Implementation

First of all, Japan welcomes the Secretary-General's recent report (S/2013/149). We reiterate our full support for the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in
Conflict, Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, and for her priorities of fostering political leadership and action and deepening national ownership, leadership and responsibility. We welcome the work of the Team

Before concluding, I am very pleased to announce that Japan has begun to develop a national action plan based on resolution 1325 (2000). We are hard at work on the plan, which includes our commitment to further strengthening our efforts to help protect women's rights in humanitarian settings. We are in close consultation with United Nations organizations such as UN-Women, and hope to complete the plan as soon as possible.

There are key early-warning and conflict- prevention tools that the international community can use to prevent such heinous acts. For example, timely briefings to the Security Council by the Secretary- General's Special Representative and by UN-Women; the roll-out of United Nations system monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements; and the inclusion of women's protection advisers in peacekeeping missions and political missions.

Let me conclude by urging everyone not to forget that the primary responsibility for addressing sexual violence still lies with States, as the Secretary-General indicated in his call for national ownership and leadership. As responsible Governments, we owe that to the survivors of sexual violence and to the families of victims. Italy stands ready to assist and support such efforts.

In March, the Commission on the Status of Women approved agreed conclusions with a strong condemnation of all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence. The Arms Trade Treaty, adopted by the General Assembly just this month, obliges States parties to take into account the risk of conventional arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender- based violence.

Cooperation with civil society organizations, particularly women-led civil society organizations, should accompany those actions. Governments must ensure the protection of women's human rights defenders, who face particular risks in conflict situations.

At the same time, we need a powerful response. Again, the Security Council needs to step up pressure on perpetrators of sexual violence in armed conflicts through the adoption of targeted measures by the relevant Sanctions Committees. When there is no ad hoc committee, the Council should close any protection or impunity gaps.

The second issue concerns the deployment of women's protection advisers. One particular innovation that has made a real difference and has had a catalytic impact on the ground is the deployment of more women's protection advisers to missions.

The steps already taken by the Security Council in relation to targeted sanctions are welcome and significant, but there is more to be done. As the non-profit organization Security Council Report identified in its recent cross-cutting report, political caution in the Council has precluded a more ambitious use of sanctions in the women, peace and security context.

One of the core recommendations contained in the Secretary-General's report is that all the Security Council Sanctions Committees include a focus on crimes of sexual violence and that the Council expand its institutional capacity so as to develop ways to apply sanctions where no such committees are in place.