Colombia is aware of the impact of sexual violence in conflicts on international peace and security, and believes that we must not lose sight of the fact that the primary responsibility to put an end to that scourge and to protect the victims lies with States.
Colombia endorses the repeated rejections by the Security Council of all acts of sexual violence and other forms violence against civilians in armed conflict, in particular against women and children.
Colombia also joins in the repeated condemnations by the Security Council of violations of international humanitarian law committed against women and girls, and the need to bring to justice those who are responsible for such crimes, in particular the perpetrators of sexual violence against women.
Along those lines, it is worth mentioning some of the good practices introduced by Colombia to prevent, investigate and sanction sexual violence in armed conflict.
Women are a major force for peace, stability and development in society. The promotion of gender equality and women's rights represents a true reflection of human civilization and progress, and is also closely related to peace and world development. In situations of armed conflict, however, sexual violence against women is employed by parties to conflict as a means of war more often than not.
Thirdly, attention must be paid to the issues underlying the protection of women's security and curbing sexual violence in armed conflict. It is important to address issues of women's rights at a deeper level, in order to promote women's full development and eliminate the root causes of conflict.
Secondly, the Security Council has an active role to play in fighting sexual violence in armed conflict, in the light of its own mandate and strengths. However, it is different from the Human Rights Council and it is also different from the Commission on the Status of Women. When addressing sexual violence, the Council must not encroach upon the responsibilities of other United Nations bodies.
It is no surprise that such acts have been unanimously condemned and opposed by the international community. China strongly condemns all violence against civilians in armed conflict, and is resolutely opposed to using sexual violence as a means of war, as well as to any acts of sexual violence or sexual enslavement against women.
First, combating sexual violence in conflict must be done with full respect for national sovereignty, and should rely primarily on national efforts. National Governments bear the primary responsibility for protecting women's rights in their country; it is they, first and foremost, that should carry out the task of implementing the Council's resolutions and fighting sexual violence in conflict.
