Member-States Statements at the 10-Year Anniversary Event to Commemorate the Establishment of the Mandate on Sexual Violence in Conflict

Statements from the Delegations of Argentine Republic, Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Poland and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (30 October 2019)

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Intervención del Representante Permanente de la Argentina ante Naciones Unidas

En el décimo aniversario del establecimiento del mandato de la Representante Especial del Secretario General para Violencia Sexual en Conflicto, la Argentina agradece por sus continuos esfuerzos y compromiso en su compleja tarea;

Consideramos que la prevención y el combate contra la violencia sexual en conflicto deben estar al frente de todos los esfuerzos de prevención y de mantenimiento, consolidación y sostenimiento de la paz por parte de la Organización y la comunidad internacional en su conjunto. En tal sentido, su mandato contribuye claramente a generar mayor consciencia y buscar soluciones a largo plazo que tengan como eje a las víctimas en el centro del accionar de los Estados;

Permítame recordar que la adopción de la Resolución 69/293 que Decide proclamar el 19 de junio de cada año “Día Internacional para la Eliminación de la Violencia Sexual en los Conflictos”, fue una iniciativa de mi país que contó con el copatrocinio de 114 Estados miembros, lo cual representa una muestra clara de la seriedad y la importancia que la comunidad internacional otorga a esta temática;

La violencia sexual en conflicto representa una de las más atroces y terribles violaciones a la dignidad humana, lo que constituye una inconfundible e ineludible amenaza a la paz y la seguridad internacionales. Es por ello que debemos continuar aunando esfuerzos para asegurar la protección, promoción y pleno goce de todos los derechos humanos de hombres y mujeres, niños y niñas, en condiciones de igualdad;

En dicha tarea la Representante Especial cuenta con el fuerte apoyo de mi país a su mandato, y estamos comprometidos a seguir trabajando en forma conjunta para fortalecer esta agenda en las Naciones Unidas.

Muchas gracias.

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Canada Intervention

Thank you, Special Representative Patten for convening us today.

We have collectively made important progress on this issue. That progress is due to the leadership of Special Representative Patten and her predecessors, and their teams; the commitments of member states; UN partners; the civil society organizations that we’ve heard time and again today are the most important, and often simply the only providers of services.

Without a doubt, any progress is due to the courage of survivors who have shown us the way.

I’m also saddened to think that if many of us looked at the statements our countries made ten years ago when this office was established, too much of the text we used then would still be relevant today.

We are still highlighting that sexual violence is increasingly used as a deliberate and horrific tactic of warfare.

That we cannot tolerate impunity.

That survivors must have access to comprehensive support and must inform every aspect of our work.

We are still needing to emphasize that a survivor-centred approach cannot occur without women at decision-making tables. And, that to prevent sexual violence and uphold the rights of survivors, we need to implement the full Women, Peace, and Security agenda – recognizing that the four pillars are wholly interconnected.

Canada will keep working for as long as it takes to bring about these changes – always learning, and looking both inwards, and around the world.

We will keep a focus on gender inequality as a structural root cause of violence.

And, we will continue to recognize that sexual and reproductive health is essential to women’s autonomy and human rights. Indeed, upholding access to sexual and reproductive health services is a primary objective of Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

We’re immensely grateful to the survivors who showed immense bravery sharing your testimonies with us today.

I hope that our ambitions will rise to your expectations and translate into concrete progress.

And that colleagues who speak on this issue ten years from now will have much less to say, and will be able to use our remarks here today only as reference points to illustrate how much progress has been made since.

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Speech by Ms. Seija Kinni, Coordinator, Women, peace and security, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Madame Chair, Excellencies

The Secretary-General’s latest report to the Security Council on conflict-related sexual violence provides harrowing accounts of violations and gaps in responses, including in justice and services. It also spotlights the impact of structural gender inequalities and discrimination, which inhibit women’s full, effective, equal and meaningful participation in political, economic, and social life as well as women’s full access to responsive justice and security institutions.

Promoting gender equality and women’s participation is critical if we are to ever tackle the causes of sexual violence. We must always remember that women are powerful actors. We have to ensure that women are involved in political decision-making and in economic life in their societies, and that their voices are heard and respected.

Therefore, investments in gender equality and women’s full enjoyment of human rights – not least in fragile states ­– must be seen as core to preventing sexual violence in conflict.

We all should work in unity to condemn human rights violations and discrimination and prevent all forms of gender-based violence, including against women human rights defenders.

Sexual rights, the rights of girls and women, and equality are very important for Finland.  Preventing and responding to sexual-and gender based violence is a priority for us.

Various accountability measures are needed to prevent international crimes from reoccurring and to help ensure justice for victims of ongoing and past conflicts.

We support the work of the UN Team of Experts on Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflicts, especially their projects in Africa.

We commend the important work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its Trust Fund for Victims, which Finland has supported consistently. Our latest multi-year contribution to the Fund is ear-marked for victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

Justice Rapid Response and UN Women are doing valuable work in investigating SGBV crimes.

Effective measures to end impunity should be combined with multi-sectoral services to survivors of sexual violence, including their access to legal services and health services. We have to ensure survivors’ access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health services.

Finland was one of the first countries to finance the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria. We commend the decision to integrate gender perspectives and expertise on sexual and gender-based crimes and crimes against children into the Mechanism.

This 10-year Anniversary calls for more action to fullfil the Mandate on Sexual Violence in Conflict. We welcome the International Fund for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and look forward to have a closer look at it.

Thank you.

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Remarks by Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations  

Thank you South Africa and the Office of the Special Representative for today’s event. Ireland fully supports the mandate on Sexual Violence in Conflict and recognises its significant achievements in the fight against impunity for conflict related sexual violence. We welcome the focus on putting survivors at the centre and amplifying their voices, voices we have heard loud and clear today. We owe a great debt to survivors of sexual violence for having the courage to challenge taboos, speak out and drive forward international action. I am thinking of women of awesome resilience, such as Nadia Murad, and the moving testimony I heard from a female peacekeeper from South Africa this week who spoke of her experience of sexual violence on a tour of duty in Darfur.

Ireland recognises that gender inequality is at the root of sexual violence in times both of war and peace. We welcome the work of the mandate to drive home this understanding.

To prevent sexual violence we need to advance gender equality before, during and after conflict, including by ensuring women’s full and effective participation in political, economic and social life and ensuring gender-responsive justice and security institutions.

Promoting gender equality is central to Ireland’s foreign policy. Earlier this year we launched our new policy for international development, A Better World, which recognises that gender equality is fundamental for the transformation required to achieve the SDGs.

In 2019, we have increased by 33% our funding to partners supporting gender-based violence prevention and response interventions in conflict affected and fragile contexts. This includes funding for the ICRC’s Special Appeal on Response to Sexual Violence and a multi-year partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to support the provision of GBV prevention and response services in conflict affected and fragile contexts in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Our Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security includes commitments to support women and girl’s protection in fragile and conflict affected contexts and to strengthen mechanisms to ensure the protection and rehabilitation of women in Ireland affected by conflict. We recognise the need to be pro-active in continuing to prevent and respond to the crimes of conflict related sexual violence, particularly within our peacekeeping work.

Our determination comes not only from conviction but also from experience. One of the most malign impacts of the conflict in Northern Ireland was the effect it had on women, including in regard to domestic and gender-based violence.

As I have said elsewhere this week, the convergence of milestone anniversaries on gender equality in 2020 are not, in my view, moments for celebration, but rather calls to action.  We still live in a world where over 50 parties to conflict are credibly suspected of having instigated patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence in situations on the Security Council’s agenda, where women are increasingly targets of political violence, and where 1 in 5 refugee or displaced women experience sexual violence.

The cost of collective failures to stand up for women, peace and security is devastating and has generational consequences. It is time to move from talk to action.

Ireland looks forward to continuing to support the Office in implementing its mandate to address sexual violence in conflict and in converting cultures of impunity into cultures of justice and accountability.

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National Statement of the Permanent Representative of Italy

Excellencies, colleagues, (all protocol observed),

I would like to thank South Africa and the office of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict for organizing this important event to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the mandate of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The live testimony of the courageous survivors who shared their stories with us, today, reminded us once again that fighting the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence must remain a priority for all of us. For Italy, it is indeed at the top of our agenda: it was pivotal during our last term in the Security Council in 2017 and we continue to devote to it our greatest attention as we plan further initiatives in view of the twentieth anniversary of UNSCR 1325.

In his 2019 Report on Conflict Related Sexual Violence, the Secretary General described a picture that remains utterly gloomy: sexual related crimes continue to be used, all too often, as part of a global war strategy by State and non-State actors, and States continue to face frequent setbacks when exercising the responsibility to protect their nationals. Even though progress towards combating the culture of impunity has been made in some countries, accountability and non-compliance with UNSC resolutions are still an open wound, and much remains to be done. As we had the chance to express during the Open Debate of last April, Italy is ready to support the horizontal recommendations set forth by the Secretary General.

In particular, we support the inclusion of sexual violence as an automatic and independent designation criterion in all relevant sanction regimes. We also agree that the work of the Security Council should benefit from a more systematic involvement of the International Criminal Court. When investigations and prosecutions by national or international courts are not possible, the Security Council should create international fact-finding mechanisms in order to conduct gender-sensitive investigations, and ensure the collection and preservation of evidence.

Tackling the root causes of violence is key, as the prevention of systematic sexual violence begins in times of peace, when national laws should be sufficiently robust to prevent permissive attitudes in wartime. Training on gender sensitivity and the prevention of sexual exploitation should be a mandatory component of national military and police training, as well as pre-deployment and in-mission training of all UN Peacekeeping and civilian personnel. To this end, Italy stands ready to provide its contribution through the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) in Vicenza, offering specialized courses on the rule of law, protection of civilians, sexual and gender-based violence in conflict, and the WPS Agenda.

 Establishing a stronger women presence in UN missions should also be a priority, in order to facilitate the dialogue with local populations and encourage victims to speak out. At the same time, it is fundamental to assist Countries in situations of conflict in reforming their judicial systems and strengthening the rule of law and the accountability mechanisms.

We concur on the need of a survivor-centered approach: the international community should provide appropriate reintegration support, in order to restore the social fabric of societies after conflict. This includes  reaffirming  our commitment to the promotion, protection and fulfilment of the right of every individual to have full control and responsibly over their sexual and reproductive health, free from discrimination, coercion and violence.

Italy is the largest contributor to the UN Trust Fund on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. The launch of a new Fund for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence is timely and important, and we will positively consider the possibility of contributing.

Finally, female leadership opportunities are essential for prevention and reconciliation: violence stems from deeply entrenched patriarchal societal rules, which can only be dismantled through the active engagement of women in the decision-making system.

Involving the civil society is also key to achieve sustainable results over the years. The presence in this room of the Nobel Prize laureates Dr. Denis Mukwege and Ms. Nadia Murad is the paramount evidence of the essential role that the civil society can play.

Let me conclude by reaffirming once again, as stated during yesterday`s Open debate, Italy’s strong commitment to the WPS agenda and, in this context, to the fight against sexual violence in conflicts. We will continue to support fully the work of the Secretary-General and that of his Special Representative in order to pursue greater and increasingly tangible results in this field.

Thank you.

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Statement by H.E. Karel J.G. van Oosterom, Permanent Representative of The Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations

Thank you Madame Moderator [Ms Pamela Falk, CBS News] for the floor.

We would like to congratulate SRSG Ms. Pramila Patten and her team on the 10-year Anniversary of the SRSG’s mandate. And with today’s launch of the Global Fund for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. Since the establishment of your office, conflict related sexual violence has become central to discussions about peace and accountability processes. Your office has been instrumental in the documentation of evidence of sexual violence in conflict. Important milestones have been achieved. Yet there is a long way to go. Sexual violence continues to be part of the broader strategy of conflict. Women and girls, men and boys, who faced these crimes are scarred for life. It is positive to see more global attention for survivors. Your efforts have contributed to amplifying their voices. We thank survivors for their bravery to speak about their experiences today. It brings me to my first point. The importance of adopting a survivor-centered approach.

Point 1: Adopting a survivor-based approach

We want to emphasize the importance of listening to survivors of sexual violence and respecting their rights, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights. Survivors should be the drivers of their personal recovery process. We reiterate the importance of res. 2467 as the first resolution that outlines a survivor-centered approach. This is a major step towards inclusiveness of survivors and respecting their needs. Choice is at the corner stone of the survivor centered approach. We should support survivors with information and with comprehensive health services. This includes the right of a women or girl to make herself the decision whether or not to terminate pregnancy as a result of rape. Health services for survivors should also include mental health and psychosocial support. A holistic, survivor-centered approach empowers and builds resilience of affected individuals and communities. Many good practices exist: one-stop centers, women safe spaces, female police, and strengthening traditional justice structures. These interventions need adequate financing by donors and adoption in national systems and action plans. The impunity gap for sexual violence must be closed, which brings me to my second point.

Point 2: Accountability

Justice and accountability are key to deterrence and prevention of sexual violence in conflict. Despite increased attention to ending impunity for sexual violence crimes, accountability remains elusive. Sexual violence is used as a tool to instill fear, humiliate and punish not only the victim, but entire communities. Therefore it has been widely recognized as a weapon of war. We have seen this in northern Iraq, where ISIS committed a widespread and systematic campaign of abduction, rape and sexual slavery against the Yezidi community. More than 6000 women and girls were abducted, enslaved and held in captivity by Daesh. Many remain missing. Those who returned to their communities face stigmatization and trauma. Perpetrators of these crimes need to be held accountable. Accountability remains one of our country’s top priorities. As Security Council member, we pushed for adoption of sexual violence as stand-alone designation criterion in sanctions regimes. This led to the inclusion of a reference to sexual and gender based crimes in four sanctions regimes. Furthermore, we should push for criminal investigation and prosecution of these crimes. When states are unable or unwilling to prosecute, the International Criminal Court can play an important role in holding perpetrators accountable. This brings me to my final point.

Point 3: Netherlands’ commitment to implementation

 Our National Action Plans, programming and diplomatic efforts are geared towards protection against sexual and gender based violence. Jubilee year 2020 will provide great momentum. For Women, Peace and Security-programs, EUR 40 million will be available. Double the amount of previous programs. Financing is a tool, but too often, we see scattered interventions while not addressing the political economy of conflict. We call for better coordination of WPS funding and diplomacy. Major impact can only be achieved if we work together. We count on effective leadership in this regard by all multilateral organizations.

Madame Moderator, I thank you for the floor.

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Statement of H.E. Masud Bin Momen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the United Nations

Madam Chair,

It gives me great pleasure to speak at this commemorative event. We thank the organizers and delegation of South Africa for arranging it.

We acknowledge the important work carried out by the SRSG in taking forward the mandated work. Over the years the mandate also evolved to address newer forms of violence and abuse in conflict situations. We thank the SRSG for taking great interest in listening to victims, assessing the situation on the ground and its gravity, following due process in information, evidence and data collection.

Madam Chair,

Bangladesh appreciates the recent endeavour of the international community in addressing the SVC through a Survivor Centered approach. The adoption of SCR 2467 in April this year is expected to bring a perspective shift in the treatment of conflict-related sexual violence initiated under SCR 1888. The resolution represents a powerful new instrument in our fight to eradicate this menace, significantly strengthening prevention through justice and accountability and affirming, for the first time, that a survivor-centred approach must guide every aspect of the response of affected countries and the international community.

We find this very significant in the context of Rohingya crisis. Since 25 August 2017, the Myanmar military and security forces unleased in the Rakhine state a reign of terror on the Rohingya population. Particularly Rohingya women and girls were subject to sexual violence and rape which many referred to “as a tactic of war”. Many did not survive. Those who did shared with the SRSG on several occasions and to other high officials of the UN including the SG their horrific experience. Still traumatized these victims underscored one fundamental demand–justice.

In September 2018, under a Framework of Cooperation on addressing Conflict-Related Sexual violence against displaced Rohingya population from Myanmar hosted in Bangladesh signed between Government of Bangladesh and the United Nations, we are cooperating with the SRSG on SVC on five-priority areas of cooperation and capacity building guided by the SCR 1888 and the engagement of the inter-agency network “UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict”. We are ready to take forward the good work.

We, the international community, therefore, has the obligation under international law, to address the issue. The various SC resolutions, which have the provisions for ensuring justice and accountability, must be implemented to hold all the perpetrators, who commanded, committed and condoned, to justice. The Security Council has the authority and they should take custodianship of such process.

Today’s observance also includes launching an International Fund for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. Our delegation reiterates its support to the SRSG and her office to work with the international community to stop and prevent sexual violence in conflict. It is crucial that we translate promises into practice, and resolutions into solutions.

I thank you.

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Statement by Poland

Madam Special Representative, Excellencies, Distinguished guests,

It is decade since that the Security Council first agreed that sexual violence in conflict is not simply a gross violation of human rights, but also a security challenge that destabilizes communities and undermines post conflict reconciliation and stability. The last 10 years showed a paradigm shift in the understanding of the scale, forms and root cases of conflict-related sexual violence and its impact on international peace and security. It has been understood that preventing sexual violence requires the advancement of substantive gender equality before, during and after conflict, including by ensuring women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in political, economic and social life and ensuring accessible and responsive justice and security institutions.

Despite international recognition of sexual violence as a crime against humanity, this devastating abuse continues to plague conflicts around the world. Survivors still too often lack access to the comprehensive services they need to recover. The human rights activists fighting to prevent sexual violence are themselves under growing attack.

Sexual violence has massive long-term repercussions. This is particularly true for children born of sexual violence. It is difficult to think of a more tragic situation than the one faced by innocent children, who through no fault of their own suffer not only discrimination but also the most extreme forms of stigma by their families and their communities. They are often denied nationality, excluded from school, deprived of medical treatment and subjected to physical and psychological violence; only because they were born of sexual violence. These children are as much victims of sexual violence as their mothers.

The Arria formula meeting organized by Poland in October 2018, on the plight of children born of sexual violence, was the first time the Security Council addressed this issue. We are proud to see that only a year later the question of children born of sexual violence is seen as integral part of the sexual violence agenda and it has gained an international attention it deserves. We see this as our legacy and one of achievements of our term as non-permanent member of the Security Council.

We look forward to the report of the UN Secretary General on the children born of sexual violence. We are sure it will help us to understand it better and find ways to develop best policies to protect children born of sexual violence as well as their mothers.

Madam Special Representative,

I would like to assure you of Poland’s continued supported for your mandate and your leadership in fighting conflict-related sexual violence.

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