Statement of Canada, October, 2015

Women around the world continue to face an onslaught of violence in situations of conflict, as we have witnessed in the deliberate and systematic campaign of sexual violence undertaken by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Boko Haram. While these groups publicize their crimes, such atrocities also take place in other conflicts behind a curtain of silence and shame. Accountability, let alone true justice, remains elusive. Women’s rights defenders, serving as a voice for the voiceless, are themselves often targeted. The United Nations itself has witnessed shortcomings, with instances of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers and staff.