Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: Canada (Extract 2)

Justice and accountability are means of prevention. Indeed, a climate of impunity discourages reporting, undermines assistance and abets further violations. We therefore call for accountability for crimes of sexual violence in armed conflict. This in turn requires effective investigation and documentation, legal assistance for the victims of sexual violence, and adequate legal and evidentiary frameworks to prosecute such crimes [...] In contrast, it is disconcerting that not a single member of Da’esh or Boko Haram has been prosecuted for sexual violence crimes to date. We emphatically call on the Security Council to explicitly include sexual violence as a designation criterion within United Nations sanctions regimes where such crimes are persistently perpetrated. Relevant sanctions committees should also be supported by dedicated gender and sexual violence expertise and draw on information from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.