LTTE violates the rights of women and children -- Ambassador informs UN Security Council

November 2, 2005 - (Asiantribune.com): Reviewing the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women and Peace and Security adopted five years ago, Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, informed the Security Council that the LTTE is in "gross violation" of the rights of Tamil women and children. Hailing "the Security Council Resolution 1325 as a ground-breaking initiative", Ambassador Kariyawasam told the Security Council on October 27, 2005: "The effect of armed conflict on the girl-child has been a grave concern in Sri Lanka for sometime. Recruitment of children, including girls, to the ranks of an armed group in the conflict in Sri Lanka is a continuing worry for our people. The armed group, LTTE, in gross violation of its commitments, continues such recruitment. This affects women, in general, who are the primary care givers in most families. Children, in particular, girls being affected by armed conflict cannot and should not be allowed to continue by the civilized world and imposition of targeted actions against the perpetrators of such crimes is a paramount necessity."

"In our view, for any national or international action plan to be more effective and result-oriented, it should be evolved through a process of consultation with the civil society and other relevant actors, and should contain time-bound set of targets with monitoring and reporting mechanisms. The Government of Sri Lanka supports such processes, world wide and also as part of its national approach towards peace and reconciliation.

This "resolution sets-forth responsibilities that should be borne by the international community and Member States of the UN to ensure gender perspective and security for women in its multi-dimensional aspects related to peace, security and peace building." He added: "The Resolution 1325 was a result of the increasing realization of the need to address grave and systematic violations of human rights of women and children in situations of armed conflict as well as the recognition of the capacity of women and the contribution that they can make in peace building."

While the General Assembly, the Commission of Human Rights and the Commission of the Status of Women have addressed these issues from time to time, the Security Council, the UN apex body that is mandated to ensure international peace and security, by this Resolution provided an impetus to mainstream gender perspective in promoting peace and security.

Urging the Security Council to review the progress made in the implementation of its resolution, Ambassador Kariyawasam has stressed the need "to consider further practical measures to strengthen the safety-net and security for women in situations of armed conflict and to promote their role in peace-building. In doing so, it is essential that the Security Council consider the following important measures: 1) To establish a focal point to ensure the integration of Resolution 1325 in the work programmed of the Security Council as well as in the mandates, processes and mechanisms of all relevant UN Agencies; 2) To request the Secretary-General to update, monitor and review the UN System-Wide Action Plan, on an annual basis; 3) To determine means by which the Security Council could be systematically informed of the use of gender-based violence by parties to armed conflict.

It is timely that the United Nations re-doubled its efforts in taking immediate coherent, co-ordinated actions to translate the commitments made in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action as well as in the Security Council Resolution 1325. Pledging Sri Lanka's "commitment towards protection of women and children in armed conflict and more importantly to further our belief in the value of the participation of women in peace-making and peace-building processes" he concluded by quoting the words of Madam Eleanor Roosevelt: "It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it."

From: http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=16014