Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Spain
Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Spain (Extract 1)
In a majority of cases, they are women and girls who are economically and politically marginalized. This is the case whether we refer to the women and girls of CAR, to those in Kivu, Kasais or Tanganyika in the DRC, to the Yazidis in Iraq, or to the Rohingya in Myanmar, where there has even been talk of ethnic cleansing. We must address the root causes (inequality and lack of women’s empowerment and participation), and we must react to any early warnings. The Council counts on -or can count on if it so decides- the necessary tools: the Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security, peace operations’ mandates, the work of women protection counsellors, as well as sanctions, just to name a few.
Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Spain (Extract 2)
We observe how sexual violence is sometimes a factor in forced displacements in situations such as Colombia, Iraq or Syria; the risk does not disappear in refugee camps; and the fear of being sexually assaulted inhibits many displaced people from returning to their communities. The case of the Rohingya is particularly worrisome. We are convinced that the global compact refugee negotiations provide a good opportunity to address sexual violence in these contexts.
Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Spain (Extract 3)
On the one hand, rehabilitation and reintegration programs tend to focus only on men associated with armed groups; on the other, there are usually no programs that cover the needs of men and boys who have been victims of sexual violence. Nor can we forget children born as a result of rape. We propose to include this perspective in cooperation projects and in humanitarian assistance. This has been one of the themes addressed at the recent meeting in Berlin of the Women, Peace and Security National Focal Points Network– a Network that my country created in 2016 and is now chaired by Germany, in which a specific session was held on accountability for crimes of sexual violence, as a central aspect in preventing conflicts.
Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Spain (Extract 4)
Impunity is met with mechanisms that improve the preservation of evidence, as well as mechanisms that require specialized knowledge. The prosecution of two emblematic cases in the DRC, as well as the judgement by the ICC in the case of Bosco Ntaganda not only contribute to victims having greater confidence in justice, but are also a way to dissuade possible perpetrators.