Statement of Bangladesh at the May 15 Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict
Implementation
In a war-ravaged country it was nearly impossible to ensure adequate protection, rehabilitation and reintegration for such a large number of victims. The overriding priority was to find custody and shelter for children born of such violence, who were abandoned in most cases. It took us more than four decades to ensure official recognition and compensation for some of the victims who mustered the courage to make themselves known and heard. The work of bringing the perpetrators to account remains an unfinished agenda.
In our modest effort to come to terms with that painful legacy, we took up the issue of women and peace and security as a critical element of our engagement in the United Nations, especially during our membership in the Security Council from 2000 to 2001. We take heart that the suffering experienced by hundreds and thousands of women in Bangladesh and around the world at least paved the way for brave young women like Nadia Mourad and Mina Jaf to appear and eloquently make their cases before the Council.
Justice
Secondly, the burden of stigma must be shifted from the victims to perpetrators. Adequate protection, compensation and legal and psychosocial support for victims must be ensured, while investing in the capacities of national judicial, law enforcement and correction systems to provide such support in a timely manner.
Despite our collective efforts, the magnitude of sexual violence in conflict is still overwhelming and appears to be pursued in an environment of near impunity and denial. In recent times, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other international inquiry commissions visited Bangladesh to gather first-hand accounts of persecution and sexual violence against a group of people fleeing from a neighbouring country into our territory. We hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice and that those displaced and victimized will be allowed to return to their homes in safety and dignity, with their nationality restored.
Participation
Fourthly, meaningful participation by women and girls in peace processes, including in mediation and peacebuilding, must be ensured. The inherent resilience of our women gives us the conviction that women themselves have the capacity to act as agents of change provided they find themselves in an enabling environment. As we continue to work towards leaving no one behind, we must step up our collective efforts to address all forms of inequities, discrimination and obstacles that stand in the way of unleashing the full potential of our women and girls.
PK
Bangladesh believes that preventing sexual violence is an integral part of the mandate to protect civilians given to peacekeeping missions. We remain committed to training our peacekeepers on sexual and gender-based violence, enhancing the participation of female peacekeepers in our contingents and encouraging our force and sector commanders to maintain regular involvement with local communities and civil society actors, among others. We condemn any allegation of sexual exploitation or abuse by peacekeepers or other United Nations staff, and we underscore the primacy of zero tolerance for such aberrations by those that are mandated to protect the vulnerable.
Displacement
Fifthly, we must strengthen protection for refugees and migrants in host countries and societies, with in-built support for victims of sexual and gender-based violence.