However, despite the progress of the past ten years, many challenges remain. ...

However, despite the progress of the past ten years, many challenges remain. Abhorrent conditions that women and girls face in all conflict sltuations persist, effective and comprehensive methods for addressing those realities are still lacking. As we speak we speak in this Chamber, discrimination and violence against women in conflict and post-conflict situations - often seemingly committed with complete impunity - are still rampant in certain areas of the world. The horror of such gender-based violence, particularly rape and other fonns of sexual abuse, continues to be brought to the attention
of the Security Council and efforts to prevent such crimes, including by peacekeeping missions, and to fight impunity have to be redoubled. Let us not forget the statement, delivered by Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations in the UNGA Fourth Committee just days ago stipulating that widespread or systematic use of sexual violence against civilians in anned conflicts is used as a tactic of war. This indeed is a very disturbing fact of today's reality.