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Distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, warm greetings.

I sincerely wish I could have attended the conference in person, but I am nevertheless delighted to be able to contribute through this video message.

I would like to start by congratulating the Jahjaga Foundation, the German Embassy in Pristina and the United Nations Kosovo Team for organising this conference which provides an important opportunity for survivors to be heard and for all key actors to mobilize and commit to further action. I want to thank former President Atifete Jahjaga for personally inviting me to attend and to commend her leadership and commitment in elevating the issue of conflict-related sexual violence within Kosovo and internationally. I am personally moved and impressed by the courage of survivors to join this conference and to share their stories in order to inspire others to break the silence.

Today, I come before you to emphasize my firm and vocal support for one of the core aims of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ: ending sexual violence in conflict. Sexual violence in conflict ravages survivors and their families; it destroys communities and undermines the chances for reconciliation if left unaddressed. The effects of sexual violence echo across generations, through trauma, stigma, poverty, poor physical and mental health, including in the plight of children born of war. To add to their burden, survivors of conflict-related sexual violence often face rejection by their families, communities and society at large, perpetuating their misplaced sense of guilt and shame.

We must stand united in the aim of creating an environment that heals, supports and empowers survivors of sexual violence: In this regard, I wish to commend all the efforts being undertaken by community leaders, civil society organizations, public institutions and survivors themselves in Kosovo, to break the silence that has long surrounded this issue. It is encouraging that this conference has been able to bring together a representative group of all these actors.

Undoubtedly, the important progress that has been made in Kosovo is due to the strong commitment and perseverance of individuals and institutions over the last 20 years.

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There are many good practices from Kosovo’s experience in dealing with conflict-related sexual violence:

One such example is the establishment of the compensation scheme for survivors which is crucial for trust-building and reconciliation.

It is commendable that the reparations process has been designed based on international best practices and lessons learnt, particularly from the region, and that significant investment has been made to ensure that it is survivor-centric. While this progress deserves much praise, I also urge all involved to ensure that the reparations process is fully rights-based and that all survivors from all communities are able to equally access and qualify for reparations.

Inclusivity is key for the society to overcome pain, regain trust in each other and be able to move on and accordingly, survivors’ diverse needs and experiences should drive and inform all strategies and interventions. I would therefore like to highlight the necessity to extend the time-period covered by the current law so that survivors who experienced sexual violence during the post-conflict period may equally benefit from the same entitlement. This is very much in line with the 2014 Guidance Note of the Secretary-General on Reparations for Conflict-related Sexual Violence.

The comprehensive support and services provided to survivors by a range of actors is another example of good practice. I would like to commend the work of civil society and international community in Kosovo who are tirelessly supporting survivors in various ways: from medical through psychological to financial support.

In particular, I would like to acknowledge the presence of the key organisations working with survivors, who have over the years been at the forefront of efforts to address the social, psychological and economic needs of survivors in Kosovo.

For example, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Women-supported economic empowerment initiatives in Kosovo have shown the potential for transformative change by increasing survivors’ financial independence, autonomy, improved familial relations and general well-being, and a renewed sense of hope for life and the future.

This comprehensive support also contributes to achieving the 2030 Agenda, which is linked to the fight against conflict-related sexual violence, by enabling greater participation of survivors.

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Yet many challenges remain.

For many survivors, armed conflict is not over when it’s over, because peace is not just the absence of armed conflict but the presence of peace of mind. Related to this, the exercise of survivors’ right to justice is conditioned upon strong and competent institutions. While important efforts have been made to bolster the capacity of prosecutors and investigators working on war crimes, the limited number of investigators and prosecutors dealing with cases of conflict-related sexual violence in Kosovo is concerning and it is clear that further and sustained resources are needed to enhance the capacity of these institutions to deal with sexual violence cases in a timely manner in accordance with international best practice.

Survivors of this horrific crime deserve justice. It is important that the perpetrators, no matter from where they come, be held accountable.

The issue of stigma is another challenge. Shame and stigma are built-in to the logic of sexual violence employed as a tactic of war and terror.

Rape is the action of the perpetrator; stigma is the reaction of society, leading to social exclusion – precisely what gives the weapon of rape its uniquely destructive power. Therefore, it should never be trivialized and minimized in the conflict narratives that are passed down to future generations.

We must send a clear signal that the only shame of rape is in committing, commanding or condoning it.

I call upon public institutions, but also society as a whole to continue to strengthen tools to repair the dignity of survivors by increasing efforts of social protection and opportunities to partake in the society, including for the children of survivors.

Addressing stigma requires consistent, visible accountability processes as well as structurally transformative reparations to empower victims and help them truly feel like survivors. The fact that we are here discussing these issues so long after the peak of the conflict shows that stigma is never alleviated by the passage of time.

Nothing exemplifies this better than the recent public appearance of survivor Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman, who spoke openly in Kosovo about her traumatic experience, social stigmatization and challenges in seeking justice.  After almost 20 years of suffering in silence, Ms. Krasniqi Goodman is now inspiring other women to speak out. Her bravery and courage are an inspiration to us all.

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My appeal to everyone is: Let’s work together. We are all part of the solution. We need to expand the circle of allies, stakeholders and champions to propel real change in preventing and addressing sexual violence. To this end, governments, international and regional organizations, journalists, religious leaders, civil society activists, and survivors themselves, all have a critical role to play, to support the reintegration and empowerment of survivors. I urge everyone to stand in solidarity with all survivors and to help change the social norms and traditions that have, historically, silenced them.

For our part, the United Nations has been working over the years with civil society organizations and Kosovo authorities to support legal recognition and redress for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Kosovo and to support survivors through economic empowerment programming.

On behalf of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ we will continue to support and to amplify your efforts in the years to come. Allow me to end by saying, once again, that addressing sexual violence is not a matter of ethnic or political divisions; it is a matter of peace, human rights and dignity, which are universal.

I thank you all for your participation in today’s conference, and for your shared commitment to the cause of alleviating the stigma of conflict-related sexual violence and putting the voice of survivors at the centre of all your efforts.

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