Turning to the purposes of this debate — to examine the mechanisms and ...

Turning to the purposes of this debate — to examine the mechanisms and processes by which countries have dealt with the victims and survivors of sexual violence — I would like to share some of the experience of the Solomon Islands in dealing with victims of sexual violence during and after a period of conflict. The Solomon Islands went through an ethnic conflict between 1998 and 2000. In 2009, with the support of the United Nations, and particularly of Australia, currently a member of the Security Council, the Solomon Islands established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Commission provided a mechanism for the victims' stories to be heard and for efforts to be made to restore the dignity of survivors of that ethnic conflict, including those who had been sexually violated, with the Commission listening in compassion and respect and providing a space for expression in a traditional society where shame and humiliation often prevent victims from coming forward. The Commission, established by law in the Solomon Islands, has since presented its findings and recommendations to my Government.