Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

What distinguishes today's resolution from others is that it represents a pivot away from a narrow focus on women as victims and towards the more positive and liberating agenda of women's participation and women's leadership. Welcome attention is paid to the active role that women and women's groups can play in transforming conflict, insecurity and fragility. That aspect has been insufficiently highlighted.

As stated in the Secretary-General's report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466), it is essential to improve the approach of the United Nations in combating sexual and gender-based violence, particularly through the training for United Nations peacekeepers.

We would urge caution in going beyond the mandates given by the Security Council in the reports submitted to it. It will be useful to remind ourselves that the women, peace and security agenda evolved from the imperative to address the disproportionate impact of armed conflict on women, including the abhorrent practice of sexual violence against women as an instrument of war.

We firmly believe that capacity-building should be a main focus of United Nations efforts. In order to ensure sustainable peace and stability, State institutions, including in the area of security, the rule of law and justice, need to be strengthened. National Governments have the primary responsibility for prosecuting and deterring violence against women, including sexual violence.

We would urge caution in going beyond the mandates given by the Security Council in the reports submitted to it. It will be useful to remind ourselves that the women, peace and security agenda evolved from the imperative to address the disproportionate impact of armed conflict on women, including the abhorrent practice of sexual violence against women as an instrument of war.

We firmly believe that capacity-building should be a main focus of United Nations efforts. In order to ensure sustainable peace and stability, State institutions, including in the area of security, the rule of law and justice, need to be strengthened. National Governments have the primary responsibility for prosecuting and deterring violence against women, including sexual violence.

Finally, we believe that the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), in 2015, will provide not only the Security Council but the entire United Nations system an opportunity to review the levels of implementation of that resolution and to renew commitments to combat violence, including sexual violence. We urge all Member States and the United Nations system to facilitate greater participation by women in that area.

While it is crucial to address sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict contexts, it is equally important to combat impunity and strengthen both international and national justice responses to those crimes. Consequently, capacity-building related to the rule of law, that is wide in scope and goes beyond traditional areas of law reform and strengthening of justice and law enforcement institutions are necessary.

The prevention of and response to violence against children, in particular, including sexual violence and abuse, forced marriage and maltreatment, should continue to be an important focus area of United Nations assistance.

Prevention, rather than reaction, must be a priority. That requires the existence of early warning mechanisms based on accurate, objective and reliable information. The collection of data relating to sexual violence in areas of conflict is crucial and strongly encouraged, so that both national and international actors may be duly informed.