Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In my recent briefings to the United Nations Security Council, I posed the question: “What do the ten resolutions on Women, Peace and Security – half of which focus squarely on eradicating conflict-related sexual violence – mean right now for a woman in Ukraine?” Despite robust normative commitments, the world has seen mounting allegations of sexual violence since the invasion of 24th of February and heard harrowing testimonies of brutal sexual violence. By mid-May, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Team was aware of 108 acts of CRSV committed against women, girls, men, and boys, across a range of regions. As always, reported incidents of sexual violence, in the midst of active armed conflict, represent only the extreme tip of the iceberg. This conflict has cost thousands of lives, displaced millions, and dramatically increased the risk of sexual violence – war’s oldest, most silenced, and least condemned crime. The focus of this session- a survivor-centered approach to accountability, is critical to breaking the vicious cycle of silence and impunity, by giving voice and choice to the survivors.
On 3 May, I traveled to Kyiv and signed a Framework of Cooperation with the Government of Ukraine, which includes specific commitments to advance accountability for sexual violence crimes. My Office will support these efforts, including through the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict. I also visited Poland and Moldova, in response to warning signs of conflict-driven trafficking in persons, including for the purposes of sexual exploitation. For predators and human traffickers, this war is not a tragedy but an opportunity, with over 90 percent of those fleeing Ukraine being women and children. It is critical that individuals and networks implicated in human trafficking are held accountable, and that border guards, police, and immigration officials in Ukraine as well as in refugee-receiving countries are trained to detect and deter these crimes.
Historically, accountability for sexual violence crimes has been the rare exception, rather than the rule. We cannot allow this history of justice delayed and justice denied to be repeated in relation to events currently unfolding in Ukraine. Instead, we must urgently adopt a “survivor-centered approach” that prioritizes survivors’ rights, needs, and aspirations over any political considerations. This will be a critical contribution to restoring peace and offering the survivors a measure of healing and hope.
The first step for any survivor is to ensure their physical, psychological, and economic security, which is foundational for safe reporting. Sexual violence survivors face acute risks of stigmatization, rejection, reprisals, and re-traumatization. Accountability cannot be separated from investment in comprehensive services for survivors, including measures to address stigmatization and support to socioeconomic reintegration. I urge you member states hosting refugees to provide a safe and enabling environment for survivors, with access to comprehensive services, including sexual and reproductive healthcare, specialized trauma counseling and psychosocial support. I have heard reports that some survivors are reluctant to come forward to seek even basic medical care, due to fear that their personal information may be reported to the authorities without their consent. We must urgently implement all protocols in place to uphold the “do no harm” principle, including the need to respect confidentiality and ensure the informed consent of the survivor. Security protocols are also critical to protect those being interviewed. This is paramount to building trust and confidence in accountability processes. All justice processes must ensure the engagement and involvement of the affected communities, the victims and survivors. The experiences are theirs. The “evidence” is theirs. The justice is for them. And it is clear that nothing about them, without them, can ever be truly for them.
Effective accountability processes are built on the systematic gathering of timely, reliable, accurate, and objective information. Documentation is not an end in itself. Evidence collection is not justice, evidence is only as valuable as its end-use. We cannot be content with remaining mere archivist. Beyond evidence collection a clear prosecutorial and prioritization strategy is necessary to ensure that sexual violence crimes will be prosecuted. This is why, the operational methodology of my Team of Experts on Rule of Law is to ensure that today’s documentation translates into tomorrow’s prosecutions.
Finally, our efforts must be complementary and coordinated. We have heard too often of survivors facing “interview fatigue,” after dealing with a multiplicity of actors. An uncoordinated approach can risk tainting the evidence, generating inconsistencies that can result in testimony being discredited in a court of law, and more importantly, retraumatizing victims and witnesses. It can also result in gaps and overlaps in the response.
We know that a culture of impunity for sexual violence fuels violations and emboldens the perpetrators. Let us therefore put all perpetrators and potential perpetrators, at any level of the chain of command, on notice that they will face the full force of justice according to law. At the same time, we must deliver justice to the victims, including reparations and redress.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a pivotal moment where we can and must ensure that commitments on paper are translated into practical action for survivors. My mandate will do everything in its power to support that goal.
Thank you.