Ambassador Le Luong Minh, who is a Permanent Representative of Vietnam made the affirmation at the Open Debate of the UN Security Council on Women, Peace and Security in New York October 29, 2008.

“My delegation is encouraged to see United Nations agencies and especially peacekeeping missions playing a more active role in promoting, through technical as well as financial assistance, women’s participation in all stages of the peace process in many countries,” Minh said.

He expressed concern over the fact that the world is still far from being able to ensure women’s full and equal participation in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peacemaking and post-conflict building.

“In many societies, women are left inactive and with little chance to take part in decision-making processes, and often excluded from peace and security areas. Women’s representation in security institutions, law enforcement bodies as well as peace negotiation delegations has had little improvement since the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325,” the ambassador said.

He stressed that to enhance the participation of women in peace processes, the most effective way is to empower women, both politically and economically.

“To this end, it is important to ensure their equal access to education and information, since this helps to raise their awareness of their own rights and equip them with necessary knowledge and skills to actively participate in governance and economic activities and in the peace processes. Gender mainstreaming needs to be strengthened in peace and security areas with gender incorporated into all legislations, strategies and policies on conflict prevention and resolution, and reconstruction,” he said.

Minh suggested that the UN assist the implementation of these through a wide range of measures, from legal and technical assistance to negotiation and leadership skills training programs.

The Vietnamese representative reiterated the country’s gender equality policies and highlighted the fact that with women having served in the war time as generals and peace negotiators, Vietnam now ranks 3rd in Asia-Pacific in terms of the female ratio in the Parliament membership, and has always had, for over two decades, a female Vice-President of State and several female Ministers.