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

We believe that women’s empowerment as a preventive measure, access to justice and accountability are fundamental elements in the fight against sexual violence. However, it is clear that, in order to promote such measures, we must first address the root causes of conflict, reduce structural inequalities, combat extreme poverty and eradicate the discrimination that patriarchal systems have left entrenched in society and that prevent women from enjoying unhindered personal development and access to justice. Prevention is a very important tool that the Secretary-General has been promoting over the past year. Increasing the cooperation between the United Nations and civil society is essential for prevention, in order to access more specific information that will enable us to carry out more reliable analyses of the situation.