However, as we know, not all such situations pose a threat to international p...

However, as we know, not all such situations pose a threat to international peace and security requiring intervention on the part of the Security Council. Because of that, we feel that issues relating to preventing and combating sexual violence at every stage of armed conflict or post-conflict situations are primarily the responsibility of national Governments. Moreover, questions concerning combating sexual violence, depending on the context and within the framework of existing mandates, are handled not only by the Council but by other United Nations organs, particularly the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council and the Commission on the Status of Women. Artificially linking every issue of sexual violence to the work of the Security Council would lead not only to an imbalance from the standpoint of system-wide coordination but would have a negative impact on the effectiveness of work in that area. We believe that priority attention should be given to those situations on the Security Council's agenda where sexual violence is one of the primary issues in terms of the protection of civilians.