Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Sexual violence against women and children in conflict is a crime against the dignity, innocence and humanity of those vulnerable groups. We should not remain silent or condone such crimes or diminish their serious consequences.

Rape and conflict-related sexual violence have deep repercussions for victims, survivors and families. The psychological, social and economic effects increase the marginalization of those groups from society with regard to their access to social and medical services. The signing of peace agreements and ceasefires by parties to a conflict should lead to developing programmes that result in an immediate cessation of sexual violence.

In many countries, developing codes of conduct for security and police forces is very important to providing comprehensive protection from sexual violence.

I would like to thank you, Madam President, for presiding over this meeting and for enabling us to discuss important aspects of the issue of preventing conflict twice in three days. These two debates (see S/PV.6946) are inextricably connected, given the fact that the problem of sexual violence is deeply rooted in conflict and not merely an incidental symptom of it.

Furthermore, sexual violence in conflict threatens social stability and hampers national reconciliation and the unity of a society in the post-conflict stage. We have a long way to go, but that should not dissuade the international community from tackling this scourge on all levels and with all the means available.

Committing to combating impunity, implementing cooperation programmes with the judiciary to try perpetrators, and providing reparations to victims of sexual violence constitute the necessary safeguards to ensure that such crimes will not recur. Commitments in that regard must be implemented on the ground; that is a fundamental element in preventing the crimes.

Achieving the desired objectives in curbing sexual violence requires the involvement of all parties and the efforts of public authorities, national human rights organizations and every component of civil society, including women's associations, so as to mobilize the necessary efforts to put an end to that scourge. To that end, there must be sufficient technical support and financing from donors.

With regard to accountability for crimes related to sexual violence, we feel that accountability requires not only careful investigations and prosecutions of those responsible, but a broader acceptance of political, legal and moral responsibility by individuals and institutions for past violations. Malaysia views accountability as a duty under both domestic and international law.

Malaysia joins other Member States in strongly condemning acts of sexual violence against women and girls. We feel there is an urgent need to address the factors and underlying reasons that such acts continue. More energy should be put into integration efforts, with no groups excluded from participation in disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and security-sector reform.

It is a worrying trend that sexual violence in those contexts remains universally under-reported, for which a lack of adequate national capacity and expertise for investigating and prosecuting acts of sexual violence remains one of the main causes.