General Women, Peace and Security

First, we must strengthen the prevention of conflict-related sexual violence, establishing legal frameworks, promoting improved governance and the rule of law and raising public awareness; those are just some examples of the concrete actions we need to take.

We have made progress over the past several years in combatting conflict-related sexual violence. Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) in particular, a gender perspective has been increasingly integrated into key United Nations mandates.

Secondly, we should pay increased attention to the protection of women facing rape, sexual slavery and other forms sexual violence in conflict. Building the capacity of national institutions and promoting relevant legislation and resource allocation are prerequisites for providing sustainable assistance to victims and survivors.

In spite of those institutional gains, sexual violence in conflict remains one of the most egregious forms of human rights violations. Its impact goes far beyond an individual victim's pain and stigma. Even more troubling is the fact that sexual violence is often used as a tactic of armed conflict.

The United Nations has done a lot, but needs to do more. As the report of the Secretary-General (S/2014/181) notes, the situation has actually worsened in certain parts of the world. Our collective efforts should therefore focus on converting commitments into concrete action-oriented preventive measures. We should collectively create a culture of zero tolerance for sexual violence.

Sexual violence, rape, molestation and different forms of sexual abuse committed by individuals or groups are egregious and reprehensible crimes. Sexual violence has been systematically used as an instrument of war in many parts of the world, as testimonies this morning demonstrated. Sexual predators target vulnerable women and girls, men and boys.

Sexual violence is a violation of fundamental human rights and, in particular, the human rights of women. International humanitarian law and international criminal law are dedicated to protecting women from sexual violence. However, we do not see the indices of violence against women diminishing this year.

The determination to tackle sexual violence in conflict is not confined to the United Nations. At the regional level, under the auspices of the African Union, the African Solidarity Initiative held a high-level meeting in October 2013 on preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict countries and beyond.

That is all part of a broader effort to strengthen institutional safeguards against impunity for conflict-related sexual violence. Donors should be encouraged to ensure sustainable funding for this valuable resource for the countries concerned. Nigeria shares the Secretary-General's view that the lack of capacity remains one of the major impediments to ensuring accountability, which leads to widespread impunity.

Nigeria fully embraces the adoption of political commitments to prevent sexual violence in conflict, namely, the historic declarations adopted by the Group of Eight countries in April 2013 and the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, which has been signed by more than 140 nations. We believe that Member States should implement those commitments as a matter of high priority.