Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to greet this diverse assembly of Israeli women's organizations.

Thank you for your efforts to advance a National Action Plan for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.

The adoption of resolution 1325 was a landmark.

It recognized that women’s experiences of war are different than men’s.

It underscored that women are a powerful yet often untapped force for peace.

Implementing resolution 1325 means that women must be central – from negotiating peace to delivering justice, from promoting reconciliation to shaping societies after conflict.

It also means that we must put an end to gender-based violence, discrimination and exclusion.

Forty-three countries have adopted national action plans to implement our commitments.  I hope that this event and the ongoing efforts of Israeli women’s organizations will continue pushing this agenda forward.

I also welcome Israel’s co-sponsorship of two important resolutions adopted this year by the Security Council – on conflict-related sexual violence and women’s leadership.

Empowering women and girls for development and peace is the smartest and most overdue investment the international community can make.

In that spirit of common cause, I wish you all the best for a successful meeting.

Thank you.