Sexual violence is a repugnant and criminal phenomenon that is closely linked to insecurity and the impunity associated with a weak institutional framework for the rule of law. Those issues have been very present in earlier debates of the Council, as well as those, in other contexts, in the General Assembly, including the work in progress on the post-2015 development agenda. States have adopted measures to confront the scourge and to protect women and children, who are the most vulnerable to sexual violence in situations of armed conflict. However, in each new report, the Secretary-General takes stock of horrendous situations caused by offenders, particularly those that appear as systematic violators in the annex of the report (S/2014/181).
In our own internal conflict, which ended more than 17 years ago, there remain victims and consequences of the atrocities committed, and that has helped us to produce legislation on violence against women and girls so that they can live in a stable and democratic society. Preventing violence against women is a priority for the Government of Guatemala, and in recent years legislation has been adopted and institutions and policies created to complete that mission.