madam president when speaking about women in conflict zones we have to consider that despite increased efforts and good signs such as the appointment of former commissioner margot wallström to the office of special representative of the un secretary-general on sexual violence in conflict as well as the recent creation of un women there is still a need for further action greater awareness and practical political actions in this field
i would strongly highlight the fact that partnerships between parliamentarians eu and un member state governments institutions and civil society are vital for building support for the agreed goals and objectives of the action programme of the international conference on population and development as regards the millennium development goals
in the context of gender equality we have to make a joint commitment to pushing this issue forward ensuring better representation of women in an effort to prevent war restore peace and cope with post-conflict situations taking into account that women can play a significant role in peacekeeping if they are properly supported and genuinely included
in conclusion i would like to point out that the eu has a crucial role to play in advancing these objectives to achieve an equitable and lasting solution
it is our primary responsibility and important political role to work together to address the situation of women in conflict zones by means of preventing war and maintaining international peace and security
