In that connection, impunity for sexual violence by armed groups is unaccepta...

In that connection, impunity for sexual violence by armed groups is unacceptable and can never be tolerated. My delegation wishes to stress the responsibility of States to protect their own populations and the importance of demonstrating commitment and political will to prevent sexual violence. To that end, I wish to emphasize the importance of respect for the rule of law, accountability and access to justice, as we believe that they are critical to protecting women's rights in the aftermath of conflict. Botswana also shares the view expressed by many that gender-sensitive legal and institutional reform, in conformity with international standards, should be accorded priority in order to stem violence against women. With the belief and a sense of optimism that, given our collective will, especially in the Security Council, we can bring an end to impunity and to those crimes, we call on the Council to strengthen its efforts in that regard.