Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Thank you Mr. President. Kenya welcomes the leadership shown by Uganda in holding this debate during their presidency of the Council. This is a clear demonstration of just how important it is for us to tackle the growing problem of sexual and gender based violence if we are serious about resolving conflict, empowering women and advancing gender equality.

Nearly 10 years ago, this Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1325 which to date constitutes a basis for cooperation among all the parties concerned in the field of Women, Peace and Security. National ownership by all member states of this resolution is pertinent. We report that we have made modest gains in the creation of institutions and developing frameworks aimed at addressing violence against women in conflict situations.

Kenya condemns all forms of violence against women including sexual violence and has always "urged compliance with both humanitarian and human rights law during times of conflict. Women must be protected from violence and other atrocities during times of conflict. Additionally women must participate in rebuilding efforts, free from threats, intimidation and discrimination.

Kazakhstan also welcomes the drafting of a comprehensive set of indicators aimed at tracking implementation of SCR 1325, and underscores with appreciation the intensive work of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Ms. Rachel
Mayanja, and her office to develop a more methodical monitoring system, and to especially condemn rape as a tactic ofterror and war.

A major concern challenging us is the very high incidence of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict reconstruction phases. Of the 300 peace agreements signed since the end of the Cold War, only 18 of them included a mention of sexual and gender violence. My delegation therefore strongly supports the request of Ms.

Today, Jamaica recommits itself to ensuring that this vital work will continue, through active participation as long as it is needed. We reaffirm our collective commitment to building a world free from the scourge of war.

My delegation is aware that Security Council Resolution 1325 does not exist in a vacuum. Many resolutions, including 1820 and 1888 which focus on sexual violence in situations of armed conflict were created on the momentum generated by resolution 1325. Treaties, conventions, statements and reports also preceded it, and thus, formed its foundation and an integral part of the women, peace and security policy framework.

Another priority of the plan is cooperation with countries beset by conflict and with their institutional stakeholders, non-governmental organizations and civil society to enhance their invaluable work. One possible example of such cooperation would be opening ad hoc local facilities to accommodate and rehabilitate women who fall victim to violence and sexual abuse.

Adopting a gender perspective for all peacebuilding activities is another essential priority of the action plan. In my capacity as Minister of Equal Opportunities, I can only stress the importance of adopting a gender-oriented approach to all peacebuilding operations, conducting gender-sensitive surveys, collecting statistics with genderd is aggregated data and carrying out specific studies on other discriminatory factors.

This Council's adoption of resolution 1325, ten years ago, was a watershed in the protection of women and girls in conflict. The international community was - and should remain - proud of this accomplishment. The resolution helped galvanize Member States' resolve to tackle this issue.