Croatia
Croatia, remembering too well the horrors of war, strongly condemns the conti...
Croatia, remembering too well the horrors of war, strongly condemns the continued widespread, systematic and gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in Syria, including targeted killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual violence and the use and recruitment of children to participate in hostilities.
We are appalled by reports of rape and other forms of sexual violence that ar...
We are appalled by reports of rape and other forms of sexual violence that are being used as weapons of war, targeting in particular women and girls. That is not isolated to a single conflict, nor can it be regarded as collateral damage of war. It is of the utmost importance that rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict be recognized as war crimes and crimes against humanity and fall under the competence of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Against that background, we fully welcome the further institutional dialogue between the ICC and the Security Council.
While the increased use of sexual and gender-based violence as a war tactic h...
While the increased use of sexual and gender-based violence as a war tactic has already been addressed in the Security Council, most notably through its resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), it is undeniable that this kind of violence continues to occur at an alarming rate. It is therefore necessary for United Nations peacekeeping operations to effectively address the impact of armed conflict on women and children and to support women's participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding as much as possible. Women should also play an important role in peacekeeping missions in order to enhance confidence-building with the targeted communities.
With all the aforesaid in mind, Croatia joined the United Kingdom's initiativ...
With all the aforesaid in mind, Croatia joined the United Kingdom's initiative on preventing sexual violence in conflict and supported the elaboration of an international protocol on the investigation and documentation of rape and sexual violence in conflict.