Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform

Allow me to thank you, Sir, for having organized this important open debate on sexual violence in armed conflict. Its focus on the fight against impunity and on the crucial need to ensure justice for survivors is, in our opinion, particularly appropriate.

We must show iron-clad determination and political will to stamp out impunity for sexual crimes as a tool of war. Statesmen, political and religious leaders, women's groups, community elders and human rights defenders must join forces to generate global consensus on the need to end impunity and pursue accountability at all levels.

To tackle impunity, sustained comprehensive efforts are needed at the national level to guarantee the prosecution of conflict-related sexual violence and support for survivors. The Council could make a major difference by supporting the early establishment of national reparations programmes as well as developing a more robust monitoring and reporting system.

The disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform processes, including stringent vetting of personnel, provide an important window of opportunity for effective justice for victims of sexual violence in conflict. Security sector reforms must include provisions on the personal accountability of the police and the military, all the way up to the leadership.

Establishing effective oversight, transparency, and human rights and gender training for security sector personnel is instrumental in countering the culture of impunity. My delegation welcomes the Secretary General's recommendation that blanket amnesties should not be applied where conflict-related sexual violence is in question.

All pre-departure training for Lithuanian military and police personnel participating in international missions includes specific training on gender issues. Lithuania strongly supports the inclusion of gender- based violence and violence against women and children among the mandatory assessment criteria for arms exports in the international Arms Trade Treaty.

There seems to be a major design flaw in our current national and international efforts to bring about justice for crimes of sexual violence — the voices of victims are rarely heard. This is lamentable and counterproductive, because a greater role for victims in this discourse could have a strong impact on the willingness of the relevant actors to bring about change.

The Security Council should more often call on Governments to prioritize the strengthening of domestic justice systems, but it should also be more assertive where national systems fail, through the establishment of fact-finding commissions, commissions of inquiry and referrals to the ICC. Where domestic justice systems have broken down completely, such measures may often be the only way of creating deterrence and enabling longer-term justice.

The necessary work to that end is closely linked to broader efforts to strengthen justice and the rule of law. An effective judicial response requires States themselves to strengthen domestic justice systems in all their aspects, where appropriate, with the assistance of international donors and agencies.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) also has an important role to play, and we were therefore somewhat surprised not to see the ICC mentioned explicitly in the concept paper. The work of the Court can serve in particular as an incentive for Governments to deliver accountability at the domestic level.