蘑菇视频

Madam President of the IPU Assembly,

Mr. Martin Chungong, Secretary General of IPU,

Distinguished parliamentarians,

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

I commend the IPU for shining the spotlight on the global humanitarian situation. This event could not be more timely, in a context marked by global turbulence as conflicts rage, military coups erupt, human rights trampled, and gender equality gains are reversed. The world is facing a record number of conflicts since World War II, a record number of forcibly displaced persons (117.2 million according to 蘑菇视频HCR), more than 600 million women and girls living in conflict-affected countries in 2022, a 50 percent increase since 2017.

Civilians around the world are in need of greater humanitarian aid鈥攚ith an increase of 25 % just over the last year. This is compounded by an unprecedented level of global military expenditure that has exceeded 2.2 trillion USD, while funding for urgent humanitarian and protection needs of civilians, is shrinking. Conflict and war are not gender neutral. While both men and women are affected by conflict, crisis situations have a differentiated impact on them. Modern warfare is having a devastating effect on the lives and dignity of women and girls, exposing them to heightened risks of violations of their human rights, including sexual violence. We are seeing new and emerging trends of sexual violence in a context marked by increased militarization and illicit arms proliferation. Food insecurity is another serious emerging concern which is directly interconnected with the increased risks of exposure to sexual violence, particularly in the context of displacement. From Gaza, to Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti, and eastern DRC, we see surging physical and food insecurity as a result of conflict and lawlessness.

Last year during a visit to Eastern DRC, I saw firsthand, lives shattered by displacement, sexual violence and acute food insecurity with women and girls forced into prostitution as a means of survival. Women and girls are being subjected to sexual violence while carrying out livelihood activities around the camps, such as collecting wood or water. These women and girls were confronted with the unacceptable choice between economic subsistence and sexual violence, between their livelihoods and their lives.

In Libya, displaced women and girls are reportedly detained by smugglers and transnational criminal networks and forced to exchange sex for food. In Afghanistan, high levels of displacement, poverty and food insecurity are exacerbating harmful coping mechanisms, including forced marriage.

Protection concerns for civilians are also on the rise, including risks of sexual violence and trafficking, in a global context where humanitarian access is severely limited and where parties to conflicts, target civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, rendering the access to life-saving services for survivors more challenging.

In Sudan, the humanitarian crisis has left more than 9 million forcibly displaced persons since April 2023, with disturbing reports of different forms of sexual violence, including rape, gang rape and trafficking of women and girls, for purposes of sexual exploitation, sexual slavery and child and forced marriage. In addition, the hostilities have destroyed civilian infrastructure, making access to basic services, including sexual and reproductive health, extremely challenging for those in need.

The consequences of sexual violence are devastating. It adversely and profoundly affects women鈥檚 physical, sexual and reproductive, and mental health. The massive and widespread destruction of health facilities in Ukraine, is severely impeding access to life-saving medicines. The World Health Organization has verified more than 1,000 attacks on health care facilities in Ukraine since the invasion by the Russian Federation in February 2022. Such attacks rob entire communities of essential health services that are needed to save lives.

In Gaza, we are seeing how the conflict is characterized by acute food insecurity and the decimation of health facilities, in addition to the challenges that humanitarian actors are facing to ensure an adequate supply of assistance. This is resulting in negative consequences for pregnant, nursing, and new mothers, including the unprecedented scale of women reported to have died before or during childbirth.

In Haiti, women and girls continue to be subjected to brutal sexual violence, while armed gangs have taken over most of the capital and control access to essential resources, such as water, food, fuel and medical services.

In Libya, Mali, Myanmar and Sudan, service providers, women-led organizations and women human rights defenders are being threatened with sexual violence by parties to the conflict, limiting survivor鈥檚 access to life-saving services, protection and redress.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

The proliferation of conflicts and widespread insecurity is causing unprecedented suffering and is reversing hard-won progress on women鈥檚 rights. Yet, this dire picture is not inevitable or irreversible. 聽Civilians need more than our solidarity; they need concerted action and political resolve to ensure their protection. Women are too often excluded from leadership and decision-making roles, when it comes to humanitarian responses. I encourage you to use your position as parliamentarians to ensure that women are part of the solution as their needs will remain unaddressed as long as their voices are absent in the design and implementation of humanitarian interventions. The best form of protection is prevention. You know that women have acted as peace mediators in families and societies for generations and have proved instrumental in conflict prevention. You must use your platform to reinforce these skills. By taking into account their capabilities and vulnerabilities, by supporting initiatives that offer protection from sexual and gender-based violence, by improving the availability of quality health care and reproductive health services, by providing access to education and skills development training and by providing assistance to income generating and other economic activities for women, you can promote the full participation of women in conflict prevention and post conflict peace-building.

In a world facing wars of lethal weapons and wars of territory, we need peace based on the full respect of international humanitarian and human rights law, to guarantee justice, dignity, protection and development for all. This should not be just an aspiration, but your primary goal.

Thank you.