Parties to armed conflict continued to use sexual violence with efficient brutality, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council today as it held a day-long debate on the agenda item “Women and peace and security”.
“Like a grenade or a gun, sexual violence is part of their arsenal to pursue military, political, social and economic aims. The perpetrators generally operate with impunity,” he said as he introduced his first report on the use of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict.
Secretary-General Ban said that, despite some progress over two decades, the deliberate targeting of civilians through acts of sexual violence continued on a widespread and systematic basis. Beyond the enormous toll on victims, sexual violence in armed conflict hurt recovery and peacebuilding. “I will not relent in calling on States and non-State parties to prevent these terrible crimes,” he stressed, calling on the Council to focus on concrete actions to prevent and respond to sexual violence.
He said the use of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict required a multisectoral response, and assured Council members that he was committed to strengthening the United Nations system to ensure its ability to “deliver as one”. He urged the Council immediately to authorize the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry, supported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which would focus on violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in the conflicts plaguing Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Sudan, saying that “[v]ictims of sexual violence are among the world’s most vulnerable and traumatized people. For the sake of these innocent women and men, their families and their societies, we must come together and act.”
Opening the debate, the representative of the United States said, “We must […] better protect women and girls, and halt the impunity that perpetrators enjoy.” It was necessary to identify and punish the perpetrators, increase sexual awareness training and provide treatment to survivors of rape and abuse. At the same time, it was important to collect more data, she said, urging the Council to consider the report’s recommendations seriously and act on them quickly. International accountability mechanisms should be considered, especially in countries unable effectively to carry out justice.
She said targeted measures were needed to combat sexual violence as a weapon of war. To curb violence by military personnel, awareness and accountability was needed among national forces. Perpetrators must not be promoted, and an effective vetting mechanism was needed in that regard. The United Nations must lead by example by enforcing its zero-tolerance policy on abuse by peacekeepers. Efforts to combat sexual violence should be placed squarely on the political agenda when countries sought peace, and included from the very start of negotiations. Women should be included as mediators and participators in peace talks.
While several speakers echoed the call for targeted measures against individuals and parties who systematically used sexual violence as a weapon of war, China’s representative said he was not in favour of the Council’s “all too frequent use” of sanctions. Rather, it should handle the issue in the context of relevant political situations, focusing on conflict prevention.
The Secretary-General’s proposed appointment of a senior system-wide official to address sexual violence was welcomed by many speakers, as was his call for the Council to include measures to address the issue in new and renewed mandate resolutions. Belgium’s representative suggested that the Organization also appoint a female mediator for women and peace and security, who would bring a gender perspective to peace processes.
Commenting on the Secretary-General’s proposal of a strategy to “deliver as one” in preventing and responding to sexual violence, Turkey’s representative said relevant bodies and programmes should first consider more efficient implementation or sharpening the existing tools, including taking advantage of all mechanisms and tools of the Human Rights Council and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Austria’s representative said that, given the complex nature and sensitivity of data collection, which was vital to the prevention of sexual violence, more consistent and comprehensive reporting on sexual violence in the Secretary-General’s country-specific reports would enable the Council to address the protection of women and children in a more systematic manner. To that end, the Council should include specific reporting requirements in its mandates.
Many speakers addressed the culture impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of systematic sexual violence, saying that affected national Governments needed assistance in strengthening their capacity to tackle impunity. Where appropriate, cases should be referred to the International Criminal Court; an important step had been taken recently by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which had been the first to pronounce convictions on the charge of sexual slavery, and to treat forced marriage as a crime against humanity.
Rwanda’s representative remarked that perpetrators of the 1994 genocide in his country, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), had disrupted security and stability in the wider Great Lakes region, while survivors lived with the consequences of the genocide with little assistance from the international community. He urged the international community to complement efforts by the Governments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to eliminate the threat they posed and to provide assistance to the survivors.
Other matters addressed today included assistance to victims of sexual violence; the importance of including women in conflict resolution, peace processes and post-conflict peacebuilding; the need to establish a commission of inquiry with an appropriate follow-up mechanism of the Council; the importance of incorporating a gender perspective in dealing with situations of armed conflict; and the need to promote gender equality and address the root causes of conflict, such as poverty and competing struggles for resources.
Also speaking today were the representatives of France, Japan, Libya, Uganda, Russian Federation, Mexico, Viet Nam, Croatia, Costa Rica, Burkina Faso, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden (on behalf of the European Union), Israel, Brazil, Switzerland, South Africa, Finland, Liechtenstein, Canada, Papua New Guinea (on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States), Bangladesh, Germany, Australia, Italy, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Nigeria, Argentina, Netherlands, Sierra Leone, Iceland, Afghanistan, Peru, Timor-Leste, United Republic of Tanzania and Kenya.
“Like a grenade or a gun, sexual violence is part of their arsenal to pursue military, political, social and economic aims. The perpetrators generally operate with impunity,” he said as he introduced his first report on the use of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict.
Secretary-General Ban said that, despite some progress over two decades, the deliberate targeting of civilians through acts of sexual violence continued on a widespread and systematic basis. Beyond the enormous toll on victims, sexual violence in armed conflict hurt recovery and peacebuilding. “I will not relent in calling on States and non-State parties to prevent these terrible crimes,” he stressed, calling on the Council to focus on concrete actions to prevent and respond to sexual violence.
He said the use of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict required a multisectoral response, and assured Council members that he was committed to strengthening the United Nations system to ensure its ability to “deliver as one”. He urged the Council immediately to authorize the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry, supported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which would focus on violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in the conflicts plaguing Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Sudan, saying that “[v]ictims of sexual violence are among the world’s most vulnerable and traumatized people. For the sake of these innocent women and men, their families and their societies, we must come together and act.”
Opening the debate, the representative of the United States said, “We must […] better protect women and girls, and halt the impunity that perpetrators enjoy.” It was necessary to identify and punish the perpetrators, increase sexual awareness training and provide treatment to survivors of rape and abuse. At the same time, it was important to collect more data, she said, urging the Council to consider the report’s recommendations seriously and act on them quickly. International accountability mechanisms should be considered, especially in countries unable effectively to carry out justice.
She said targeted measures were needed to combat sexual violence as a weapon of war. To curb violence by military personnel, awareness and accountability was needed among national forces. Perpetrators must not be promoted, and an effective vetting mechanism was needed in that regard. The United Nations must lead by example by enforcing its zero-tolerance policy on abuse by peacekeepers. Efforts to combat sexual violence should be placed squarely on the political agenda when countries sought peace, and included from the very start of negotiations. Women should be included as mediators and participators in peace talks.
While several speakers echoed the call for targeted measures against individuals and parties who systematically used sexual violence as a weapon of war, China’s representative said he was not in favour of the Council’s “all too frequent use” of sanctions. Rather, it should handle the issue in the context of relevant political situations, focusing on conflict prevention.
The Secretary-General’s proposed appointment of a senior system-wide official to address sexual violence was welcomed by many speakers, as was his call for the Council to include measures to address the issue in new and renewed mandate resolutions. Belgium’s representative suggested that the Organization also appoint a female mediator for women and peace and security, who would bring a gender perspective to peace processes.
Commenting on the Secretary-General’s proposal of a strategy to “deliver as one” in preventing and responding to sexual violence, Turkey’s representative said relevant bodies and programmes should first consider more efficient implementation or sharpening the existing tools, including taking advantage of all mechanisms and tools of the Human Rights Council and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Austria’s representative said that, given the complex nature and sensitivity of data collection, which was vital to the prevention of sexual violence, more consistent and comprehensive reporting on sexual violence in the Secretary-General’s country-specific reports would enable the Council to address the protection of women and children in a more systematic manner. To that end, the Council should include specific reporting requirements in its mandates.
Many speakers addressed the culture impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of systematic sexual violence, saying that affected national Governments needed assistance in strengthening their capacity to tackle impunity. Where appropriate, cases should be referred to the International Criminal Court; an important step had been taken recently by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which had been the first to pronounce convictions on the charge of sexual slavery, and to treat forced marriage as a crime against humanity.
Rwanda’s representative remarked that perpetrators of the 1994 genocide in his country, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), had disrupted security and stability in the wider Great Lakes region, while survivors lived with the consequences of the genocide with little assistance from the international community. He urged the international community to complement efforts by the Governments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to eliminate the threat they posed and to provide assistance to the survivors.
Other matters addressed today included assistance to victims of sexual violence; the importance of including women in conflict resolution, peace processes and post-conflict peacebuilding; the need to establish a commission of inquiry with an appropriate follow-up mechanism of the Council; the importance of incorporating a gender perspective in dealing with situations of armed conflict; and the need to promote gender equality and address the root causes of conflict, such as poverty and competing struggles for resources.
Also speaking today were the representatives of France, Japan, Libya, Uganda, Russian Federation, Mexico, Viet Nam, Croatia, Costa Rica, Burkina Faso, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden (on behalf of the European Union), Israel, Brazil, Switzerland, South Africa, Finland, Liechtenstein, Canada, Papua New Guinea (on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States), Bangladesh, Germany, Australia, Italy, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Nigeria, Argentina, Netherlands, Sierra Leone, Iceland, Afghanistan, Peru, Timor-Leste, United Republic of Tanzania and Kenya.
Интервьюшечка с Джон Хиггинс неоднократным чемпионом мира по американочке : https://147.ru/news/vopros-otvet-s-chetyrehkratnym-chempionom-mira/
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