蘑菇视频

Madame Chairperson,

Excellencies,

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to address the Political and Security Committee of the European Union especially in the current context of global turbulence.

Today the world is facing a record number of armed conflicts since World War II, with a war being fought on the doorstep of Europe and civilians being displaced at an unprecedented rate. The global security landscape has suffered a significant deterioration and the 21^st Century battlefields have become sites of unrelenting brutality and atrocity crimes, with sexual violence being used as a tactic of war, terrorism and political repression, primarily targeting women and girls, but also men and boys.

Fifteen years since the establishment of my mandate which recognized sexual violence as a threat to international peace and security, and the adoption of a solid normative framework, our last report to the Security Council in April, revealed an increase in the number of verified cases by a staggering 50 percent from the previous year.

The challenge before us is to close the gap between commitments on paper and compliance in practice; between groundbreaking resolutions and solutions on the ground. Currently, there are听more than 25 country situations听within the remit of my mandate. In each of these contexts, I use my global advocacy platform and direct diplomatic outreach, to galvanize action by the States and parties concerned.

For instance,听I visited听Ukraine in 2022听as soon as the first reports of sexual violence surfaced following the full-scale military invasion by the Russian Federation. I signed a Framework of Cooperation on the Prevention and Response to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence with the Government of Ukraine, which covers five strategic pillars namely: multisectoral service-delivery, justice and accountability, reparations for survivors, mitigating the risk of trafficking in persons, and security sector reform.

The Government of Ukraine has shown remarkable commitment in addressing this problem. Their political resolve coupled with sustained financial support from the international community, including the European Union, has yielded significant results in the implementation of the FOC.

My Team of Experts is providing extensive support in the area of justice and accountability. In addition to legislative reform, it is supporting the Office of the Prosecutor General and its specialized CRSV unit.听 In this regard, I welcome the signature by Ukraine of the Rome Statute which paves the way for more comprehensive accountability for sexual violence crimes including at national level. In addition, my office is also running a comprehensive project which includes the establishment of Survivor Relief Centers providing holistic services to survivors.

In the context of Ukraine鈥檚 EU accession process, it will be critical for the European Union to ensure long term support to the ongoing efforts of the Government in the prevention and response to CRSV which will help them meet EU values, norms and standards in the area of rule of law, justice and women鈥檚 rights.

Concerning the Middle East, I led a team of technical experts to Israel earlier this year, in response to allegations of sexual violence reportedly committed during the attacks of 7 October 2023 and their aftermath. We found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that sexual violence occurred in at least three locations during the 7 October attacks. We also found clear and convincing information that sexual violence including rape, sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment had been committed against some women and children captive and have reasonable ground to believe that such violence may still be ongoing against those still held in captivity.

At the same time, I am gravely concerned about recent mounting reports of alleged sexualized torture by Israeli forces in the context of arrest and detention. I will continue to engage with the Israeli government urging them for swift independent investigations in order to hold all perpetrators accountable and to deter any further violations by all parties.

In Sudan, the renewed conflict has resulted in the world鈥檚 largest displacement crisis. I recently returned from Eastern Chad, where more than 620,000 refugees, including survivors of sexual violence, have sought protection due to the ongoing hostilities. I heard harrowing accounts of brutal rape involving multiple perpetrators; ethnically motivated sexual violence; instances of rape in front of family members; trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation; and the targeting of women activists and first-responders including those providing assistance and support to survivors of sexual violence. In most instances, survivors and witnesses identified armed men belonging to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allied militias as the presumed perpetrators of these crimes. I saw first-hand the dire humanitarian situation with access to essential services for survivors seriously limited, with a complete lack of specialized care, ill-equipped health facilities, and limited sexual and reproductive healthcare. The termination of 蘑菇视频ITAMs has further restricted the ability of the international community to access survivors and document their plight.

In eastern DRC, while, over the past two decades, we had seen important progress in the fight against impunity for sexual violence, especially in the area of military justice, the renewed hostilities with M-23 has led to a resurgence of some of the most horrifying patterns of sexual violence with thousands of civilians driven into IDP camps. Military operations, widespread insecurity and the proximity of arms bearers with civilians has considerably increased their exposure to different forms of sexual violence. In addition, the severity of the humanitarian crisis is leading women and girls to resort to prostitution and 鈥渟urvival sex鈥� as negative coping mechanisms. It is imperative for the international community to act now in support of those survivors.

 

Excellencies,

The 15 annual reports of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence developed by my Office clearly illustrate that sexual violence does not occur in a vacuum, but is tied to broader security dynamics, such as the rise of violent extremism, arms proliferation, population displacement, and collapsed Rule of Law.

My work at country-level is supported by Women鈥檚 Protection Advisers (WPAs), who directly engage with all parties to conflict and coordinate monitoring, reporting and response efforts. These critical specialized resources are deployed in most 蘑菇视频 peacekeeping operations. However, accelerated mission drawdowns are putting the protection of women and girls, and the gains made so far, in jeopardy.

In this regard, I would like to acknowledge the generous financial support provided by the European Union for the establishment of a 鈥淲oman Protection Adviser鈥� infrastructure, in Ukraine – a first in a non-peace mission setting.

 

Excellencies,

In discharging my mandate, I also consistently advocate for enhanced coherence between the practice of listing (or 鈥渘aming and shaming鈥�) credibly suspected perpetrators in the annex of the SG鈥檚 annual report on CRSV and the practice of imposing targeted and graduated measures either by 蘑菇视频 sanctions regimes, regional organizations, or by Member States. It is only through a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach that we will enhance compliance with international law and move from impunity to unity.

 

Excellencies,

It is against this backdrop that I am here today, seeking to deepen the partnership between my Office and the European Union. It is now more important than ever before to act as one in support of international norms and standards. The numerous EU policy frameworks on Gender and Women Peace and Security and the corresponding normative framework of the Security Council, have equipped us with the tools to make a difference in the lives of those affected by these appalling crimes. Women and girls significantly affected by sexual violence, but also men and boys, need more than our solidarity. They need access to holistic services, to justice and reparations.

We have a collective duty to protect them from this heinous crime.

We have a moral obligation to听demonstrate to survivors of sexual violence that international law is听not an empty promise, and to perpetrators that the consequences are not an empty threat.

 

Excellencies,

I call on you to act urgently, and with sustained determination, to save succeeding generations from this scourge.

Thank you.