Justice, Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform

Those gaps have yet to be bridged by States as the bearers of the primary responsibility in addressing the issue of violence against women and its impact, in order to translate commitments into practical approaches and actions on the ground, to fashion more compassionate responses for victims, to pursue more aggressive prosecutions of perpetrators and to create more secure communities and environments.

Indonesia wishes to highlight some of the main challenges in our efforts to eliminate and further prevent violence against women, including sexual violence: first, insufficient gender-sensitive policies; secondly, inadequate implementation of legal and policy frameworks; thirdly, inadequate data collection, analysis and research; fourthly, the lack of financial and human resources and insufficient allocation of such resources; and, fifthly, th

While United Nations peacekeeping missions have provided critical support for gender-related issues in countries emerging from armed conflict, we agree with the report's assertion that it is equally important to pay adequate attention to security-sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, so as to avoid the risk of relapse.

The promotion and protection of the human rights of women and girls in armed conflict continue to pose a pressing challenge. There should be zero tolerance for gender-based violence and sexual violence. All cases of gender-based violence must be promptly investigated and its perpetrators prosecuted.

We recognize the importance of mediators and envoys in mediation, ceasefire, peace and preventive diplomacy processes engaging with the parties to a conflict in dialogue on sexual violence, and for such violence to be addressed in peace agreements.

We believe that another step in the right direction is the judgment in the case of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo. Although he was not charged with crimes of sexual slavery and rape, the judgment against him includes specific guidance on the reparations to be made to the victims of sexual violence, thus making possible specific reparation for the immediate and long-term harm experienced by the victims.

It is also worth mentioning the critical role of women's civil society organizations in supporting the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts and in peacebuilding. That was precisely the approach taken in the presidential statement (S/PRST/2012/23) adopted under our presidency of the Security Council in October 2012.

In that regard, we are encouraged by the important change in how sexual violence is being dealt with by the International Criminal Court, in particular with respect to the charges against Bosco Ntaganda of crimes against humanity, rape, sexual slavery and war crimes. The same could be said about the prosecution of Jean-Pierre Bemba.

In addition, it helps us to combat the perception that it is useless to denounce the crimes of sexual violence and contributes to the strengthening of the administration of justice, whether civil or military, by holding perpetrators accountable before the law.