Implementation

Along with the international community, civil society actors in the countries concerned play a crucial role. The Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Mary Robinson, is reaching out to women's groups and civil society in that region.

Indonesia stands for zero tolerance of sexual violence against all citizens — women, children and men — in armed conflict. To that end, the effort should not be limited to focusing on improving the prosecution and elimination of impunity against cases of sexual violence in conflict.

They need a seat at the table at all levels of conflict prevention, peace negotiation, transitional justice and reconstruction. It is not enough to just let them be observers of decision-making processes. That is especially important not only at the local level but also in the national and international context. The United Nations needs to ensure that women are involved in all United Nations-led peace and reconciliation talks.

Progress has been made in the fight against sexual violence in conflict since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions. However, sexual violence has not been eliminated. It is time to take stock of what has been achieved. Implementation and the consolidation of measures to prevent and end conflict-related sexual violence have to be our main objectives.

In efforts to achieve the active involvement of women, civil society organizations can play an important role. They can connect women's organizations and train women representatives and thereby empower women to take their rightful place in all decision-making processes.

Fourthly, data collection is essential for our ability to prevent, protect and respond and is the precondition for any justice and accountability mechanism at the national and international levels. Women protection advisers therefore need to be deployed and monitoring and reporting arrangements should be established in all relevant peacekeeping and special political missions.

Accountability is first and foremost the responsibility of each State. Therefore, national capacities need to be supported and built. Justice- and security-sector reforms are essential. When effective prosecution in the State concerned is not possible, the only way to achieve justice for victims and survivors is to have those cases transferred to an international jurisdiction, including to the International Criminal Court.

In a second success, shame has changed sides. It now weighs on the executioner and not on the victim. The Secretary-General's list of shame exposes to the whole international community the parties that are using sexual violence in an orchestrated and systematic manner and provides United Nations missions with a solid basis for initiating a dialogue with such groups.

We welcome the steps taken towards a consolidated approach to conflict-related sexual violence and, more broadly, to the issue of women and peace and security, as well as the progress made in moving from the principles and goals established to creating operational measures and tools. We must live up to our political commitment through concrete and measurable action.

We must stay focused on combating sexual violence. I can assure the Council that the European Union will do its part to contribute to that goal.