Implementation

Thirdly, Japan is proud to be a leading supporter of the work of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, and specifically the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, in their efforts to provide assistance to the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Somalia. I reiterate our ongoing support for the Team of Experts, and also encourage other Member States to join our efforts with the Team of Experts, which is only funded through voluntary contributions.

We are seriously concerned that sexual violence continues to be perpetrated by terrorist groups as a tactic of war and terrorism. Such acts, entailing systematic abuses toward strategic objectives, may amount to crimes against humanity and, therefore, we in turn must address them systematically and strategically. Needless to say, the Security Council is the appropriate organ of the United Nations for discussions and actions on this issue, as it is directly linked to the maintenance of peace and security; it should absolutely not be viewed as an add-on element of the Council’s work.

While we welcome improvements in the quality of information on sexual violence contained in the report of the Secretary General (S/2017/249), we still see a need for the Council to be timely briefed on sexual violence in conflict in the context of country-specific situations and relevant thematic areas of work. Ample and adequate information determines the quality of our collective actions.