October 31, 2008	Friday	Ziqa'ad 1, 1429

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 30: Underscoring the importance of women in conflict prevention and in peace-building activities, the UN Security Council on Wednesday asked the United Nations to appoint more women at senior positions, particularly as special representatives.

In a statement, Ambassador Zhang Yesui of China, who holds the Security

Council presidency for the month, condemned all acts of violence committed against women and girls during and after armed conflicts and called upon the member states to bring perpetrators to justice.

Earlier, a top UN official told the Council that sustainable peace was not possible in post-conflict situations unless women’s security and participation were made a primary objective for peacekeepers.

Gender issues must be addressed in conflict mediation as well as in the deployment of peacekeepers, and women must participate in promoting peace and security, UN Development Fund for Women Executive Director Ins Alberdi told the meeting.

“This is particularly important in conflicts in which sexual violence is used as a tactic of war,” said Alberdi, participating in a debate on women, peace and security.

“If abuses of women’s rights are tolerated through de facto impunity for perpetrators, efforts to restore the rule of law lose their credibility,” she told the 15-member panel.

She warned the Council that if direct measures were not taken by national authorities to prevent the widespread and systematic targeting of women, the violence would spill over in the post-conflict environment.