Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

In that context, I reiterate the importance of ensuring access to health care, social support services and justice for victims of sexual violence in conflict-affected areas. I also note the importance of strengthening cooperation among humanitarian actors, exchanging experiences and lessons learned, as well as initiatives to prevent sexual violence in conflict.

I reiterate the State of Qatar's support for all efforts aimed at strengthening the rule of law and preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict situations. I also stress the importance of continuing to fight the impunity that hampers access by victims of such crimes to justice, security and safety.

Allow me at the outset to congratulate you, Sir, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month, and to thank the United Kingdom delegation, especially His Excellency Mr. William Hague, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for presiding over this meeting.

Women are often — intentionally or by a lack of security structures — placed at risk. It is striking that sexual violence has been absent so often from peace talks and peace agreements, including those that have followed conflicts where sexual violence was a major feature of the fighting. The Security Council and the United Nations can, in general, play an important role in changing that situation.

We should start to work towards the effectiveness of our fight against sexual violence by making full use of the existing tools — for instance, by ensuring the deployment in relevant peacekeeping operations of women's protection advisers, who will strengthen the prevention and the response to sexual violence. Many challenges have delayed the deployment of those advisers, even when specifically requested by the Council.

Urgent action in another dimension of the broader women, peace and security agenda will also have a positive impact on our common fight against sexual violence. Indeed, the full and effective participation of women in formal peace processes will allow peacemakers to benefit fully from their knowledge and experience. By empowering women and upholding women's rights, we will also fight sexual violence more efficiently.

Portugal values those significant achievements because there is no real security without women's security. The achievements will increasingly make sexual violence a liability for armed groups by exposing their leaders to international scrutiny and pressure. Another accomplishment that we value is the knowledge that has been developed on the issue in the past three years by the office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General.

Portugal recognizes that, while the Council has been quite successful in discharging its responsibilities, much more can be done to reinforce the effectiveness of our common fight against sexual violence.

In recent years, Security Council resolutions have recognized sexual violence as a tactic of war and its potential to undermine peace and security. We need to recognize that much has been accomplished since 2010. Monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements have been established in a number of conflict or post-conflict situations to collect more consistent information on conflict related sexual violence.

In past years, some notable actions have been taken to combat impunity at national and international levels. Governments have prosecuted senior officers of their armed forces for crimes of sexual violence, and leaders of parties to armed conflict have been arrested and transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC).