Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Lastly, I would like to recall that the adoption and full implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty will be an important instrument in preventing armed violence and reducing human suffering, including gender-based violence.

In order to combat sexual and gender-based violence, the perpetrators must be brought to justice. All parties to an armed conflict should take all steps necessary to ensure accountability, through national prosecutions or by referrals to the International Criminal Court. National capacity must be enhanced to investigate and prosecute these crimes.

Efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence in conflict must be strengthened. The Nordic countries welcome UN Security Council Resolution 2122 and its much-needed focus on women's participation and empowerment and look forward to it being translated into action.

The third challenge is accountability. States have the obligation to comply with international humanitarian and human rights law and to investigate and prosecute any serious crime committed within its borders. In that regard, we condemn sexual and gender-based violence, including the use of sexual violence as a military tactic. Impunity is not an option. It encourages perpetrators to continue their atrocious acts.

When it comes to protection, international humanitarian law should be respected by all parties to a conflict. That is why, in January in Kenya, the Netherlands organized a training course for military and civilian representatives from 11 African countries on gender awareness and the prevention of sexual violence in peacekeeping.

We believe that protection mandates should involve a broad range of activities, including, but not limited to, ensuring respect for international human rights and humanitarian law, facilitating humanitarian access, the return of refugees and displaced persons, human rights monitoring, the protection of women and children, and addressing sexual violence in conflict.

We therefore welcome actions such as taken by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to break the cycle of violence, rape and death affecting thousands of civilians and in particular women and children.

Whatever the strength of the protection-of-civilians mandates given to peacekeeping operations, they will be effective only if the operations themselves are beyond reproach. That is why we welcome the policies implemented by the Secretary-General to ensure that the work of the United Nations fully respects human rights.

The Secretary-General notes in his latest report (S/2013/689) that the current state of the protection of civilians leaves little room for optimism. Estonia strongly condemns all forms of violence against civilian populations and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. We hear with great concern about children being killed and maimed in Syria and women being raped in the Central African Republic.

Estonia is particularly concerned about the implications of armed conflicts for the most vulnerable groups. There is growing understanding that women and children are impacted uniquely and disproportionately by the effects of conflict and its aftermath. I should like to encourage the Council to include in the mandates of peacekeeping missions provisions on human rights monitoring, with special focus on the rights of children and women.