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Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed faculty members and dear students,

It is both an honor and a privilege to be here with you today at such a prestigious institution, one that embodies excellence in education and innovation. I extend my deepest gratitude to the University of Tokyo for hosting this dialogue on a very painful subject – the scourge of sexual violence in conflict – often referred to as the world’s least-reported and least-condemned crime and one of history’s greatest silence.

Sexual violence during conflicts, used as a tactic of war, terrorism and political repression is one of the most devastating forms of violence committed mainly against women and girls, but also men and boys. It is a crime that scars bodies, minds and futures – inflicted with the intent to shred society’s fabric, to dehumanize, destabilize, the enemy and it does destroy not only the victims but their families and societies.

We gather in very turbulent times. Geo-political divides are widening; conflicts are raging; impunity escalating and inequalities widening. We are witnessing the highest number of conflicts since the Second World War, record military expenditure (a staggering $2.7 trillion), record number of displaced and refugee population (over 130 million) and over, 686 million women and girls living in fragile settings.

Although sexual violence has been part of every war, my mandate as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, was only established in 2009, with the adoption of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵSCR 1888. The recognition by the Security Council of sexual violence as a tactic of war marked a historic turning point in the global recognition of the gravity of wartime rape, not only as a violation of individual human rights, but also as a threat to collective security, an impediment to the restoration of peace, and a crime of concern to the international community as a whole. While there is a robust normative framework with the adoption of five subsequent Security Council resolutions specifically on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), words on paper do not yet match reality on the ground. There is a growing gap between commitments made on the world stage and compliance by parties in theatres of war.

The last annual Report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence, compiled by my Office, paints another disturbing picture of sexual violence being used as a tactic of war, torture, terrorism and political repression. In the course of 2024, more than 4,600 cases were documented, marking a staggering 25 percent increase from 2023, and a shocking 35 percent increase in cases involving children. The report covers 21 countries, with the highest number of cases being recorded in Central African Republic, the DRC, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. Considering that sexual violence in conflict is a chronically underreported crime for multiple reasons ranging from stigma and shame, fear of reprisals, lack of trust in the justice system amongst others, the data only represents the extreme tip of the iceberg. The report highlights disturbing trends – from food insecurity which is increasing the risk of exposure to sexual violence to non-State armed groups, using sexual violence to consolidate their control over territory and lucrative natural resources; to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons which fuels CRSV; the deliberate destruction of medical facilities and looting of medical supplies; and patterns of CRSV in both formal and informal detention settings, as a method of torture to humiliate and intimidate, in order to extract information, as documented in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Ukraine.

There are many unseen faces behind the facts and figures presented in the report. I encourage you to read the report which surfaces very painful human stories, from the young woman in northern Ethiopia, raped by 27 Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers to the Congolese woman gang-raped by members of a Mai-Mai militia or women in Darfur who have committed suicide, rather than face the near-certainty of rape by armed men. The threat, terror and torment of wartime sexual violence is something that many do not survive. We have documented cases of women being killed after rape, with a level of cruelty beyond comprehension.

Almost 17 years since its establishment, the mandate is today at a critical juncture. While needs are mounting everywhere – in Central African Republic, the DRC, Haiti, Sudan, Ukraine and elsewhere, lifesaving services are least accessible at the very moment they are needed most. Humanitarian assistance is being slashed. Shelters for survivors are being shuttered; medical supplies for rape victims are running out and clinics are closing their doors. Women’s frontline organizations are going from underfunded to unfunded.

Although the challenges remain daunting, my Office continues to engage with the authorities at the highest level to offer technical assistance and support. Despite significant funding shortfalls, with the support of some donors, including Japan, the two operational arms of my mandate, the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and SVC and the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Action network, are assisting Governments and are reaching countless previously unreachable or invisible victims. The Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and SVC is supporting many Governments with the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of crimes under civilian and military systems, as well as legislative reform.

Where do we stand today – almost 17 years since the establishment of the mandate? We stand at a crossroad. We have a robust normative framework, an adequate institutional architecture. We have successfully elevated sexual violence from the sidelines of history to a red line in international law. My Office has greatly enhanced its operational reach and impact. More than ever before, we know what works and should be taken to scale. We also have the solemn promise of the Security Council expressed in six specific resolutions on CRSV.

We now need political resolve and resources to make them real. Survivors need more than our solidarity. They need tangible support in the form of holistic services, justice and reparations and economic reintegration. Policy-makers must match their promises with meaningful action to leverage behavioral change. Protection from sexual violence is not merely an aspiration. It is a legal obligation. The plight and rights of survivors must remain our moral compass.

Our success will be measured by how effectively we close protection, assistance, and accountability gaps. All of us must rise to the challenge of our times. Inaction is not an option. Member States must recommit to ensuring that the robust global framework is not an empty promise. Seventeen years after the creation of my mandate, we owe the survivors no less.

For my part, I will continue, in my advocacy role, to urge the international community to give this Agenda the attention, investment, and action it deserves, to replace horror with healing and hope.

Before closing, I turn to you, the future leaders, thinkers and changemakers of the world. I am   here today because I believe in the power of change – change that begins with education and collective action and change that can be embodied within the walls of this very university. The role of universities in combating CRSV is vital. You are not just centers of learning – you are incubators of ideas, platforms for critical discourse and catalysts for action. Education is not solely about acquiring information, it is about transforming that knowledge into a catalyst for social change.

Today, I urge all of you – students and scholars, faculty members and researchers – to embrace the challenge. We need passionate individuals like you to advocate for policies that protect women and girls in conflict situations. The implementation of the Women Peace and Security Agenda requires committed voices, innovative solutions and courageous actions.

Let us work together to ensure that the horrors of sexual violence in conflict become a chapter of the past. I call upon each one of you to harness your knowledge, your voice and your platform to advocate for a world where every individual can live without the fear of violence.

I thank you for your attention and I look forward to answering your questions during the panel discussion.