Southern Africa
The plight of women and children, in particular, remains perilous and require...
The plight of women and children, in particular, remains perilous and requires urgent attention. South Africa appreciates the efforts of many Governments, including those of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad, to combat sexual violence, as demonstrated by the arrest of senior military officers involved in crimes of conflict-related sexual violence. The increased momentum in the implementation of resolutions 1325 (2000), 1612 (2005) and 1960 (2010), including on monitoring, information-sharing and reporting, needs to be further accelerated.
In February, at the initiative of the Brazilian presidency, the Council held ...
In February, at the initiative of the Brazilian presidency, the Council held informal consultations to discuss protection-related items on its agenda, namely, protection of civilians, children and armed conflict, and women and peace and security. South Africa supports this holistic approach, whereby these issues are dealt with in a coherent manner. In that regard, actions undertaken by the Secretariat should be mutually reinforcing.
South Africa is fully committed to the protection of civilians in armed confl...
South Africa is fully committed to the protection of civilians in armed conflict and continues to support a strengthened normative and legal framework for enhancing such protection measures. We welcome the concerted efforts of the international community to protect civilians in armed conflict. Despite such positive efforts and the progressive steps that are being taken, scores of civilians in many regions of the world are still harmed or maimed during armed conflicts, from Afghanistan to Somalia to Libya to Côte d'Ivoire. In this regard, we regret deeply that civilians, in particular women and children, continue to account for the vast majority of casualties in armed conflicts.