Justice

Thirdly, with regard to the emphasis on prevention, we welcome the focus placed by the Secretary General’s report on the link between accountability and prevention. Ireland calls for the United Nations, and in particular its Member States, to support sensitized and expert means to pursue accountability for sexual violence in conflict — for example through the work undertaken by Justice Rapid Response and the Team of Experts. Moreover, if peacekeepers deployed by the United Nations fail to prevent sexual violence, or in fact serve as the perpetrators of such crimes, as we have shockingly seen, they must be held accountable. Troop-contributing countries and the United Nations itself have clear responsibilities in that regard.