Ukraine is alarmed by the fact that civilians continue to account for the majority of casualties in conflicts, as well as a high number of displaced persons. We are deeply concerned by the frequency and gravity of attacks against civilians, especially women and children, and by issues of safety for humanitarian personnel and of timely humanitarian access to those in need, particularly vulnerable groups.
It is the same unshakable commitment and sense of responsibility for the protection of civilians under threat of imminent violence that lies behind Ukraine's decision to be an active participant in the provision of temporary reinforcements to the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire.
The plight of women and children, in particular, remains perilous and requires urgent attention. South Africa appreciates the efforts of many Governments, including those of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad, to combat sexual violence, as demonstrated by the arrest of senior military officers involved in crimes of conflict-related sexual violence.
South Africa is fully committed to the protection of civilians in armed conflict and continues to support a strengthened normative and legal framework for enhancing such protection measures. We welcome the concerted efforts of the international community to protect civilians in armed conflict.
In February, at the initiative of the Brazilian presidency, the Council held informal consultations to discuss protection-related items on its agenda, namely, protection of civilians, children and armed conflict, and women and peace and security. South Africa supports this holistic approach, whereby these issues are dealt with in a coherent manner. In that regard, actions undertaken by the Secretariat should be mutually reinforcing.
The situation of civilians in armed conflicts around the world remains alarming. Civilians continue to account for the majority of casualties in conflicts and are often the deliberate targets of different forms of violence by all parties to conflict. Special attention should be paid to the most vulnerable groups, in particular women and children.
Situation-specific resolutions have increasingly called for protection to be prioritized in the implementation of peacekeeping mandates. We particularly welcome the development of comprehensive strategies on the protection of civilians, which assist missions in understanding the relevant threats facing civilians in their areas of operation and enable them to better channel their efforts towards addressing them.
Thirdly, sexual violence against women and girls in armed conflicts is one of the most horrible forms of violence, not only against civilians but against civilization itself, and it deserves our special attention. Women and girls are most vulnerable, and sexual violence has a devastating and corrosive effect on society as a whole.
Those efforts led to the Security Council's establishment of a Working Group tasked with the protection of civilians and to draw up plans to put an end to all murder and other forms of violence, including sexual violence, affecting civilians. However, the thrust of the recommendations and presidential statements by the Council have unfortunately not yielded the desired results.
