PSC/PR/BR.(DCCLVII) Page 2 urged Member States to adopt a Zero Tolerance Policy on sexual violence against women and girls. Council emphasized the need to ensure that the protection of the rights of women and children are systematically addressed throughout the planning, design and mandate implementation stages of AU peace support operations (PSOs). Council further emphasized the importance of ensuring that the protection of the rights and wellbeing of women and children are mainstreamed into the work of relevant components of all AU peacekeeping policies, strategies, training and briefing programs. Council emphasized the importance of both pre-deployment and in-mission training on the prevention and combating of gender-based violence, as well as sexual exploitation and abuses against women and girls, for personnel deployed in AU-led PSOs. In this regard, Council requested the Commission to expedite the finalization of the Draft AU Policy on the Prevention and Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuses in AU PSOs and the Draft Conduct and Discipline Policy for AU PSOs. Council underscored the importance of meaningful representation and participation of women and children, particularly those directly affected by conflicts and violent extremism, in conflict prevention, peace-making and peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction processes, with a view to ensuring that their needs and voices are adequately taken into consideration. In this context, Council, reiterated its request for the AU Commission, through the Office of the Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, working in collaboration with the Women and Gender Directorate, to provide mediation capacity building for women, with a view to enhancing women’s participation in mediation efforts. In this respect, Council underlined that the FEMWISE Network should offer the relevant platform in this endeavor. Council further requested the Commission to deploy gender and child rights experts in all AU PSOs and postconflict reconstruction missions. Council also reiterated its request for the Chairperson of the AU Commission to establish a child protection architecture which will be mandated to mainstream the rights and welfare of children in conflict situations into the strategic and operational decision-making processes of the AU. The architecture will also provide necessary leadership on policy, training, monitoring, reporting and advocacy on all issues relating to the AU child protection agenda. In order to enhance the visibility of Council’s efforts in promoting and protecting the rights and welfare of women and children, participants urged Council to consider holding some of its future sessions on the plight of women and children in conflict and crisis situations in some of the Member States that are actually in conflict /crisis situations. Furthermore, participants encouraged Council to invite representatives of women and children from countries in violent conflict situations to address the Council in its future similar sessions.