Implementation

In this sense, preventing, addressing and eliminating sexual violence requires cultural, societal and institutional changes. Canada calls on Member States and the United Nations system to ensure that Ms. Wallström's Office is adequately resourced and capable of timely action to support such changes.

In addition, as recognized in resolution 1820 (2008), we also strongly support the exclusion of crimes of sexual violence from amnesty provisions in the context of peace processes.

For those reasons, networks among United Nations peacekeepers, local and international non-governmental organizations and women's networks must be strengthened to facilitate the establishment of early warning mechanisms on conflict-related sexual violence.

Canada's long-standing support for the rights and well-being of women and girls in situations of conflict is reflected through our continuing active implementation of Council resolutions, including through strong advocacy work, significant international programming addressing sexual violence, support for civil society and efforts to strengthen international criminal justice mechanisms.

Canada welcomes today's presentation by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Wallström, and strongly supports her efforts to provide strategic leadership and strengthen United Nations coordination mechanisms in order to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence.

Canada welcomes the jurisprudence of international courts and tribunals confirming that rape and sexual violence can be war crimes and crimes against humanity. Individuals responsible for these crimes must be brought to justice; that includes those responsible by virtue of command responsibility.

Canada strongly supports the Security Council's recognition of the need to take effective measures to address conflict-related sexual violence and welcomes the report of the Secretary-General (S/2010/604) pursuant to resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009), including their recommendations.

Canada also calls on the Council to increase pressure on States to hold perpetrators of sexual violence to account through adoption of sanctions and other targeted measures against individuals and entities that have perpetrated sexual violence. This must, of course, be done in accordance with standards of due process.

When the Council takes up issues such as sexual violence, the challenge is how to address in political, and even operational, terms an issue that is deeply moral in nature. In other words, the Council is called upon to help to translate our sorrow and outrage at such horrific violence into practical action capable of bringing about real change.

The adoption of resolution 1960 (2010) today, which Brazil is pleased to have co-sponsored, sends a clear message that the Council is ready to continue to fight impunity by focusing on parties that engage in conflict-related sexual violence. It has strengthened the tools and arrangements available to the Council and to the United Nations as a whole.