If lasting progress is to be made, then we must focus on preventing conflict-related sexual violence from occurring in the first place by dealing with root causes.

Effective accountability is vital to hold perpetrators to account, to ensure recognition for victims and to deter future crimes. We acknowledge the important work done by international tribunals and the International Criminal Court in strengthening international law on sexual violence.

At the national level, effective accountability requires strong domestic laws, institutions and practical mechanisms that actually enable access to justice. We applaud the engagement so far of United Nations actors, in particular the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, to support national authorities to achieve accountability. New Zealand encourages the continuation and deepening of that support.

New Zealand strongly endorses the Secretary-General's and others' call for all parties to conflict responsible for acts of sexual violence to cease that horrendous conduct and to make protection commitments. We also call for the further strengthening and implementation of the protection framework while ensuring that protection is extended to those most vulnerable to conflict-related sexual violence.

Women must be sent to the field as peacekeepers and peacemakers in greater numbers. There must be more women in the United Nations system, also at the policy level. They must be the agents of positive change

There must be more women in the United Nations system, also at the policy level

Our top priorities are increasing the participation of women in decision-making processes, protecting women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence with a zero-tolerance policy and ending impunity

Nepal believes that the United Nations system should play the central role in dealing with sexual violence in conflict.

We recognize the work of non-governmental organizations in their role of training officials from Member States, as investigators of gender-based violence for rapid deployment to conflict areas. Namibia supports such initiatives as they can go a long way in assisting the international community in investigating those horrible crimes by bringing the perpetrators to book.

The United Nations, and in particular this body, have convened meetings to deliberate on mitigating factors that can be employed to prevent and or curb such a scourge. However, despite all efforts, the scourge still persists and continues to terrorize communities, thereby posing a serious security concern. That is so because perpetrators are left unpunished and the culture of impunity aggravates conflict cycles.