Statement by Canada – UN High-Level Meeting on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

18 September 2017

Canada thanks the Secretary-General for convening this High-Level Meeting and bringing the highest level of attention to the scourge of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in peace operations. Canada will continue to be a steadfast partner of the United Nations in its efforts to prevent and eradicate SEA.

Acts of sexual exploitation and abuse victimize the very people that the UN is meant to protect and undermine peace operations’ ability to carry out their mandates. It has become clear that systemic reforms are necessary in order to effectively prevent and respond to SEA. We commend the Secretary-General for launching a number of initiatives that will demonstrate the importance of this matter, address systemic issues in preventing and responding to SEA, and adopt an approach centered on the rights and dignity of victims.

In this regard, we applaud the appointment of a Victims’ Rights Advocate, Ms. Jane Connors, who will be a much-needed resource to help ensure that victims can access the support, judicial mechanisms and remedies to which they are entitled. We hope that she will receive the full support of all Member States and all UN departments and agencies. We also look forward to the appointment of victims’ rights advocates on the ground, within the peace operations that have seen the highest numbers of allegations of SEA.

We are also pleased that resources for providing concrete assistance to victims are becoming available through the UN Trust Fund in support of the Victims of SEA, which in many cases may be the only avenue for survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse to receive assistance. Canada is proud to be able to contribute to the Trust Fund, and we encourage all Member States to consider contributing as well, to help ensure support is available to all victims and children born as a result of sexual exploitation and abuse. The specialized support services provided through this Trust Fund are also an important first step in re-gaining the trust of host communities and ensuring the effectiveness of UN peace operations.

A central actor in the efforts to strengthen UN system-wide responses is the Office of the Special Coordinator for improving UN response to SEA, established in 2016. Canada is supporting the vital work of this Office through funds and personnel contributions. Its work aims inter alia, to improve training against SEA, increase awareness of UN standards of conduct, to strengthen chain of command accountability, policy and process, to reinforce vetting and screening procedures for all UN personnel prior to deployment, and to develop the means to track Member States compliance with vetting, screening and certification procedures.  These reforms are all essential to the eradication of SEA, and we continue to wish Special Coordinator Jane Holl Lute every success.

These initiatives, and the goal of eradicating SEA as a whole, require leadership at the uppermost levels, both at the UN and in Member States, to succeed. There must be a clear political signal that the highest standards of conduct are expected from UN peacekeepers, that acts of SEA will not be tolerated, and that all efforts will be undertaken to hold the perpetrators accountable. This is why Canada’s Prime Minister, the Right Honorable Justin Trudeau, has joined the Secretary-General’s Circle of Leadership on SEA. This is also why Canada has entered into a Voluntary Compact for the Elimination of SEA with the Secretary-General, whereby our Government and the Secretary-General take joint responsibility and commit to a set of concrete actions to support and assist victims, to prevent SEA, and to improve accountability.

At the national level, Canada continues to take measures to prevent and address SEA as a matter of priority. We are currently examining ways to further strengthen national practices and frameworks to bolster prevention of SEA and ensure accountability. Lastly, we will be exploring new ways to tackle the scourge of SEA at the upcoming peacekeeping defence ministerial in Vancouver. We look forward to working closely with other Member States and with the UN to improve our own practices and help advance the eradication of SEA from peace operations as a whole.