Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

The establishment of the post of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict has added a new dimension to the global efforts to fight that scourge. I would like to take the opportunity to wish Ms. Zainab Bangura, newly appointed Special Representative of the Secretary- General, every success in carrying out her important mandate.

Despite some achievements since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), women's participation in conflict prevention and resolution remains too low. We support the appointment of more women as mediators, special representatives, special envoys and heads of missions.

In accordance with presidential statement S/PRST/2010/22, 1 would like to inform the Council about the measures taken by Austria in the past year to implement resolution 1325 (2000). Austria

We join other States in condemning the ongoing high incidence of sexual violence in conflicts, and support all efforts to prevent such crimes and to put an end to impunity for perpetrators of such crimes. That must be a priority for the Security Council and other parts of the United Nations system.

Knowledge regarding the scope, prevalence, impact and cost of violence against women remains inadequate. Greater efforts are needed to collect more information and data of better quality on such violence.

Despite the measures taken to prevent and address violence against women, previous debates in the Council and reports from the field have made it clear that it persists. Efforts to address violence against women are often neither comprehensive, consistent nor sustained, and insufficient coordination persists among relevant actors.

It was this Organization that took on the calls by and the initiative of millions of women around the world in order to say “enough!” to a double situation of injustice and discrimination against women that consisted of, on the one hand, silencing the voices of the victims and, on the other hand, hiding the faces of women and girls as rights holders and protagonists of social, economic and cultural changes that could promote, prote

Allow me, as Ambassador of my country, to recall that Argentina has been one of the countries promoting resolution 1325 (2000).

Violent attacks against innocent Afghan women, men, girls and boys in some parts of the country remain a threat to the overall peace and security of Afghanistan. Violence against women and girls in the country is unacceptable.

Presidential statements increasingly referred to the ICC, as did thematic resolutions, including those on the protection of civilians, children and armed conf lict, sexual violence, and the rule of law.