Implementation

"Let me start by expressing our deep appreciation for resolution 1960 (2010), which has been adopted today and which Italy was proud to have co-sponsored. By requesting the establishment of monitoring and reporting arrangements for conflict-related sexual violence, the Security Council has taken an important step forward. Timely and accurate information will enhance the Council's ability to track and deter this heinous crime.

"In 2008, Italy, in its capacity as a member of the Security Council, was one of the strongest advocates of resolution 1820 (2008), on sexual violence in conflict. We also supported the appointment of a Special Representative of the Secretary-General. At the national level, we are finalizing a plan of action to implement resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security.

"In conclusion, Italy remains fully committed to implementing the resolutions of the Security Council in the area of women and peace and security, including the important resolution adopted today. "

Acts of sexual violence are horrific crimes against individuals. Women, girls and boys who are raped are not only heartlessly robbed of their basic dignity during the time of the crime, but also bear the scars of those appalling acts long after hostilities have ceased. No amount of compensation can heal those wounds.

The Secretary-General's report provides a number of important recommendations for improving the international community's efforts on this issue. There is a growing consensus about the need for timely, objective and accurate monitoring and reporting arrangements for incidents of sexual violence to ensure a coherent and coordinated approach to addressing violations and enforcing accountability.

Israel welcomes the Secretary-General's report of 24 November (S/2010/604) and commends him for his efforts and leadership on this issue. The report documents how widespread acts of rape and other forms of sexual violence — too often committed with impunity — continue to plague many zones of conflict.

Israel strongly supports the mandate that created the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, and recognizes that Special Representative Wallström will play a pivotal role in addressing the issue. The newly formed UN Women, led by Executive Director Michelle Bachelet, also has a central role to play and is well positioned to work with the entire United Nations system.

In the 10 years since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we have seen some positive steps to prevent sexual violence in conflict. Unfortunately, overall progress is slow. Israel joined the list of sponsors of resolution 1960 (2010), recognizing the urgent need for collective action on this pressing issue. As a co-sponsor of the previous resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009), Israel remains deeply committed to their full implementation.

This is an urgent and necessary debate. Amid the glow of the holiday season, it is all the more difficult for our imaginations to comprehend the horror and brutality of sexual violence on the scale to which the Secretary-General's report (S/2010/604) attests. The contrast could not be more shocking between the civility of our lives here and the depravity of sexual violence so widely associated with conflict.

Let me conclude by reiterating our unequivocal support for Special Representative of the Secretary- General Wallström and her Office, as well as our appreciation for the incremental steps that are being taken by the Security Council on this issue. The perpetrators of crimes of sexual violence now know that they are caught in the headlamps of Security Council attention.