Secondly, the so-called Arab Spring has also helped to highlight the extreme vulnerability of migrants living in or crossing through countries affected by armed violence. These migrants are extremely vulnerable to abuse and exploitation by all sides to a conflict, ranging from illegal confiscation of their belongings to sexual exploitation or even torture.
Similarly, support should also be given to self-protection initiatives by civilian populations. That also includes strengthening the leadership role that women take on during reconciliation processes. Women are agents of change in cases such as that of Guatemala, where they are able to create spaces for conflict prevention, mediation and resolution, as well as for peacebuilding.
On the implementation side, we welcome the new monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangement on conflict-related sexual violence requested under resolution 1960 (2010), which now is operational. We also very much welcome the recent progress made by DPKO on the completion of new training modules on protection issues for peacekeeping personnel and we look forward to their roll-out in the near future.
More than 10 years have passed since the first debate was held in the Security Council on this issue, yet armed conflicts still affect millions of persons who are deprived of basic necessities and who are vulnerable to violations of their rights, displaced from their homes, targeted through indiscriminate attacks and other violations. In many cases, the principal victims of armed conflicts are women and children.
I would like to reaffirm our support for the Special Representatives, Mrs. Wallström and Mrs. Coomaraswamy, for their commitment and the quality of their work. In this respect, the Security Council must be able to systematically consider the inclusion of sexual violence among the grounds for sanctions.
As we have seen over the past decade, peacekeeping operations can play an important role in establishing and strengthening such a legal and political framework under which all individuals and institutions, including the state itself, are accountable. We also need to make this framework work for vulnerable groups, including women, children, IDPs and detainees, and make sure that they have access to justice.
Serious violence against civilians in armed conflict is unacceptable. Life is the most precious. Innocent civilians, especially women and children, in armed conflict must be effectively protected. In this connection, the government should shoulder the primary responsibility.
Third, we must be persistent in denouncing violence directed against women and girls such as sexual violence, including rape as a weapon of war, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy and enforced sterilization. We will continue to promote the empowerment of women and girls.
Let me use this opportunity to thank OCHA and DPKO for their consistent work and support in enhancing the implementation of protection mandates. The training modules on the protection of civilians as well as on sexual violence will be crucial for better preparing UN peacekeeping personnel for these tasks. Furthermore, we look forward to the guidance on reporting on the protection of civilians for UN peacekeeping and other relevant missions.
