蘑菇视频

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we meet today at a time of intersecting crises that challenge a multilateral, rules-based international order.

Over the past fourteen years, the United Nations Security Council has enacted six specific resolutions on sexual violence in conflict that declare that rape and other forms of sexual violence can be used as a tactic of war and terror and is a threat to international peace and security; that such conflict-related sexual violence can and must be prevented; and that survivor-centered accountability is necessary to end impunity for such crimes.

These resolutions on sexual violence in conflict are being tested as never before.

Presently, the continent of Europe faces what could become its worst humanitarian crisis in decades due to the conflict in Ukraine. I have specifically called upon all parties to the conflict in Ukraine to ensure the protection of all civilians, especially women and girls who are at heightened risk for violence. All parties to the conflict must uphold human rights and the dignity of all persons by ensuring the application of international humanitarian law and human rights, including the categorial prohibition on sexual violence.

Further, we have seen massive displacement in Ukraine including internally and to third countries due to the fighting. Wherever there is massive displacement, there is further risk for sexual violence and exploitation.

I am also gravely concerned about humanitarian access to those in need, especially women and girls, and attacks on civilian infrastructure and health care facilities, which are critical to ensure sustained access to services including sexual and reproductive health care and psychosocial support and we must include as a priority life-saving support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence within our humanitarian response. However, our best solution to the conflict in Ukraine is to follow the Secretary-General鈥檚 call for the immediate cessation of hostilities.

Ladies and gentlemen, the situation in Ukraine has brought into focus the element of prevention of sexual and gender-based violence at the very beginning of the conflict that is fundamental to my mandate and the Call to Action on Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies. My mandate is presently elaborating a prevention strategy for conflict-related sexual violence through the 蘑菇视频 Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict network, which I chair.

The 蘑菇视频 Action Network is comprised of 21 蘑菇视频 entities including those in the humanitarian sphere with key mandates on gender-based violence. And indeed, several entities from the 蘑菇视频 Action network have signed off on the Call to Action. The holistic framework on prevention currently in development, benefits from the unique technical expertise of all 21 entities. It will have a strong emphasis on addressing root causes and justice and accountability. Ultimately, I see it as a practical tool and guidance that can be implemented at the local, regional, and national levels to provide stakeholders, especially governments and 蘑菇视频 agencies a road map to foster stronger prevention efforts accompanied by commensurate programmatic components in support of these efforts.

We have seen the cost of failure to prevent sexual violence in multiple conflicts across the globe. In Tigray, Ethiopia women have been raped and gang-raped at gun point, in a manner that shocks the conscience of humanity. Women and girls in Afghanistan must navigate the new reality of Taliban rule and are in desperate humanitarian condition. During the midst of pandemic recovery, we have an epidemic of coups from Myanmar to Sudan, where sexual violence has been used against peaceful process and in Guinea and Mali where progress on justice for sexual violence now meets setback and delay.

And we continue to have significant reports of conflict-related sexual violence occurring in the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Syria. These situations will be highlighted in this year鈥檚 annual report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence that will be debated before the Security Council in April.

In the wake of these intersecting crises, we must increase our global efforts to ensure accountability. In its resolution 2467 of 2019, the Security Council recognized that survivor-centered justice is essential to the restoration of peace in the aftermath of conflict. And we must have the genuine political, technical, and financial support of the entire international community behind that commitment.

One of my main priorities is ensuring national laws ensure justice for survivors.聽 Therefore, we must ensure laws in every country fully criminalize sexual violence. Such laws not only allow for the prosecution of these offences against specific individuals, but also demonstrates a society鈥檚 disapproval of this conduct overall. That is why my Office released last year Model Legislative Provisions and Guidance on the Investigation and Prosecution to assist countries in ensuring that laws are enacted based on best practices in a survivor-centered manner.

My Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict continues to deploy globally to assist 蘑菇视频 Member States with their consent and approval to support the criminal investigation and prosecution of perpetrators with due process of law, including through the development of necessary legislative frameworks. But I can assure you the demand for these services far outpaces the meager resources of my office.

Yet justice means more to survivors than criminal justice alone. That is why we need the full range holistic transitional justice alongside prosecutions that incorporate victims鈥� assistance and reparation, truth-telling, and the reform of institutions especially in the security sector. Accountability is not merely an 鈥渁dd on鈥� at the end of conflict, for ending impunity for conflict-related sexual violence is the sine qua non of preventing this scourge from further afflicting current and future generations.

Ladies and gentlemen, the only way we can address the numerous concurrent global crises are to do so together. I hope to further explore ways that the United Nations mandate on conflict-related sexual violence can both bolster our relationship with the European Union through a deepening our partnership, common advocacy and concrete projects for solutions. I welcome and support the Call to Action : indeed must 鈥渟tep up鈥� as a global community to prevent, deter, and respond to conflict-related sexual violence.

I thank you.