Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Particular attention must also be paid to the need for full adherence to the code of conduct on the part of all those in United Nations contingents deployed in the field, on the basis of zero tolerance.

Lamentably, despite the progress made in recent years, as a troop-contributing country we can say that in the areas of peacekeeping and peacebuilding, civilians, in particular women and girls, continue to be those most severely affected by conflict and in post-conflict situations

In conclusion, I would like to voice the strong support of my Government and of the American people for a concerted strategy across the globe to address the problem of sexual violence, both in and outside combat situations. For far too long, such abuses have been treated as part of the spoils of victory or the rewards of physical might.

In the past decade, the Security Council has identified the scourge of sexual violence in conflict as a matter of acute and urgent concern. We meet today to assess progress in combating that pernicious form of criminality and to consider next steps. We begin with confidence that the standards we have established are clear and the terrible knowledge that those standards are regularly being ignored.

In far too many countries, the victims of sexual violence still have little, if any, effective legal recourse. Until that changes, predators will not be deterred, victims will hesitate to come forward and justice will remain beyond reach. In places where Governments are weak, we must help to improve their capabilities while also holding accountable those who commit crimes.

The Secretary-General's report is alarming. He is right — this crime is as destructive as any bomb. With data from all over the world, the report demonstrates that sexual violence is prevalent and a matter of profound importance to international peace and security. When unpunished, such crimes sow the seeds for future conflict, perpetuate violence and undermine the prospects for sustainable development.

Today I want to make three particular points. First, preventing and redressing sexual violence in conflict is integral to the wider work on conflict prevention and a moral duty for the Governments and citizens of a civilized world. As Special Representative Bangura put it, it is a great moral duty of our time.

Thirdly, as noted in the report, my Foreign Secretary and the whole British Government remain committed to this cause. In just over six weeks time, Foreign Secretary William Hague and Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, will co-chair the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Collectively we must change the calculus of anyone who thinks that they can use the fog of war as cover to get away with rape and other forms of sexual abuse. We must shift the stigma for such crimes from the victim to the perpetrator. We must ensure there is nowhere to hide for those guilty of grave violations of human rights. We must, as Special Representative Bangura said, hold perpetrators accountable.

We therefore call for strengthening the jurisprudence of criminal law as well as existing international legal and judicial mechanisms, including the role played by the International Criminal Court, to identify gaps and develop a robust legal framework for preventing sexual violence during conflict.