At the same time, the Secretary-General's report (S/2010/604) gives cause for alarm. Sexual violence continues to be used as a weapon of war by parties to conflicts in a number of regions worldwide. We all recall the mass rapes committed in Walikale this past summer, and we expect the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to inform the Security Council about measures taken to assist the victims and to combat impunity.

We fully support the Secretary-General's recommendations to establish monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements on conflict-related sexual violence, including the listing of those parties who commit sexual violence in situations of armed conflict. We further support the Secretary-General's call for a coherent and coordinated approach at the field level.

The Nordic countries support the efforts of UN Women and the Department of Political Affairs in developing guidance for mediators on addressing sexual violence in peace negotiations. We also welcome and support their Joint Strategy on Gender and Mediation. We believe that it will be an effective tool for strengthening women's participation in peace processes and for providing expertise and guidance to the parties and the mediators.

The Nordic countries promote women's participation at all stages of conflict prevention, peace negotiations and peacebuilding processes. Sexual violence should always be addressed in peace and ceasefire agreements, and no amnesty should be granted for such abuses.

Preventing sexual violence should be our highest priority. Unfortunately, in many conflict situations, national Governments and the United Nations alike have failed to protect civilians from violence. Widespread impunity in conflict situations has led to a culture of impunity and the “normalization” of sexual violence after the conflict has ended.

Nordic countries contribute to the ICC's Trust Fund for Victims and support the work of United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict. We also support a large number of local and international organizations engaged in rehabilitation for survivors of sexual violence.

Monitoring, reporting and sanctions are not ends in themselves. Their aim is to change behaviour and promote adherence to national and international law. We were therefore particularly happy to note that resolution 1960 (2010) also endorses the Secretary-General's proposal for a dialogue with parties to armed conflict, where verified behavioural change will lead to delisting, while sanctions will be applied against persistent violators.

Let me also thank and give further encouragement to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Margot Wallström and to United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Justice should always be sought with the perspective of survivors in mind. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has recently convened a panel in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where survivors of sexual violence gave their views on justice and reparations.

It is also of crucial importance that the information gathered reaches the Council and its sanctions committees in a timely manner. In that regard, we welcome the intention of the Council to ensure the flow of information from the field to the Security Council and to take action based on that information.