Despite the international community's repeated condemnation of sexual violenc...

Despite the international community's repeated condemnation of sexual violence in armed conflict, we remain deeply concerned about the fact that such acts continue to occur and in some situations have even become systematic and widespread. Impunity for sexual violence by armed groups is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. In that regard, my delegation wishes to stress the urgency and importance of demonstrating commitment and political will through efforts to prevent sexual violence and enforce accountability by prosecuting those responsible for perpetrating crimes against civilians. We therefore call on the Security Council to continue its efforts to fight impunity and uphold accountability. Through its relevant Sanctions Committees, the Council should also consider the possible effectiveness of existing sanctions regimes on parties named in the report.