YouSaid · the spoken record

Bangura

lines on the record: 230
first: 1994-05-25
most recent: 2016-12-20
sittings or episodes: 18
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The elements I have just elaborated on have formed the basis for the development of concrete operational or implementation plans, which we refer to as action plans to prevent conflict-related sexual Violence, in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cote d'Ivoire. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where we have focused consistent attention since the establishment of the mandate, the joint communique signed with the Government and the action plan developed with our support by the Forces arme'es de la Republique democratique du Congo (FARDC) have begun to yield some tangible results. For instance, in the 2014 reporting period, military tribunals convicted 135 individuals of sexual violence crimes, including 76 members of the armed forces, 41 members of the national police and 18 members of armed groups.”
2015-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7508 (2015) · source
“They include, first, issuing clear orders to all defence and security forces through chains of command prohibiting sexual violence and providing accountability measures for breaching such orders in accordance with international standards; secondly, ensuring that all elements joining the army, the police or other security institutions are vetted so that no element involved in the commission of serious Violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including sexual violence, is allowed to join those institutions; thirdly, prohibitions against sexual violence in codes of conduct and military and police field manuals or their equivalents; fourthly, developing action plans specific to the national army and the national policethat include, respectively, the reinforcement of the military justice system and the establishment or strengthening of special police units on sexual violence; fifthly, ensuring that perpetrators of sexual violence crimes are excluded from amnesty provisions in the context of conflict-resolution processes, and that all those who have perpetrated or are responsible for acts of sexual violence are excluded from the security institutions; sixthly, ensuring that the military and police speaks out in the strongest terms against sexual violence in conflict, including through internal and public campaigns; and, finally, ensuring that security services establish mechanisms for the protection of Victims, witnesses and others who report crimes committed by the army or the police, including civil society and judicial actors engaged in the fight against conflict-related sexual violence.”
2015-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7508 (2015) · source
“The Team of Experts reports to me and - with members of the team from DPKO, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Development Programme, led by a Director in my Office - represents one of the best and most innovative examples of the One UN initiative. The commitments they help to operationalize entail some fundamental reforms of the security sector, in line with resolution 2106 (2013).”
2015-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7508 (2015) · source
“Over the past two years in particular, we have been able to report consistently to the Security Council with regard to commitments obtained from political and military leaders in a number of our priority countries. For example, in the past few years we have signed political-level agreements in the form of joint communiques with the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Somalia and South Sudan. Those agreements form the basis for ongoing engagement at strategic and operational levels, for the practical implementation of the commitments made. The Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict supports the Governments with technical and logistical assistance to turn those high- level political agreements into concrete actions and activities to be undertaken by the Governments.”
2015-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7508 (2015) · source
“Through our monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements, mandated under resolution 1960 (2010), we have been able to verify that a number of national security services, including national armed forces and national police, are among the perpetrators of conflict- related sexual violence crimes. Therefore, we have encouraged national authorities to respond accordingly, and are supporting them in a process to strengthen their institutional capacity to monitor and ensure accountability within the security forces. As I have stressed repeatedly, the essential starting point is to ensure national ownership, leadership and responsibility. Accordingly, I have focused especially on gaining commitments at the highest political levels through my advocacy.”
2015-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7508 (2015) · source
“Indeed, the Security Council has already articulated the crucial connection between security-sector reform and conflict-related sexual violence in a number of resolutions, including resolution 2106 (2013), on sexual violence in conflict in 2013, as well as resolution 2151 (2014), the first thematic resolution on security-sector reform, which was sponsored by Nigeria in 2014. Essentially, a comprehensive response to conflict- related sexual Violence must include proactive and purposeful engagement with the security sector, particularly in settings where the security services may have been involved in the commission of sexual Violence. Such engagement with the security sector has now become part of the modus operandi of our mandate. I welcome this opportunity to highlight some of our emerging experience and practice in that regard.”
2015-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7508 (2015) · source
“Ms. Bangura: I thank you, Madam President, for extending an invitation to me to brief the Security Council on matters related to the important cross- cutting issue of security sector reform (SSR). It is a pleasure to join my colleagues from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in addressing the Council today. For a number of years, as we have progressively shifted the conflict-related sexual violence agenda to the operational level, we have recognized the critical nexus between sexual violence crimes and dysfunctional security sector reform processes, or the incomplete disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of former combatants.”
2015-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7508 (2015) · source
“At the same time, the catastrophic circumstances and the acute vulnerability of so many women, children and men to sexual violence in conflict situations around the world must now crystallize our resolve into clear action to prevent those crimes and to care for survivors. It is essential that we translate promises into practice. As the report states, the era of silence has been replaced by international recognition that the shame of rape resides not in the victims but in the perpetrators, and in any party that seeks to condone or conceal their conduct. The history of war-zone rape has been a history of denial. It is time to bring these crimes, and those who commit them, into the spotlight of international scrutiny and to send a clear message that the world will not tolerate the use of sexual Violence as a tactic of war and terror.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“I intend to continue the intensive engagement of the mandate in situations of concern so as to turn the resolutions of the Council into solutions on the ground. Progress at the national level is crucial and indicates that addressing conflict-related sexual violence is possible even under challenging circumstances. It is essential that both the Team of Experts and UN Action receive the necessary financial support to sustain these efforts. I believe that the modest progress that we are beginning to witness should be an encouragement to all of us to stay the course and reinforce our efforts.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“The United Nations Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict has been instrumental in supporting national authorities to catalyse implementation through technical and institutional capacity-strenghthening. The role of United Nations Action is also crucial, particularly in supporting the development and implementation of comprehensive national strategies to combat sexual violence and deliver multisectoral services to survivors. It is essential that both the Team of Experts and United Nations Action receive the financial support necessary to sustain those efforts. Since my last briefing to the Council (see S/PV.7l60), I have undertaken follow-up missions to the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Visited South Sudan and Colombia for the first time.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“This represents an important expansion of the circle of stakeholders, and challenges us to ensure coordination and coherence in our collective action. Since I assumed my role, one of my key objectives for the mandate has been to foster national ownership, leadership and responsibility. I am encouraged that, since 2012, the Governments of Angola, Guinea, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and South Sudan have signed joint communiques with the United Nations, outlining priority areas of intervention to address sexual violence. These commitments have been undertaken at the highest levels of Government and are the basis for implementation plans that are now being developed by national authorities, in concert with the United Nations and other partners.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“Since the adoption of resolution 1820 (2008), we have been able to successfully frame this issue as a peace and security concern that requires an operational security response. I believe that more focused engagement of security sector actors will help to turn the tide on this crime. It will require us to articulate more precisely the role that security sector actors can play and to transform military cultures to enhance protection and prevention. Over the past two years, we have signed frameworks of cooperation with the African Union and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, and are now moving along similar lines with the League of Arab States. At the same time, a number of regional organizations, including the AU and NATO, have appointed special representatives and envoys on women, peace and security.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“But ultimately, an effective counter- strategy must include intensive community-level engagement, including with women and civil society, youth groups, and traditional and faith-based leaders. It should be noted that, of the 45 parties listed in the annex of this year's report, the vast majority are non-State actors. Therefore, we will have to consider the political and operational challenges that lie ahead in terms of engaging with some of these parties, for concrete and time-bound commitments in line with resolution 2106 (2013). My Office has begun to explore engagement with a number of non-State actors, and I look forward to the opportunity to brief the Council in the future on progress and challenges in this crucial area.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“The Secretary-General's report, for the first time, articulates how sexual violence is integrally linked to the strategic objectives, ideology and funding of extremist groups, and notes therefore that women's empowerment and sexual violence prevention should be central to the international response. This represents a critical new challenge for the conflict-related sexual Violence agenda. I would like to underscore the Secretary- General's recommendation that the Al-Qaida/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant sanctions committee includes sexual Violence as part of its designation criteria, and begins to focus on sexual violence as a tactic of terrorism.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“The report emphasizes throughout the narrative the necessity of addressing this issue in ceasefire and mediation processes as an integral part of our response to sexual Violence, preventing relapse into conflict and fostering a durable, inclusive peace. Tomorrow, I will depart for my first visit to the Middle East, on a mission that will take me to Syria and Iraq, as well as to the neighboring countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, which continue to bear the weight of massive flows of refugees fleeing conflict. The Visit is undertaken against the backdrop of a catastrophic new trend in the use of sexual violence as a tactic of terror by extremist groups, not only in Iraq and Syria, but also in Somalia, Nigeria and Mali.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“It is linked to forced dispossession of land and property, which denies women vital sources of livelihood. It highlights the vulnerability and targeting of ethnic and religious minorities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals by armed groups, to impose morality and exert social control. Forced marriage, which entails repeated sexual abuse and increases in times of conflict, features prominently throughout the report. It touches on the role of community, faith-based leaders and local journalists in addressing harmful social norms, and helping to redirect the stigma of rape from the victims to the perpetrators.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“I am pleased that two of our senior women protection advisers, currently serving in Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are here today and will have the chance to interact directly with Council delegations and concerned Member States this week. The text before the Council serves not only as an annual report of record, but also as a global advocacy instrument and vehicle for refining our common understanding of critical themes to enhance coordination and build global consensus. This year's report raises a number of themes and brings to light new dimensions of this issue. There is a focus on sexual Violence as a threat used to induce displacement and as a risk faced by civilians, particularly women and girls, in displacement settings.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“This year's report of the Secretary-General (S/2015/203), which I am honoured to present, highlights shocking incidents of sexual violence in 19 situations of concern, as well as some of these positive developments. The interagency network United Nations Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, which I Chair, continues to be the primary consultation forum for the report, and the depth of information and analysis this year represents an important marker of progress in itself. I would like to note that women protection advisers, where they are deployed, have contributed significantly to deepening the information base for the report.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“Over the past three years, we have witnessed a significant increase in the number of peace agreements and ceasefire frameworks that explicitly reflect conflict- related sexual Violence concerns, which is crucial to ensuring that survivors have services and redress in the aftermath of conflict and that perpetrators are excluded from power and held to account. The notion of reparations for survivors is also beginning to take root, and we are seeing some examples of transformative reparations programmes coming on-line, and some survivors receiving reparations. However, we still have a long road ahead to ensure that women have consistent and timely redress, including the necessary livelihood support to enable them to pick up the pieces of their lives.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“This is exemplified by important legislative reforms, the criminalization of rape at national level, and an increase in national and international prosecutions. National authorities in some key situations of concern are beginning to take ownership and exhibit the leadership required to address conflict-related sexual Violence in a purposeful and sustainable manner. This includes structured commitments undertaken at the highest levels of Government, and the adoption of specific plans of action by national security institutions.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“We are beginning to see some tangible and positive changes on the ground, which should convince us that our fight to eradicate sexual Violence in conflict is not a "mission impossible". We have a solid normative foundation and increasingly precise tools to drive this agenda on the ground. Our knowledge, analysis and information are deeper and serve as a basis for strategic interventions at all levels. Greater resources are being dedicated to sexual and gender-based Violence programming on the ground than ever before, although the resources still fall far short of the challenges we face. We are finally beginning to see some accountability for a crime that has historically been largely cost-free to commit.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“The horrors suffered by the women, children and men whom I have encountered reaffirm my absolute conviction that sexual Violence in conflict represents a great moral issue of our time and merits the concerted focus of the Security Council. This crime, in its destruction of the individual and the pervasive way it undermines the prospects for peace and development, casts a long shadow over our collective humanity. However, five years after the creation of the mandate, I believe that we find ourselves at a new juncture, with a possibility to turn back the tide of these atrocities. We have an opportunity to change, irrevocably, not only the way in which this crime is perceived and understood, but also, crucially, the manner in which we respond to it in our security and justice sectors, and in terms of services for survivors.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“Ms. Bangura: I wish to thank the Government of Jordan for hosting this open debate, which comes at a crucial moment of consolidation for this agenda, as well as the Council for the priority it has given this issue for several years. I am grateful that my sister Hamsatu Allamin is able to join us today, giving voice to civil society, which represents a moral compass for this mandate. I also wish to acknowledge the presence of Vian DakhiI of the Yazidi community and Member of Parliament in Iraq. I am glad that she will speak on behalf of her country at this debate. It has been three years since I assumed my role as the Secretary-General's Special Representative, and I could hardly have imagined how heartbreaking this mission would be.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“I implore them to stand on the right side of history, and surely the international community will continue to stand with them.”
2014-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7282 (2014) · source
“Machar to issue without delay a communique that clearly outlines the prevention measures that they will put in place. In the name of the women and children that I met during my visit, I say this to the leaders of South Sudan: You cannot wage war against your own people. You cannot wage war on the bodies of the women and children of South Sudan. You must put people, not politics, at the centre of your relationships. Although the international community can accompany the peace process, ultimately only the leadership of South Sudan can make peace. I implore them to stand in solidarity with the women and children of South Sudan, whose lives are being devastated every moment that they fail to reach a resolution to this crisis.”
2014-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7282 (2014) · source
“That includes the issuance and enforcement of clear orders through the military and police chains of command prohibiting sexual violence; developing concrete action plans specific to the Sudan People's Liberation Army and the South Sudan National Police Service; fighting the impunity of perpetrators and ensuring survivors' access to justice through reform and capacity-building in thejustice sector; and ensuring the provision of appropriate services for survivors of sexual violence. I urge the opposition to show a similar commitment and remind Mr. Riek Machar, leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in opposition, of the command responsibility he bears to prevent sexual violence being committed by the forces under his command. I urge Mr.”
2014-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7282 (2014) · source
“I am pleased therefore to announce that at the end of my visit President Salva Kiir and I signed a joint communique on addressing conflict-related sexual violence, in line with resolution 2106 (2013). I am encouraged by this expression ofpolitical will at the highest level, and pledge the support of my Office and the United Nations System to the Government of South Sudan to implement the commitments outlined in that agreement.”
2014-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7282 (2014) · source
“This exacerbates other critical challenges such as acute lack of medical, psychosocial and legal services for survivors, lack of capacity of the police and the military to investigate sexual violence allegations, and a lack of capacity of the judiciary to prosecute perpetrators. At the legislative level, it is essential to harmonize customary and statutory law. As it stands, most sexual violence offences are decided under customary law systems, most often to the detriment of the survivors. I believe that national Governments hold the primary legal and moral responsibility to protect their citizens from sexual violence and other grave violations.”
2014-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7282 (2014) · source
“Their views are not represented in Government or other crucial decision-making processes. One woman activist told me: "We are living under the rule of men, not under the rule of law". When I visited the Juba Teaching Hospital, I was told that 75 per cent of survivors of sexual violence are girls under the age of 18. Their youngest victim is 2 years old, a girl completely destroyed by the rape she suffered. Civil society groups made me aware also of the acute vulnerability to sexual violence faced by women with disabilities. The challenge of addressing sexual violence is complicated by a prevailing culture of silence and blame-game.”
2014-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7282 (2014) · source
“My visit bears out reports that sexual violence in South Sudan is widespread, including acts of rape, gang rape, abductions, forced marriage and sexual slavery, and mutilation of sexual organs. These violations are being perpetrated by all sides in the conflict. Sexual violence predates the December 2013 crisis. However since the crisis, sexual violence attacks have reached an alarming level, expressed in a vicious cycle of retribution and revenge. I am gravely concerned about the ethnic dimensions, manifest particularly in targeting and reprisals between Dinka and Nuer communities. Across the country, women live in appalling conditions. They have little or no access to medical services let alone access to justice. They have few opportunities to secure a livelihood for themselves and their families.”
2014-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7282 (2014) · source
“Ms. Bangura: From 5 to 11 October, I conducted my first visit to the Republic of South Sudan. The circumstances that I witnessed, in particular in the fiercely contested town of Bentiu in Unity state, are among the worst I have ever experienced. The internally displaced persons (IDPs) seeking refuge there face a devastating combination of chronic insecurity, unimaginable living conditions, acute day-to-day protection concerns and rampant sexual violence. The character of sexual violent crimes shocked me to my core, captured in the words of one survivor who told me, "It is notjust about rape. It is to break your dignity; it is done to cause unimaginable suffering and destruction".”
2014-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7282 (2014) · source
“Sexual violence has been used through the ages precisely because it is such a cheap and devastating weapon. That is why the international community has placed such great emphasis on combating impunity. By focusing on impunity, we direct for the first time a more determined spotlight on the perpetrators, and by so doing we begin to re-direct the stigma and the consequences of sexual violence from the survivors to the perpetrators. Therefore, I would like to conclude my remarks with a message to the perpetrators: the spotlight is now turned on you, and we are coming after you with all the ways and means at our disposal. There is no hiding place. If you commit, or command, or condone such crimes against humanity, humanity will pursue you relentlessly, and eventually you will be held to account. That is our solemn promise to the survivors.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“In Guinea, there have also been high-level indictments related to sexual violence that occurred in 2009 in the wake of the contested elections. The United Nations Team of Experts has also been supporting national authorities in Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire and South Sudan. And in Central African Republic, the Team is supporting the establishment of a specialized rapid response unit of the gendarmerie to deal with sexual violence crimes. At the regional level, we have signed a framework of cooperation between the United Nations and African Union that outlines key areas in which we intend to strengthen our cooperation, including more operationally oriented training for AU and United Nations peacekeeping personnel. Unfortunately, the unacceptable reality is that today it is still largely cost-free to rape a woman, child or man in conflict.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Coming into this role, my priority has been to deepen national ownership, leadership and responsibility. There have been some modest but meaningful gains in that regard. Last year, as the Council heard from the Secretary-General, the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia signed joint communiques with the United Nations outlining priority areas of intervention to address sexual violence. Those commitments were undertaken at the highest levels of Government and are the basis for implementation plans that are now being developed by the national authorities in concert with the United Nations and other partners. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there were 187 convictions of soldiers and commanders between July 2011 and December 2013, and 39 prosecutions related to the Minova incidents.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“As we continue to drive this agenda on the ground, we will need to consider how to deepen the role of the defence and security sector, peacekeepers as well as national military and police personnel. To better focus our collective action, I believe it will be important to agree and clearly articulate the key priorities for intervention by defence and security sector actors in areas such as military justice; monitoring, information and early-warning; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes; ceasefire monitoring; and in the context of security sector reform. Those priorities are consistent with the elements of prevention under resolution 2106 (2013). Therefore, transforming military cultures to enhance protection and prevention is one of our essential priorities moving forward.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Our critical challenge now is to convert political will into practical action, to transform the resolutions into solutions and to drive real change on the ground. That progress is crucial, and indicates that addressing conflict-related sexual violence is not a mission impossible. I believe that the progress vindicates the investment and focus of the Security Council, and is an encouragement to the Council to stay the course and reinforce its efforts. Over the past few years, we have also gained greater clarity on the role that military and other security personnel can play in protection and prevention, and an important investment has been made in training to enhance operational readiness of our peacekeepers.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Resolution 2106 (2013) reinforces the infrastructure and the elements of accountability and compliance established by resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010) - an accountability regime based on reliable and timely information and analysis and the political- and operational-level actions that must be taken on the basis of such information. In its scope, operational detail and clarity, resolution 2106 (2013) encompasses the evolution of our understanding of conflict-related sexual violence and what it takes to prevent it. It outlines, for the first time, a framework to curb and prevent this crime. Therefore, in terms ofinternational legal norms and instruments, we now have the tools required to turn the tide.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Never before in history have we seen such a level of political will and momentum. A historic declaration by the Group of Eight, and commitment by 144 members of the General Assembly last year, extend and reinforce the consensus that already exists in the Security Council. Today the circle of stakeholders on this issue is dramatically expanded. This may once have been the concern of the lone gender adviser, but that is no longer the case. Now it also engages political leaders at the highest level, uniformed peacekeepers, mediators, ceasefire monitors, war crimes prosecutors and the full range of civilian protection, justice and security sector actors.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“The Secretary-General's report also raises a number of other themes, such as the acute vulnerability of refugee and internally displaced persons' communities, the lack of services for survivors, men and boys as victims, and the concerted focus now required on prevention, among other things. The report covers 21 conflict and post-conflict countries. It lists 34 State and non-State parties credibly suspected to be perpetrators of sexual violence. It paints a grim picture ofa problem the full scale, scope and character of which we do not yet fully comprehend. However, today we do understand more about this phenomenon than we did earlier, and that knowledge is a source of hope that we can come to grips with conflict-related sexual violence. While the road ahead remains long and hard, there is some light on the horizon.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“How have they fared? Are they also pursued by stigma and shame? What are their health and psychological needs? What are their prospects for education and employment? For me, the survivors of sexual violence in Bosnia are not only the courageous women that I met; their children and families are also survivors. Therefore, today I once again make an appeal on their behalf. Even ifjustice in the courts of law has so far been denied, the survivors must have reparations, including livelihood support, education for their children, and the medical and psychosocial services that they deserve and require.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“The truth, most likely, is that most of the survivors will see no justice because the evidence is long lost and the perpetrators have long since fled the immediate scene of the crime. Yet, the irony is that those same perpetrators are not so far gone in reality. They still walk among the women and their families, occupying positions of authority and power that shield them from justice. For the victims, those perpetrators are a daily reminder of their broken lives. But the impunity that the perpetrators continue to enjoy is also a reminder to all ofus - a reminder of our commitment to justice and accountability. One of the questions raised by the Secretary- General in this year's report (8/2014/181) is: "What about the children born of rape?" In Bosnia, these children - possibly hundreds or even thousands - are now teenagers.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“The horrors suffered by the women, children and men that I have met re-affirm my conviction that sexual violence in conflict represents a great moral issue of our time.This crime, in its utter destruction of the individual and the pervasive way in which it undermines the prospects for peace and development, casts a long shadow over our collective humanity. That is why it deserves and requires the singular attention afforded by the Council. It was a year ago that I visited Bosnia and witnessed first-hand the long-term implications of war-time sexual violence left unaddressed. An estimated 50,000 women were targeted with sexual violence during four years of conflict, but 20 years after the peace was made impunity for these crimes still reigns.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Ms. Bangura: I wish to thank the Secretary- General for his presence here today and for his personal and steadfast commitment to this issue. I wish to thank the Government of Nigeria for hosting this open debate, which comes at a crucial moment of consolidation of this agenda, as well as the Council for the concerted focus and priority it has given to this issue for several years. I am also grateful that Ambassador Tete Antonio of the African Union (AU) and Ms. Rhoda Misaka, representing civil society, are able to join us to offer their valuable perspectives. It has been almost two years since I took responsibility for this mandate. I could not have imagined how difficult and heartbreaking it would be.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“The importance of deploying various fact-finding missions by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights cannot be overestimated. Finally, I once again call for an increased focus on the prevention of conflict-related sexual violence by international partners to ensure that services are available to victims of sexual violence, especially in places of displacement and isolated locations.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“International forces operating in the Central African Republic also need to be sensitive to the specificities of the conflict, which requires an in-depth understanding of the crisis and its causes. This requires the deployment of specific expertise in civil-military coordination and the protection of civilians. Furthermore, the proactive management of regional dynamics could pay rapid dividends and lay the foundation for solving this crisis. I congratulate the Council for its attention and the important steps it has already taken to stop the violence and ensure accountability for crimes. I commend the Council for establishing sanctions mechanisms and a commission of inquiry on human rights violations in the Central African Republic and call for their expedited implementation.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“Secondly, there is a need to conduct a comprehensive disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme, which should include the repatriation of foreign combatants. Immediate steps should also be taken to improve the protection of civilians. This will help dissuade the creation of community-based self- defence groups. Subsequent efforts to build a national army should take into account the application of human rights standards, as prescribed in resolutions 2121 (2013) and 2127 (2013). Thirdly, the international community must improve the coordination of its efforts in the Central African Republic. The establishment of simple tools, such as emergency hotlines and coordinated rapid response mechanisms, can save lives.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“However, important steps are required to be taken to stop the violence in the Central African Republic and limit the damage that is being inflicted on the citizens of that nation and on the conscience of humanity as a whole. The historic appointment of the first- ever female interim President of the Central African Republic is a source of hope and inspiration for all. Women's leadership at the highest levels of government is a powerful symbol of progress and change, but no leader can steer this transition alone. I therefore urge the international community to lend her its full support and cooperation so that she may be a force for unity and peace in a country that has known too much chaos and war.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“The efforts of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic, under the able leadership of Special Representative of the Secretary-General Babacar Gaye, in the management of two delicate political transitions are worthy of high praise. In that regard, the international community, which has responded decisively in deploying the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic and the French Operation Sangaris, deserve commendation. I also welcome the recent announcement of the European Union of its intention to deploy a mission to the Central African Republic. The international community should provide the necessary support required for the implementation ofresolutions 2121 (2013) and 2127 (2013).”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“There are also numerous allegations that internally displaced person camps, most of which shelter elements of armed groups, are the locus of conflict-related sexual violence. Victims are afraid to come forward to report these crimes due to the continued presence of elements of armed groups in communities and the absence of law and order. I am very disturbed by the finding of the mission that adequate provisions were not made to assist victims of sexual violence during the year-long conflict. There are, however, some encouraging signs that the situation could improve. The involvement of religious leaders - Muslims and Christians alike - in ongoing initiatives to reconcile communities in the Central African Republic is commendable and should be supported by the international community.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“Between January and November 2013, the United Nations recorded at least 4,530 cases of sexual violence perpetrated by armed men, largely believed to be Se'le'ka, in Bangui, Boali, Bossembe'le', Damara, Mbaiki, Sibut and Prefecture de l'Ouham Pende. Following the 5 December attacks by anti-Balaka and FACA elements on military positions in Bangui, there are reports that conflict-related sexual violence has continued to be used. The team received reports of sexual violence used by anti-Balaka and ex-Seleka militias during house-to-house searches and retaliatory attacks. The mission also confirmed that forced marriages, sometimes involving children, were being contracted mainly by ex-Seleka elements.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source