Participation

Secondly, with respect to the need to place victims’ needs and perspectives at the core of our work, the Secretary-General’s report outlines how victims of conflict-related sexual violence can be re-victimized even after their ordeal has ended — women interrogated as potential affiliates of extremist groups instead of receiving treatment and support as victims of terrorism, children facing legal and social discrimination having been born from rape, and boys and men finding themselves excluded from victim support and redress. We commend the work of the outgoing Special Representative of the Secretary-General and her team for giving a voice to those victims. We hope to see an increase in invitations to the Special Representative to brief the relevant sections committees, as well as to civil-society and victims representatives to deliver briefings in the Chamber. As a troop-contributing country, Ireland also supports further efforts to integrate the perspectives of civil society and local communities into United Nations peace operations.