Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

We welcome the Secretary-General's recent report on sexual violence (S/2013/149), as well as the efforts undertaken by the Special Representative, notably during her visits to the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia, to engage leaders and other stakeholders on that most important subject.

We hope that the Secretary-General's report will enhance the coordination and effectiveness of the global response to the problem of sexual violence. Besides addressing specific challenges facing women and girls in conflict zones, such an approach must incorporate broader peace and security imperatives.

Time does not permit me to outline all the initiatives undertaken by my Government, but I note that Rwanda adopted a national action plan on resolution 1325 (2000) in 2010 and is a party to the Kampala Declaration of the First Ladies on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence of the 2011 International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

The use of sexual violence in that fashion was exported from Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of the Congo when genocidal forces escaped into the eastern part of that country, after July 1994. Tragically, that behaviour has been adopted by a plethora of armed groups that operate in the region. As a result, the incidence of such crimes has grown rapidly in recent years. But we must not accept such atrocities as a fact of life.

That is important to ensure that justice is served and that survivors are able to begin the process of healing. Above all, we call upon all parties to conflict that are responsible for acts of sexual violence to cease such violations.

Rwanda urges all parties to armed conflict to enforce a clear prohibition on sexual violence, expressed through chains of command, via codes of conduct and military field manuals and in constant training. We further call upon those parties to ensure that alleged abuses are investigated swiftly and perpetrators held accountable.

Rwanda supports calls to include provisions in all peacekeeping mandates that specifically address the prevention of and response to sexual violence. That should include, where appropriate, the identification of women's protection advisers, as the Secretary-General urged earlier in his statement, alongside gender advisers and human rights protection units.

Rwanda reminds civilian and military leaders with command responsibilities that they, too, are accountable for acts of sexual violence committed on their watch. Rwanda will, on a case-by-case basis, support the adoption or extension of targeted sanctions against persistent perpetrators of rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Rwanda commends the Secretary-General and his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict for bringing renewed focus to the fight for the protection of women.

Let me touch on the experience of my country with the intent to offer hope to women victimized by conflict. My country's strong stand on violence against women emanates from the high value it places on women and girls, as well as our national resolution to never again see the cruelty directed to Rwandan women during the 1994 genocide. On a national level and beyond our borders, we take this issue extremely seriously.