Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform

In order to combat sexual and gender-based violence, the perpetrators must be brought to justice. All parties to an armed conflict should take all steps necessary to ensure accountability, through national prosecutions or by referrals to the International Criminal Court. National capacity must be enhanced to investigate and prosecute these crimes.

The third challenge is accountability. States have the obligation to comply with international humanitarian and human rights law and to investigate and prosecute any serious crime committed within its borders. In that regard, we condemn sexual and gender-based violence, including the use of sexual violence as a military tactic. Impunity is not an option. It encourages perpetrators to continue their atrocious acts.

With all the aforesaid in mind, Croatia joined the United Kingdom's initiative on preventing sexual violence in conflict and supported the elaboration of an international protocol on the investigation and documentation of rape and sexual violence in conflict.

We are appalled by reports of rape and other forms of sexual violence that are being used as weapons of war, targeting in particular women and girls. That is not isolated to a single conflict, nor can it be regarded as collateral damage of war.

We must continue to work closely to strengthen efforts and coordination to prevent and respond to sexual violence, such as rape as a weapon of war, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion and enforced sterilizations. Even in times of conflict, the promotion of accountability, including by increasing the capacity to prosecute perpetrators of such acts, is important.

As a friend and supporter of the International Criminal Court, we have a commitment to upholding the rule of law, and we have strong faith in the institution as an international court of last resort. We remain concerned that hundreds of human rights abusers remain at large, frustrating the course of justice and endangering innocent women and children.

The role of women in conflict prevention and post-conflict peacebuilding is of great importance. Therefore, Namibia fully supports the inclusion of women in security systems such as the armed forces, the police and peacekeeping operations and special political missions in support of various United Nations resolutions that recognize that important role.

At the international level, the United Nations is promoting similar objectives through a wide range of instruments available to it in dealing with the aftermath of conflict. Those include support for transitional justice and the rule of law, for political dialogue and mediation, for truth-telling processes, for reparations, for institutional reform, and for the role of women in the renewal and rebuilding of societies emerging from conflict.

We value the efforts of UN WOMEN and the United Nations Development Programme and their initiatives to improve women's access to justice during and after conflicts, as reflected in the report before us today. We also value the critical role of civil society, particularly that of local women's groups that assist victims in various aspects of recovery, from health services to access to justice.

We believe that full accountability is crucial and requires a broad, multisectoral response that, apart from medical and psychological aspects and reparations, should also include a focus on social and economic reintegration for victims.