the country,” Margaret Vogt, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for CAR, told reporters after briefing the Security Council in a closed-door session.

She reported that rebel members of the Government of National Unity decided to withdraw from the Government two days ago and “went back into the bush” and issued an ultimatum, laying down a number of conditions that had to be met without which they would resume fighting.

“The ultimatum ended today and the indication we got was that they were prepared to allow a bit more time for negotiations to take place,” she said, adding that the UN is working very actively with ECCAS, which is the custodian of the 11 January peace agreement.

“As we all know, governments of national unity are extremely difficult to implement,” noted Ms. Vogt. “They’re rife with all sorts of tension and the situation has not been made easier by the fact that we have a rebellion that controls three-quarters of the country.

“We have a government with a military force that is in disarray and we have a regional organization that has very, very generously deployed a force on the ground, but with limited capacity. A lot would now need to depend on persuasion, on mediation, on political facilitation, and this is the report we brought to the Council.”

In a news statement, Council members reiterated their call to the Government, the Séléka coalition, armed groups and the democratic opposition to abide in good faith by their commitments pursuant to the various agreements they have concluded.

Ms. Vogt stressed that of vital importance is the impact of all of these developments on the people, adding that there are a lot of human rights violations, assaults on the population, looting, sexual exploitation, and recruitment of children. “At the best of times, the record in the CAR was not good but it is exponentially worse,” she said.

What makes the situation even more complex, she added, is that Séléka has now moved to the south-west of the country, where the Ugandan rebel group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is operating.

“So you have people who suffer from the LRA attacks, and [are] now again being exposed to atrocities committed by the rebellion. It’s just too much.”

“The security situation remains fragile – and demands urgent actions,” Mr. Ban said as he briefed the Council.

Referred to as the Intervention Brigade, the proposed force will have the ability to conduct, with or without the Congolese national army, offensive operations against all armed groups that threaten peace in the eastern part of DRC – a region that is prone to cycles of violence and consequent humanitarian suffering.

It will be established within the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) for an initial period of one year, as proposed by the Secretary-General in a special report submitted to the Council on the DRC and the Great Lakes region.

“This enforcement capacity, which was initially called for by the regional actors, seeks to address the imminent threats to stability and will provide the most appropriate response to the active conflict environment in which MONUSCO has been operating for several years,” Mr. Ban told the Council.

“The Intervention Brigade will be tasked with containing the expansion of both Congolese and foreign armed groups, neutralising these groups, and disarming them. This will provide much needed capacity to our peacekeeping operation.”

The establishment of the brigade is designed to further support the political objectives of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region – the peace deal signed last month in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The UN will serve as a guarantor of the agreement, together with the African Union, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the International Conference on the Great Lakes region (ICGLR).

“All of us understand that signing the Framework is a beginning, not an end,” said Mr. Ban, who will soon appoint a special envoy, who, together with the concerned stakeholders, will support the implementation of the agreement.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Secretary-General said the UN has done its utmost to broker an agreement that can finally break the horrendous cycles of violence. “The onus is now on the signatories to show strong, consistent and sustained leadership.”

Nearly a million people were displaced in the province of North Kivu during the clashes between the fighters from the rebel M23 group and the Congolese national army (FARDC) late last year, bringing the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in eastern DRC to 2.6 million.

While the fighting has stopped, insecurity prevails, and is growing in other areas of the DRC, Mr. Ban noted.

“Perhaps some would dismiss the recent unrest in the eastern DRC as yet another cycle of violence in a long-plagued region of the world; but we have it within our hands to break that cycle and shape something different,” he stated.

Also today, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called for a further $70 million for its operations in 2013 to help thousands of displaced civilians in the Great Lakes region. The money is for people uprooted by conflict in North and South Kivu last year, as well as anticipated displacements this year.

“Africa has the experience to forge solutions to its own challenges and contribute to our global goals of inclusive growth, social justice and protecting our environment,” Mr. Ban said in his address to the Summit’s opening session.

He noted that many countries have made important gains to achieve the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The eight MDGs set specific targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction, and a ‘Global Partnership for Development.’

“More African children are in schools, especially girls. More clinics are helping more women survive childbirth. More African women sit in Government and key decision-making positions,” Mr. Ban said, adding that in spite of this progress, he is still concerned about hundreds of millions of Africans living in poverty.

Mr. Ban urged African leaders to accelerate efforts to achieve the MDGs before their 2015 deadline, and stressed that success will depend on ownership by governments and civil society.

“Our destination is clear: A future where Africa’s wealth enriches all of Africa’s people. Where misrule is only found in history books. Where Africa’s goods get a fair price on the global market. Where global partnerships mean shared prosperity.

Young people and women will be key to drive peace and development in the continent, Mr. Ban said, underlining the importance of investing in their health and education, and providing them with a secure environment.

“We especially need to speak out against rape and sexual violence in conflict. Governments must support victims and end the culture of impunity,” he said.

Mr. Ban underscored that peace is essential for development, and reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to work with countries in the region to address conflict and violence.

Regarding the crisis in Mali, Mr. Ban said the UN is determined to do all it can to help the people in the country, with humanitarian agencies currently assisting civilians in need. “The United Nations has also sent specialists on the military and political tracks. This is a moral imperative for all in the international community,” he said.

Fighting between Government forces and Tuareg rebels broke out in northern Mali last January, after which radical Islamists seized control of the area. The renewed clashes in the north, as well as the proliferation of armed groups in the region, drought and political instability in the wake of a military coup d’état in March have uprooted hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Last month, the Security Council authorized the deployment of an African-led International Support Mission in Mali, known as AFISMA, for an initial period of one year to assist the authorities in recovering rebel-held regions in the north and restoring the unity of the country.

Mr. Ban called on Malian authorities to embrace a comprehensive political process, and agree on a roadmap leading to full restoration of constitutional order. In addition, he reiterated his full commitment to ensure that the UN stands read to undertake major peacebuilding efforts as well as security sector reform, reconstruction and regional cooperation once the combat operations come to an end.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mr. Ban said the UN Stabilization Mission in the country (MONUSCO) is doing everything it can to protect civilians, and encouraged regional leaders to endorse a peace, security and cooperation framework to address the causes of violence in the country.

During the Summit, Mr. Ban also addressed a special event on the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), where he pledged the UN’s support to expand the campaign so that pregnant and nursing mothers in the continent have access to nutrition and healthcare.

The Secretary-General also met with various African leaders on the margins of the Summit, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, with whom he discussed the situation in Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, Mali and DRC. Mr. Ban also met with the President of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, and commended the progress in the country, while stressing the need for reconciliation and disarmament to ensure stability.

In a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Mr. Ban reiterated his strong support for the Palestinian people and discussed the need for renewed momentum on the peace process. In addition, Mr. Ban met with the Chairperson of the AU Summit, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, with whom he exchanged views on collective efforts to address the situation in the DRC and Mali

“We need to ensure that women have opportunities to play their full role in peace and security,” the Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), Michelle Bachelet, told a debate of the Security Council on women and peace and security.

She noted that wherever there is conflict, whether in Mali, Syria, the Middle East, or the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), “women must be part of the solution.”

Yesterday’s debate, which was originally scheduled for late October but was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy, marks the 12th anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325, which called for women’s engagement in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Meeting briefly in the wake of the storm, the Council issued a presidential statement on the issue, in which it called on the international community to give women’s civil society organizations a prominent role in the negotiation, planning and implementation of peace processes and post-conflict development programmes.

In his annual report on women, peace and security, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted measures that have improved coordination and accountability and highlights a growing number of inspiring examples of women, peace and security in action.

In countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Timor-Leste, Haiti, South Sudan, Liberia, Nepal and many others, women are leading innovative approaches to prevent conflict and violence and build peace in their communities.

Bachelet, who presented the report, highlighted what women’s groups in Mali are doing right now to contribute to non-violent solutions to the crisis in that country, which has been divided since rebels took control of the north earlier this year.

“In spite of their absence from official conflict resolution processes, women leaders in the North are using informal channels to call on the leaders of armed groups to participate in peace dialogues,” she noted.

“Just two weeks ago,” she added, “nearly 1,000 women leaders and members of civil society groups gathered in Bamako and delivered a common call for peace, expressing solidarity across ethnic and other divisions and recommended specific measures to protect women’s rights and prevent violence against women and children.”

Stressing the importance of “going the extra mile” to ensure that women can play their full role, Ms. Bachelet called on world leaders to provide determined leadership, dedicated resources and direct opportunities to enable women to contribute to the maintenance of peace and security.

Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, delivering remarks on behalf of Ban, noted that the role of women’s organizations across the world in preventing violence, resolving conflict and building the foundations for peace is well known.

“Our challenge is to become more systematic in supporting and scaling up these initiatives and making the necessary links to formal peace processes,” he said.

Also highlighting the case of Mali, Eliasson noted the fact that the rights of women and girls are being curtailed in the northern part of the country shows how armed conflict affects women and men differently. “This means that women have to be part of the solution,” he said.

“Engaging women and promoting gender equality as part of our work for peace and security is a daily responsibility and an unfinished mission for all of us,” he added. “It is time for us to finally recognize the role and power of women to help us build a peaceful world.”

In his remarks to the event, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, said that UN peacekeeping missions have supported important progress in some areas, notably women’s political participation at local and national levels. In other areas, including the protection of women activists, more could be achieved.

He described how, a week ago, some 5,000 women flooded the main commercial avenue in Kinshasa, DRC’s capital, to protest the fall of the provincial city of Goma to the 23 March Movement (M23) rebel group – the most massively organized non-violent protest in the country following the fall of the eastern city.

“However, women have not been given any political leverage in the regional negotiations aimed at bringing peace to the embattled eastern part of the country,” he added.

Ladsous emphasized that the key to removing the obstacles that impede women’s full participation in conflict prevention and peacebuilding is the active, systematic consultation with local actors and leaders, including women’s civil society organizations. “This is the only way to develop effective, context-specific and gender-aware solutions.”

In the lead-up to the Council’s debate, women activists and women’s organizations met with senior UN leadership in over 20 countries, facilitated by UN Women, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), to discuss challenges and make their recommendations on issues relating to women and peace and security.