Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

The UN has a number of effective tools at its disposal to help push forward this objective. The Security Council, for example, could designate consistent leadership within the Council on this issue and consider methods to maintain its engagement in a more comprehensive manner.

As you are aware, Mr. President, Ireland launched a cross-learning initiative on 1325 in 2009. Yesterday afternoon, I had the honour to present the findings of this initiative to the head of UN Women, Under-Secretary General Michelle Bachelet.

There is, however, no room for complacency, Mr. President. Recent events in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone highlight that much more remains to be done. The objectives and principles of 1325 underpin the core tenets of international human rights law, international humanitarian law as well as the UN Charter itself.

One important issue highlighted throughout the cross-learning initiative was the urgent need to fight against the culture of impunity in relation to sexual violence. Impunity and justice are mutually exclusive; to let perpetrators of sexual violence roam free is to tell their victims that the world is not listening. But we must listen. And we must act.

I would also like to take this opportunity to note Ireland's warm support of Michelle Bachelet and the recently established UN Women. I am confident that this organisation's core work will benefit the lives of women and girls who experience or have experienced the atrocities of conflict, in particular the atrocities that target them specifically. International support of this body will be integral to its success.

For the ten years following its adoption, the Security Council's attention towards women's participation in peace processes and the elimination of sexual violence in armed conflict has been unwavering. The adoption of resolution 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009), as well as the appointment of Margot Wallström as the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict testify to the Council's deep commitment.

We unequivocally, unambiguously and resolutely condemn tbe abhorrent behaviour of sexual violence in armed conflict, regardless of who perpetrates it, be it parties to armed conflicts, peacekeeping personnel, including its civilian component, or humanitarian actors.

There is a need for more stringent regulations in combating and eliminating this menace. We would also request the Secretary General further strengthen his efforts to ensure zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Only a handful of countries have adopted National Action Plans to implement resolution 1325. In the meantime, armed conflicts still devastate the lives of women and girls in many parts of the world. Women are often subjected to terrifying gender-based, sexual violence, which most of the time goes unpunished. Women are also regularly marginalised in peace-making. This is hardly a satisfactory state of affairs.

Beyond that, we have to recognize that violence against women, including sexual and genderbased violence poses real threat to global security and it also creates serious challenge to the full and active participation of women in peace processes.