the peace process at the international level, and suggested that the role of women in the resolution of armed conflicts should be studied in more detail. 29. A few representatives stated that in order to assess fully the contribution of women to the peace process, women’s traditional roles should be regarded in a new light. Women should not only be seen as natural peacemakers and peacekeepers in households, but also as effective participants in the larger process of the quest for peace: in the armed forces, as well as in peacemaking processes at national and global levels. A few representatives stated that the contribution of women to the new movement for peace should include protection of the environment, as well as a more equitable distribution of resources. 30. Several representatives welcomed the recent measures taken by the Secretary-General to place more women in decision-making positions within the Secretariat and stressed that that decision was in keeping with the larger role that the United Nations had assumed in global peacemaking and peace-keeping. Several representatives expressed the hope that the United Nations system would take appropriate measures to ensure an enhanced participation of women in peace negotiations at every level, particularly at the national level, and stressed that, given the opportunity, women could make a difference in the peace process. 31. Many representatives emphasized that equality and development could only be achieved with the attainment of peace. A few representatives emphasized that there was a large amount of potential material and financial resources that could be diverted from military to peaceful purposes, that would significantly contribute to socio-economic development. One representative drew attention to the detrimental effects of armed conflicts on the socio-economic development of one affected country in particular and on the region in general. It stressed further the linkage between the enjoyment of good health and peace, since the enjoyment of a wholesome life could not be attained if the women’s health was poor. 32. Several representatives and observers emphasized that war and armed conflict were the main obstacles to the achievement of equality for women worldwide. They drew attention to the issue of violence against women during times of war, referring especially to the situation prevailing in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the incidences of armed conflict elsewhere, and urged the Commission, as well as the international community, to take action and to condemn violence against women as a violation of human rights. It was agreed that all violence against women was barbaric and contemptible and they called for strict legislation against violence directed at women during wartime. 33. A few representatives stated that violence against women during times of war, when women were often used as instruments to humiliate the adversary, should be denounced as a war crime. It was stated that the perpetrators of violence against women during times of war should be judged by a United Nations tribunal. Several representatives called upon the international community to provide further humanitarian aid to women and children in situations of armed conflict worldwide. It was suggested that the contribution of women’s non-governmental organizations and individual women to alleviating the plight of victims of armed conflict worldwide should be recognized by the international community. 34. It was agreed that the concept of peace should be understood not only in the context of the abolition of war and the resolution of conflicts, but also in the context of the elimination of violence within the family and within society. A few representatives supported the idea of the establishment of a special rapporteur on violence against women under the auspices of the Commission on Human Rights, as well as the establishment of a global monitoring system on -74-