Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict - Statement by a number of Member States

23 April 2019

Madam/Mister President

I am pleased to speak on behalf of 56 Member States, representing all five regional groups of the United Nations. ^{Footnote 1}

On this 10th anniversary of the mandate of the SRSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict, we applaud the critical work carried out by Ms. Patten and pledge our full support to her office.

We remain outraged by the persistent and widespread occurrence of sexual violence in armed conflict committed by State and non-State actors. Sexual violence in conflict is not inevitable and is never acceptable. We underline that a climate of impunity discourages reporting, undermines assistance, and abets further violations. Therefore, we are gravely concerned that despite the systematic use of sexual violence by groups such as Daesh and Boko Haram no individuals from such groups have been convicted for sexual violence crimes.

Responsibility for the fight against impunity lies with us, the UN Member States. Addressing and preventing sexual violence is a core commitment of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. We must ensure that robust legal and institutional arrangements are in place to address sexual violence in armed conflict and that steps are taken to investigate and prosecute perpetrators.

As information is an essential prerequisite for accountability, we support survivor-centered efforts to more systematically document and report sexual violence in armed conflict and post-conflict situations. In this regard, we urge the Secretary General to ensure gender and sexual violence expertise is included in international procedures, such as investigative mechanisms, commissions of inquiry, UN fact-finding missions, and Security Council sanctions committees.

We repeat our call on the Security Council to systematically and explicitly incorporate and apply sexual violence as a designation criterion in UN sanction regimes; where such crimes are persistently perpetrated. We affirm that amnesties should not be granted to perpetrators of sexual violence and sexual violence should be explicitly prohibited by the terms of ceasefires and peace agreements.

In all our efforts to ensure accountability, we must not lose sight of the needs and rights of survivors of sexual violence in conflict.  As a starting point, the UN and its Member States should place a greater emphasis on listening to the diverse voices of survivors as well as collaborating with the civil society organizations working to address sexual violence in armed conflict. This approach helps empower survivors, identify barriers to assistance and justice, avoid further harm, and improve our collective response and accountability.

Sexual violence against men and boys is also an expression of unequal gender norms.  Responses must take into account the diverse and intersecting experience, identities and needs of all victims and survivors.

Greater efforts are also needed at all levels to ensure that survivors of sexual violence and children born of rape have access to non-discriminatory and comprehensive health services, including sexual and reproductive health, psychosocial, legal, and livelihood support and other multi-sectoral services, taking into account the specific needs of persons with disabilities, and in line with Security Council resolution 2106.

As part of our efforts to secure both accountability and victim support, we recall the importance of providing reparations to survivors of sexual violence in armed conflict.

Finally, sexual violence in conflict is a part of a continuum of violence, including in peacetime, which is fueled by gender inequality. We are of the view that systemic gender-based discrimination, such as the exclusion of women from political life, economic marginalization, and discriminatory legal systems and customs, is conducive to sexual violence in conflict. Any serious effort to prevent and address sexual violence in conflict must move beyond the immediate symptoms and confront structural inequality itself. Such an approach should include the protection of women human rights defenders, themselves the target of attack.