The report of the Secretary-General before us (S/2012/732) indicates that wom...

The report of the Secretary-General before us (S/2012/732) indicates that women and girls continue to suffer violations of their rights, in particular through sexual and gender-based violence, forced displacement and obstructions to humanitarian access, which are serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian and refugee law. While the United Nations does its best to protect civilians, in particular women and children, and calls on all parties to the conflict to act accordingly, we must still note that violence against women and children is growing, as seen in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Mali. In addition to these horrible, tragic and reprehensible acts, we also note the use of heavy weapons in populated areas, which leads to mass population movements, in particular among women and children, thereby exposing them to all types of violence and violations of their rights. These actions must cease and their perpetrators punished under the relevant international legal instruments.