New York, Sep 30 2009 1:10PM
The Security Council today demanded that all parties to armed conflict take immediate action to protect civilians, including women and children, from all forms of sexual violence, and urged greater measures by States and the United Nations to combat this scourge.
In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council also requested that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appoint a Special Representative to provide coherent and strategic leadership to address sexual violence in armed conflict.
In addition, the 15-member body called on the UN chief to identify and take appropriate measures to deploy rapidly a team of experts to situations of particular concern with respect to sexual violence in armed conflict.
Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=606">told the meeting – chaired by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of the United States, which holds the Council's rotating presidency for this month – that despite some progress in responding to the problem, the deliberate targeting of civilians continues unabated.
"The international community must do more to prevent violence, protect individuals, punish perpetrators and provide redress to victims," he stated.
In a report issued on the issue in July, Mr. Ban called for States to strengthen prevention and protection measures against the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon, a practice that is rife in armed conflicts in Africa, Asia and Europe.
He has also called on the Council to set up an independent commission of inquiry into sexual violence in the conflicts in Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In the eastern DRC alone, at least 200,000 cases of sexual violence have been recorded since 1996.
Mr. Ban welcomed today's resolution, saying it sends "an unequivocal message – a call to action," and builds on resolution 1820 of 2008, which itself set an important precedent by recognizing the links between sexual violence and sustainable peace and security.
He said he is fully committed to ensuring that the provisions of the resolution are implemented, and will continue to ensure effective follow-up by the UN system.
Among the world body's efforts to address the problem is an inter-agency network, UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, which unites 12 UN entities in the goal of ending sexual violence in armed conflict.
"Sexual violence – in armed conflict or, indeed, at any time – should have no place and find no haven in our world," he stated. "We must all do our part to fight and end discrimination against women and girls."
The resolution adopted today also urges States to undertake a number of measures, including to bring perpetrators of sexual violence in armed conflict to justice and to ensure that survivors have access to justice.
The Council also decided to include specific provisions for the protection of women and children from rape and other sexual violence in the mandates of UN peacekeeping operations, including, on a case-by-case basis, the identification of women's protection advisers.
Sep 30 2009 1:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/
No comments:
Post a Comment