Security Council meeting 6180-Resu.1

The President

I wish to remind all speakers, as my colleague Ambassador Sawers did this morning, to limit their statements to no more than five minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. Delegations with lengthy statements are kindly requested to circulate their texts in writing and deliver a condensed version when speaking in the Chamber.

I now give the floor to the representative of Finland.

Mrs. Schroderus-Fox (Finland)

Finland fully aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Sweden on behalf of the European Union. Given the importance of our topic today, I want to add some further remarks on the Secretary-General's first-ever report on sexual violence (S/2009/362).

It is our firm conviction that we must all endorse the application of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008) to their fullest extent. Conflict situations remain a severe threat to the lives of women and children as conflicts develop without front lines and violence erupts suddenly. Women and children, and sometimes men, are raped and sexually abused during and in the aftermath of armed conflicts.

A year ago, this Council took a major step forward by condemning the use of rape and other forms of sexual violence as a tactic of war in armed conflicts. The Council highlighted the link between safeguarding international peace and security and the struggle against sexual violence. The international community has begun to recognize the seriousness of this grave challenge to peace and security. The real test lies in translating resolution 1820 (2008) into working practices on the ground.

Systematic rape in conflict leaves devastating wounds on society for decades. It should be considered a weapon of war and, as such, an integral part of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process. Reintegration compensation should not be processed if this tactic of war continues. This was one of the issues stressed at the women's leadership conference convened in Monrovia in March 2009 by the Presidents of the Republics of Liberia and Finland.

It is of the utmost importance that the victims of rape and sexual abuse have access to legal process and that perpetrators be prosecuted and convicted. We must end the impunity of perpetrators. As noted by the Secretary-General in his report, the strict enforcement of a policy of zero tolerance, both by national authorities and by all international actors engaged in humanitarian, crisis management and peacebuilding activities, is essential. The international community and the individual States concerned need to pursue ways to ensure adequate protection, health care and counselling for the victims.

We must also remember that women are not merely victims in conflicts; they are active agents in solving and ending conflicts and leading society through the healing process. We cannot afford to ignore their leadership, knowledge, capacities and commitment.

Women should be involved in decision-making processes at all levels. To make this a reality, more women must be in high-level positions in decision-making, both nationally and internationally. Involvement in negotiation processes must be based on true participation and the possibility of influencing negotiations.

Opportunities for women's participation should be a part of the earliest stages of planning and preparing a peacekeeping mission. Furthermore, the number of female civilian and military personnel in United Nations peacekeeping and political missions should be increased, especially in leadership positions. Women's engagement in peacebuilding and reconstruction through non-governmental organizations should receive greater support.

We must urgently put into practice the commitments of resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008). The Secretary-General's report gives valuable recommendations for action. We must give hope to all victims who suffer from these horrific crimes of war and make sure that we efficiently prevent violence and deliver justice.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Liechtenstein.

Mr. Barriga (Liechtenstein)

Mr. President, we would like to thank you for organizing today's debate on women and peace and security, an important topic on which we have seen significant institutional progress in recent years. Nevertheless, the relevant country-specific reports of the Secretary-General draw a grim picture of the realities on the ground. We continue to witness the increasing victimization of civilians in armed conflicts and sexual violence since the adoption of resolution 1820 (2008). The number of such incidents has increased in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic.

We are therefore engaged in a timely debate, and we welcome the Secretary-General's report (S/2009/362) and the recommendations contained therein. We hope that this debate will take us a step further towards the implementation of resolution 1820 (2008) within the United Nations system. We would also like to take this opportunity to emphasize that the use of sexual violence as a method of warfare to achieve military ends must be considered a matter of international peace and security.

The implementation of resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1325 (2000) is a complex and multisectoral undertaking. We must build on the lessons learned in connection with resolution 1325 (2000), with regard to both the participation and the protection agendas. Consequently, we support the creation of a specific capacity within the Secretariat to effectively contribute to the implementation of resolution 1820 (2008) by coordinating the respective activities of the various actors in the United Nations system.

It is clear that acts of sexual violence cannot effectively be prevented without obtaining and analyzing the relevant data. Given the complex nature and sensitivity of data collection, we strongly support the Secretary-General's call for all United Nations actors to respect the ethical and safety standards of the World Health Organization for researching, measuring and collecting data on sexual violence. Such data should be systematically collected and analysed by highly qualified and trained United Nations staff. United Nations experts should work in close cooperation with other relevant bodies to develop better prevention strategies and support services for survivors.

Resolution 1820 (2008) also requires the Secretary-General to present proposals for the effective collection of information pertaining to the use of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict. We also support the Secretary-General's recommendation on the immediate establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in certain ongoing conflicts. The proposed commission would report to the Security Council and be supported by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The goal would be to ensure accountability, bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice and prevent the commission of similar crimes. The primary responsibility in this respect must lie with the State concerned, and the involvement of international mechanisms and institutions must occur only where national judiciaries are not available or unable to effectively combat impunity.

In this respect, the central role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) must also be taken into account. The ICC, which has already proven to have a preventive effect on the ground, plays a key role in the fight against impunity, in particular where States are unable or unwilling to prosecute acts of sexual violence that can also qualify as war crimes or as crimes against humanity.

Finally, we would like to add that we support the idea of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations initiating a pilot project, based on its successful child protection adviser system, to improve the United Nations response to sexual violence. Such advisers have proven to be extremely productive and effective.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations could consider deploying women protection advisers who would document sexual violence and help survivors get better access to assistance and follow-up support and protection. These advisers would report back to the Department, as well as to other relevant United Nations and non-United Nations partners on the ground, and they would serve as focal points for information-sharing and coordination among all sectors. We believe that such a mechanism would be an important step towards implementation of resolution 1820 (2008).

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Canada.

Mr. Normandin (Canada)

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish to thank the United Kingdom presidency for having convened this open debate on Security Council resolution 1820 (2008), on sexual violence in situations of armed conflict. This debate is indeed timely at a time when we are calling for further concerted action to combat and prevent sexual violence.

Canada, through the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, is pleased to support the presence of women officers from the United Nations police at this open debate. Their experiences and advice are invaluable as we advance our collective understanding of how interventions against sexual violence can be more effective. Their presence also highlights the critical importance of increasing the number of women officers in the field. This can empower women to come forward to report sexual violence, while at the same time presenting women in positions of authority and power, a key element in breaking the cycle of sexual violence.

I would like to draw attention to the round table held yesterday with those United Nations police officers. The round table usefully complemented today's open debate and sparked an enriching discussion about challenges and best practices in investigating sexual violence in conflict. It also highlighted the need for capacity-building for women police officers and the importance of their role in national police services.

Canada welcomes the report of the Secretary-General (S/2009/362) and his commitment to ensure increased attention to sexual violence. The report provides important contributions towards improving our collective understanding of the issue. We would therefore like subsequent reports to contain more information from the field, including the response to the issue by the United Nations system and its missions.

Canada would very much welcome an annual report on the implementation of resolution 1820 (2008). We also urge the Council to request that the next report include a proposal for a Security Council mechanism to consider and act on information concerning sexual violence. Monitoring and reporting mechanisms can provide the international community with the data it needs to effectively monitor and strengthen the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008).

Mr. Normandin (Canada)

Canada would also like to encourage the Security Council to give priority attention to the recommendations contained in the Secretary-General's report which address the establishment and renewal of mandates, the monitoring of resolutions and enforcement measures and sanctions.

We would like to express our strong interest in two additional proposals contained in the report: the proposal to establish a commission of inquiry to investigate and report on sexual violence and the proposal that all data on sexual violence be reviewed by an existing working group or groups. We would submit, however, that the creation of a dedicated working group may be a more effective response, and we urge the Council to consider that option. At a minimum, we must ensure that sexual violence perpetrated against adults as well as children is included in the Council's considerations. Ultimately, we would like to see the Council adopt structural and lasting initiatives that will make a real difference to those targeted by sexual violence.

We would also like to raise the issue of bringing violators to justice. An important step forward in that direction was taken by the Special Court for Sierra Leone. The Special Court, as members may remember, was the first to pronounce convictions on the charge of sexual slavery and on the crime of forced marriage as a crime against humanity.

In that regard, Canada would like to stress the following. Amnesty clauses within peace accords which can be interpreted as exempting perpetrators of sexual violence from being held accountable directly contravene resolution 1820 (2008) as well as many other previous international commitments. We are deeply dismayed by the failure to implement fully this essential element of 1820 (2008) during the year since its adoption.

We also emphasize the importance of the establishment by States of vetting mechanisms to exclude perpetrators of sexual violence from armed forces, where credible allegations supported by evidence have been brought against those perpetrators.

In conclusion, the Secretary-General's report contains a number of important recommendations that would strengthen the international response to sexual violence in conflict situations, and those recommendations warrant serious consideration. Security Council members may rest assured that Canada remains committed to actively supporting the Council in its efforts to combat sexual violence in conflict-affected situations.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Papua New Guinea.

Mr. Aisi (Papua New Guinea)

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