I can assure the Council that Canada remains committed to women's political and economic empowerment as essential elements in efforts to address and prevent conflict-related sexual violence

Canada welcomes the Security Council's resolve to include explicit requests for protection and support for women and children affected by conflict in mission mandates. The missions can play a key role in helping to monitor, investigate and report on violations committed against women and girls, including all forms of sexual violence in conflict, and to contribute to efforts to identify and prosecute perpetrators.

Canada continues to call for support for women's civil society organizations, particularly those assisting survivors of violence to ensure their health, safety and dignity, and those amplifying women's participation in decision-making processes.

On 31 October 2013, Myanmar organized for the first time an open day on women, peace and security, commemorating resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. The event, designed to promote awareness of the issue, was attended by more than 200 participants, including senior Government and United Nations officials, parliamentarians, development cooperation partners and civil society.

Myanmar is also making great progress in its strenuous peacemaking efforts to end its 60-year-long conflict, which have produced ceasefire agreements with almost all ethnic groups. The expected forthcoming signing of a nationwide ceasefire agreement will be a watershed in our peacebuilding process as it helps to create the conditions needed to end violence.

In Myanmar, sexual violence is a crime strongly abhorred by our traditional values and strictly forbidden by law and by our culture. As such, severe legal action is taken against the perpetrators of any reported case, whether by civilians or the members of security forces. The existing penal code strongly prescribes a severe penalty for those who have committed acts of sexual violence.

As much as we all condemn the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, we should also deplore the exploitation of this sensitive issue by certain groups as a tool for achieving their own political goals. The problem of sexual violence cannot be solved by an approach of naming and blaming.

As conflict naturally breeds violence, we recognize the importance of addressing the reported problems of sexual violence that may occur in conflicts. However, incidents committed by unruly individuals cannot be construed as the policy of a given institution. The most important point is to refuse to condone any act of sexual violence.

As a State party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Myanmar has taken steps to eliminate discrimination and violence against women, in line with the Convention's provisions, and we are currently implementing a 10-year national strategic plan for the advancement of women.

We continue to advocate that one of the most important ways to combat conflict-related sexual violence lies in policies aimed at the prevention and peaceful resolution of armed conflicts. Preventative measures could prove instrumental to spare the human and psychological costs associated with sexual violence.