The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for expanding women's participation in peace negotiations and increasing their protection in armed conflicts. "Together, we have put in place some solid foundations for shared progress – which we must build on by working even harder to empower women, engage youth and uphold human rights for all. But we have also suffered enormous heartbreak -including unresolved conflicts causing immense suffering throughout the troubled Middle East, South Sudan, the Sahel and beyond," said Ban Ki-moon, the UN

Ban Ki-moon stressed, that according to recent studies, presence of women at the negotiating table makes peace agreements 35% stronger than those reached without their participation. The UN Security Council's open session today is devoted to the implementation of resolution 1325 "Women and peace and security."