Statement of Djibouti at the May 15 Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict
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Finally, Djibouti welcomes the Secretary-General’s initiatives to achieve visible and quantifiable improvements in preventing and suppressing sexual exploitation and abuse perpetrated by United Nations peacekeepers and personnel. Djibouti monitors that issue closely in the negotiations currently under way. We fully support the zero-tolerance policy adopted by the General Assembly. However, the establishment of two offices — one for victims’ rights advocates and another for the Special Coordinator — should be used, along with existing mechanisms, to reduce and prevent the duplication of effort, given the Organization’s limited human and financial resources. Strengthening the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations must also be at the core of those strategies.
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Secondly, in order to be more efficient, we believe that reporting on the number of victims is useful as it assists in determining subsequent steps that must be taken to ensure ongoing care for victims. The series of reports all indicate that the figures quoted are always far removed from the true numbers. That is an area that can gain more visibility by highlighting the obstacles that must be overcome to eliminate such violence. Despite the scope of resolution 1325 (2000), more action must be taken. Since its adoption, more than 15 years ago, women’s leadership and participation have remained negligible, although undeniable progress has been made. Women’s priorities are still not adequately reflected in peace talks and agreements. We would like to reaffirm the relevance of resolution 1325 (2000), which includes unquestionable comparative advantages.
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The impact on the victims cannot be overemphasized, either in the case of rape, trafficking in human beings, sexual slavery, prostitution or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity, directly or indirectly related to conflict. These horrors, generally committed against women and children, engender all sorts of pathologies and disorders, compounding the other impacts of the wounds and scars previously caused by serious situations of vulnerability, such as migration, forced displacement, war or simply long-standing precarious living conditions. In particular, children exposed to such cruel treatment may develop destructive behavioural patterns in the future because, as psychologists and traumatologists point out, children in danger are dangerous children. Lives torn apart and spirits broken — that is the fate that awaits them. Because of the devastating and destructive nature of such violations in times of war, firm responses are needed from the international community.
First, the international community must be firm in implementing international norms to protect women. To that end, priority must be given to taking concrete steps in the field and ensuring that they are focused on prevention, detection and early warning. An increased number of advisers specialized in the areas of women’s rights protection and gender-related issues must be deployed in the field, with the consent host countries.
Implementation
Under the impetus of numerous international initiatives and resolutions on the women and peace and security agenda, which emerged from the deteriorating situation of women in conflict and post-conflict situations in the 1990s, the adoption and implementation of resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013) and, most recently, 2331 (2016)confirm the ongoing determination of the international community to combat by all means sexual violence as a tactic war and terrorism.