Justice

We support the Secretary-General’s call on traditional, religious and community leaders to address harmful social norms and contribute to redirecting the stigma of rape from victims to perpetrators, who must be held accountable for their crimes. Accountability is a powerful deterrent, as well as a moral duty to those afflicted. The lack of adequate national capacity and expertise to investigate and prosecute for acts of sexual violence remains one of the main impediments to ensuring accountability not only for sexual violence but also for related crimes. This situation often leads to widespread impunity and has had an impact on access to justice and on the safety of survivors. The international community should encourage and help States to fully exercise their responsibility. Promoting the universality of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is also crucial to ending impunity.

Given the atrocity of these crimes, we must do everything in our hands to prevent them. Among other measures, we must help strengthen national capacities, curb the availability of weapons, ensure prosecution, protect victims, take adequate action to change how they are perceived in their communities, and protect witnesses.