Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform

While welcoming the Council's continued dialogue and consultations with regional organizations, as well as joint actions on the ground, we would encourage an enhanced focus on issues of justice and accountability; tackling impunity for crimes against civilian populations, including sexual violence in conflict; and the effective implementation of Security Council resolutions on women and peace and security, and children and armed conflict.

We should recall that the signing of the Framework was accompanied by an overhaul of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), including by the establishment of the Force Intervention Brigade. The deterrent effect of the Brigade has already been felt on the ground, and we welcome that.

Two weeks ago, I visited Bosnia and Herzegovina, where an estimated 50,000 women were targeted with rape and other forms of sexual violence during four years of conflict. But 20 years after peace was re-established, impunity for those crimes still reigns. There have been only a handful of prosecutions.

Twenty years ago, the United Nations provided irrefutable evidence that the widespread and systematic rape of women, girls and men was being perpetrated in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. That led to unprecedented advances in international jurisprudence — the recognition of rape as a war crime and crime against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunals established for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

To the contrary, the resolutions of the Security Council affirm that this crime, when committed systematically and used as a tool of war, is a fundamental threat to the maintenance of international peace and security, and as such requires an operational, security and justice response. That paradigm shift requires a new approach to attack the scourge of war-time rape.

The draft resolution emphasizes that sexual violence must be specifically reflected in other critical peace and security processes and arrangements, such as security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes. That includes ensuring that those who commit, command or condone sexual violence be vetted and excluded from positions of influence and power.

That is why the theme of today's debate — combating impunity for sexual violence — is of the utmost relevance and urgency. By focusing on impunity, we make a more concerted effort to put the spotlight on the perpetrators, that is, on those who commit, or command, or condone sexual violence in conflicts. In so doing, we begin to re-direct the stigma and the consequences of sexual violence from the survivors to the perpetrators.

Since taking office, in September 2012, I have placed particular emphasis on engaging national stakeholders in order to foster national ownership, leadership and responsibility.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the guns may have fallen silent 20 years ago, but for the survivors of sexual violence the war has not ended. Their battle continues as they struggle with physical and psychological injuries, stigma and isolation, poverty and destitution. That is what I have witnessed in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in many other countries devastated by war.

Despite that progress, however, we regret to note that reports from a number of conflict and post-conflict situations continue to point to increasing physical and emotional violence against women and girls, who are the primary victims of sexual violence and its negative consequences for their quality of life and future development. In that regard, we would stress the need to defend the human rights of the victims of serious violations.