Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform

Justice for the victims of serious violations of international human rights law is an essential requirement for the sustainable peace, security and development of States emerging from armed conflict, where the rule of law must enjoy primacy and be scrupulously upheld.

The Solomon Islands Police Force has a new look, thanks to special outreach efforts to women in terms of recruitment. Today, the acting head of our Police Force is a woman, a first for Solomon Islands. It is a small step, but an important one. Even more, it is fulfilling one of the six goals of UN-Women, that is,k strengthening the leadership of women in peace and security.

The elimination of gender-based violence is a shared responsibility. We are tackling the issues, working with all stakeholders to address the issue of rape and sexual violence with a strong campaign to prevent it, protect victims and deal with perpetrators. Solomon Islands has institutionalized Government- wide structures to deal with the issue nationally, working with all the relevant stakeholders.

The report also refers to two highly problematic trends that were noticed by the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, namely, the occurrence of sexual violence during house searches and at checkpoints and the perpetration of rape and torture in the context of detention.

In that regard, the Network believes that applying a more people- or victim-centred lens to the issue would help. Moreover, we support the availability of reparations as a form of transitional gender justice. Reparations can deliver redress and acknowledgement of crimes suffered, and can contribute to the fight against impunity and to post-conflict reconstruction and the reintegration of survivors of sexual violence.

All the necessary steps, including targeted measures, must be taken to protect individuals, hold perpetrators accountable and provide remedy for victims. It is essential that amnesty provisions not be applicable to crimes of sexual violence in the context of conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction.

That is important to ensure that justice is served and that survivors are able to begin the process of healing. Above all, we call upon all parties to conflict that are responsible for acts of sexual violence to cease such violations.

Rwanda urges all parties to armed conflict to enforce a clear prohibition on sexual violence, expressed through chains of command, via codes of conduct and military field manuals and in constant training. We further call upon those parties to ensure that alleged abuses are investigated swiftly and perpetrators held accountable.

Rwanda reminds civilian and military leaders with command responsibilities that they, too, are accountable for acts of sexual violence committed on their watch. Rwanda will, on a case-by-case basis, support the adoption or extension of targeted sanctions against persistent perpetrators of rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Just 19 years ago, Rwandan women were forced to endure inhuman and degrading atrocities. Many were raped and left for dead. Among those who survived, many were infected with incurable diseases; some were made pregnant; many suffered the humiliation of having been abused in front of their families. And yet, the women of Rwanda refused to be defined or defeated by their ordeals.