NGOs have a significant role to play, alongside governments, in improving the status of women.

By and large, women in New Zealand are fortunate compared with some other countries, including many in our own region. But there is still progress to be made.

Peace is a fragile thing. It takes courage to secure it. It takes wisdom to maintain it.

On many occasions New Zealand has spoken about the need to ensure that women's concerns are fully integrated into all aspects of the United Nations' activities and structures, not marginalised in one part of the Secretariat.

The decision by France to resume nuclear testing in the South Pacific has destroyed this hope and raised a storm of protest at home, in the South Pacific and thankfully around the world.

Equality and development will not be achieved however if peace is not understood from women's' point of view.

Hollow commitments to action in the future are insufficient. Deferring difficult issues must not be tolerated. Our children and grandchildren expect us to speak and act decisively.