Freetown — International Alert (IA), a London based organization working on gender equality, economy, governance, humanitarian aid, security, post conflict reconstruction and peace building, Friday ended a two-day forum on United Nation's Security Council Resolution 1325.

Speaking at the forum held at the Presidential Lounge, national stadium II project coordinator Jackson Speare II said "International Alert is in Sierra Leone to observe and strengthen the peace process, train women on United Nation's Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325."

Jackson said IA looks forward to building sustainable peace in post conflict countries and since Sierra Leone was one of the countries that were just emerging from war, his organization was working to explain UNSCR.

"We are working in areas affected or threatened by armed conflicts in order to make a positive difference on the impact of United Nation's Security Council Resolution 1325 on women," Jackson said.

He said IA has a base in the Great Lakes region, West Africa, the Caucasus, the Andean region of South America, and South Asia.

Deputy minister of social welfare gender and children's affairs Jenneh Kandeh said her ministry was prepared to work with any organization that was geared towards empowering women.

This ministry is working to ensure the provision of services to the socially marginalized "Women need help. I am very happy with International Alert because it organized the 1325 UNSCR forum. That shows that in a long run women will be empowered in all areas of development," Kandeh said.

Social Welfare ministry was working on the affairs of women, dealing with disadvantaged children and children affected by the war.

IA was also a peacebuilding organization working in over 20 countries and territories around the world.

A representative from the Sierra Leone Non Governmental Organization (SLANGO) Shellac Sonny-Davies said: "The aim of the programme was for women to participate in peace processes, gender training, promotion of women's rights and gender mainstreaming."

Sonny-Davies said the Security Council resolution 1325 was unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council in October 2000.

The resolution, she said, called for the protection of women rights during the armed rebellion in the country and the prosecution of perpetrators of violence against women during the conflict.