Senegal
Armed groups have always used pressure tactics of rape, forced marriage and s...
Armed groups have always used pressure tactics of rape, forced marriage and sexual slavery against populations, especially women, to impose control over their communities. Those horrendous practices have also been used to force populations to move, which has led to unbearable humanitarian situations in neighbouring countries.
In that context, I express my condemnation of the new trend of using sexual v...
In that context, I express my condemnation of the new trend of using sexual violence in order to gain illegal access to natural resources. Beyond undermining morale and trampling the dignity of the people who are the victims, those crimes also seriously undermine the development efforts of countries already suffering the effects of poverty.
As timely highlighted by the Secretary-General in his report (S/2013/149), th...
As timely highlighted by the Secretary-General in his report (S/2013/149), the failure of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform efforts in many countries has led, as we know, to violations against women. In addition, there is a risk of reprisals against the victims of sexual violence.
Only a strong message, backed up by a holistic strategy on the part of the in...
Only a strong message, backed up by a holistic strategy on the part of the international community, will lead to the control of that phenomenon, which entails such disastrous consequences for maternal and child health, populations, international peace and security as well as for our people's well-being.
That leads me to welcome resolution 2106 (2013), which the Council has just a...
That leads me to welcome resolution 2106 (2013), which the Council has just adopted and which places victims at the heart of efforts to combat sexual violence and to improve conflict resolution. On that basis, efforts to combat this scourge should be based on adequate prevention as well as on accountability, which helps to dissuade people from committing these crimes once again. Prevention is first and foremost the responsibility of Governments, particularly of security forces, which have a duty to protect their own citizens. We need to support the countries affected in establishing the rule of law by enhancing the capacity of the security forces in a substantive way and by developing their legal capacities. The basic goal is to fill the gaps in terms of their protection and judicial mechanisms, particularly in the spheres of intelligence, investigations and prosecution of perpetrators. In that regard, we are happy to see the significant progress achieved by various countries thanks to the United Nations campaign on sexual violence in conflict, which includes “firewood patrols” in Darfur and an early-warning system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Moreover, it is important to underscore the fact that the prevention effort i...
Moreover, it is important to underscore the fact that the prevention effort is also a collective one, as it transcends borders and deals with a phenomenon that poses a serious threat to peace and security throughout the world. Worse yet, acts of sexual violence constitute crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of genocide, in line with the decision handed down by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in the Jean-Paul Akayesu case.
This shows the importance of taking into account sexual violence in the conte...
This shows the importance of taking into account sexual violence in the context of preventive diplomacy, particularly when ceasefire agreements are reached between warring parties. In that connection, I support the recommendations made by the Secretary-General to establish monitoring mechanisms for the commitments entered into by parties during the good offices process, in line with resolution 1960 (2010). That also applies to peacekeeping missions and to special political missions, which should have a sufficient number of women's protection advisers.