Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Since then, significant progress has been made — political progress, first and foremost, thanks to the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. I welcome her commitment, which has made it possible to increase the international visibility of the issue.

Sexual violence has been a part of all wars in history but, as the Group of Eight recalled in its ministerial statement of 11 April, it has long been seen as an unimportant and secondary issue that does not merit the international community's attention. Sexual violence was never taken into account in the context of conflict resolution or after conflicts.

Protection is first. On the ground, women's protection advisers are bringing greater awareness of sexual violence issues to the daily work of the Blue Helmets. Their role is crucial, and France hopes that their deployment within peacekeeping missions and political missions will be expanded. Above all, when they have the mandate to do so, missions should provide the resources necessary to help the work of these advisers.

In Syria, the regime and its supporters are systematically using sexual violence to intimidate civilians and to get them to flee. Those crimes may be added to the long list of those committed by the Syrian armed forces against their own people. France believes that the referral of the matter to the ICC is amply justified.

France, within the framework of its national action plan for implementing resolution 1325 (2000), on women, peace and security, is financing anti-violence programmes in six countries in Africa and the Arab world being implemented by UN-Women. The staff we are sending abroad from our country are trained in issues of sexual violence, and we support the integration of gender issues in peacekeeping schools in Africa.

France also welcomes the zero-tolerance policy for United Nations personnel implemented by the Secretary-General, a policy that should be tirelessly pursued. Similarly, we support the Secretary- General's due diligence policy, his policy of screening peacekeeping and political mission staff with regard to respect for human rights, as well as his policy on restricting contact with persons being sought by the ICC.

Finally, with regard to legal progress, the ad hoc tribunals created by the Council, and then the International Criminal Court (ICC), have included acts of sexual violence among the crimes within their jurisdiction. They have been recognized as war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.

Despite that progress, we have no other choice but to deplore the scope and frequency of sexual violence in conflicts, which is continually being used as a weapon to terrorize civilian populations. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in spite of the mobilization of the international community, sexual violence remains omnipresent.

Brave men and women are fighting to end the violence and help the survivors. In that regard, we must pay tribute to the tireless work of Dr. Mukwege and his teams, who have risked their own lives to treat victims of sexual violence in the Congo. They must be heard, supported and protected.

After the defeat of the armed groups in northern Mali, justice must follow its course for the victims of sexual violence. The matter has been referred to the ICC. Legal and psychological assistance will need to be provided to victims and survivors. With the assistance of the United Nations, the Malian authorities cannot choose to overlook the issue.