I would like to thank you, Madam President, for presiding over this meeting a...

I would like to thank you, Madam President, for presiding over this meeting and for enabling us to discuss important aspects of the issue of preventing conflict twice in three days. These two debates (see S/PV.6946) are inextricably connected, given the fact that the problem of sexual violence is deeply rooted in conflict and not merely an incidental symptom of it. The short period during which these discussions have taken place has served to sow the seeds of the success of your presidency for the month of April. By the same token, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in achieving this lofty and noble goal. I would also like to thank Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, as well as Ms. Saran Keïta Diakité of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, for their exhaustive briefings and complete and concrete efforts in this area.