YouSaid · the spoken record

Nadine

lines on the record: 19
first: 2023-07-14
most recent: 2023-07-14
sittings or episodes: 1
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

“Our people are suffering too much, and the war has been long, The Democratic Republic of the Congo has become a dangerous place to live for women, let alone for little girls. The aggressors are getting away with what they are doing, and they seem to have strong allies and international support. I want to take this opportunity to ask the international community to condemn them, hold them accountable and to end the double standards by responding quickly and effectively to what is happening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“They are nevertheless doing tremendous work, including inspiring other survivors about resilience and hope for the future. I would like to take this opportunity to ask for the establishment of a fund to specifically support survivor-led work. Before I conclude, I also want to take this opportunity to say that although I now live in the United Kingdom and have been able to rebuild my life, what is happening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — the country I am from originally — is very sad. I call on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be more present, not absent, with regard to what is going on in our country. It has a responsibility to start that national conversation and to raise awareness locally about what is going on. I ask the Government to support survivors and condemn stigma in all its forms.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“Kolbassia and I have had the opportunity to meet many more survivors from various countries, and we have been very inspired by seeing their determination and resilience. They tell us about their own challenges in surviving journeys and the risks they take in doing what they do. Despite the challenges, the survivors who are leading the work on the ground are facing a lot of problems in terms of their own safety, stigma and in their efforts to bring their own communities to understand the value of their work. They are doing a great deal with little support from States or the international community, but as a result of that lack of funding many of them experience serious financial difficulties. They cannot compete with big names that easily meet the criteria for funding.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“During a survivors’ retreat at Wilton Park this year, we sought to establish together what proper engagement means. I am very grateful that we now have a global survivor advisory group that is committed to guiding how we prevent and respond and to promoting a survivor-centred approach in the area of conflict- related sexual violence. I hope that at the next meeting on this issue another survivor from the group will be invited to speak to the Council — and we are asking more countries to follow suit in order to promote the leadership of champions and survivors. We can learn good practices from other countries such as Kosovo and Colombia in the way they engage with survivors.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“Survivor participation is key to efforts to raise awareness about conflict- related sexual violence and its impact and about how we can strengthen justice pathways in a way that keeps survivors at their centre. When we became survivor champions, Kol bassia and I knew and understood that our role was not just about the two of us representing all survivors but also about figuring out how to make a space and create a platform through which more survivors could participate in the work of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative. I am grateful that the United Kingdom Government understands that and has been very supportive. We were honoured to work with so many other survivors from many countries in the planning of the conference in London.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“The international community can help to create or support additional avenues for accountability for international crimes, such as expanding the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction, creating tribunals or adjudication mechanisms to fill gaps and facilitating the use of universal jurisdiction in other countries. The international response must be consistent. There cannot be avenues for accountability for international crimes in some States and a total absence of response and accountability in others. However, we must also engage with survivors in efforts to close the gap between normative frameworks and the reality on the ground.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“We can help them to tackle the obstacles to justice and share lessons learned from other courts and countries. The international community should support States that are dealing with aggressors and perpetrators that are more powerful and put a stop to double standards, quickly condemning some perpetrators while turning a blind eye to others. All survivors of conflict-related sexual violence suffer greatly. We should not respond quickly to some only because of their geographical positioning, while others die slowly and unnoticed. The international community must condemn all perpetrators and impose sanctions against all of them. Just to give an example, the response in Ukraine was very good, but there are also many survivors in many other countries, such as Iran, the Sudan, Guatemala and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, inter alia.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“I was in Colombia three weeks ago and was very inspired to see the country having a national conversation and addressing the challenges with survivors. The opening of micro-cases and the announcement of a special jurisdiction are examples of State efforts to respond and prevent. However, many survivors were still very reluctant to come forward, mainly due to safety fears. Therefore, we should also recognize that some States need help to hold perpetrators accountable. The international community can intervene earlier by working with States that are making an effort but are still struggling. We can support countries in training staff, ensuring that people understand the international frameworks and upgrading national laws to meet international standards.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“Over 90–95 per cent of survivors never report what happened to them to the police. There are many reasons for that, including a lack of faith or trust in the justice system and how it will treat them. Conviction rates for those crimes that are reported are shockingly low. That also causes survivors not to report — why report when so few cases succeed? We should understand that that fact alone can hinder the delivery of, and access to, justice for many survivors who do not come forward. In all of our justice systems, there is much room for improvement and a need to draw on lessons learned regarding how to effectively deliver justice in a survivor-centred way. We should learn from jurisdictions that are trying to carry out safe and effective work on accountability.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“We must not allow the rhetoric that the army is for bad boys or ex-criminals or for people who have nothing else to do with their lives. If States can strengthen their criteria for who can join the forces by incorporating thorough background checks, that will at least help recruit the right people and reinstate faith in States to do the right thing for their people. Once we have ensured that we have the right people, we need to ensure they are constantly trained and undergo refresher training so as to stay up-to- date on current norms, their roles and their duty to protect and to reinforce good practices. We ask that States incorporate a whistleblowing practice so that servicemen who witness colleagues doing the wrong thing can safely report colleagues who misbehave.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“A survivor who identified as part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community once told us, to contradict a myth and misconception he faced repeatedly, that just because he was a gay man, it did not mean that he enjoyed the act. State actors must approach all survivors with the same compassion and care, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, age or sexual orientation. States should not allow any excuse for someone to violate another person’s private space and force them into degrading treatment. States need to ensure that their recruitment criteria are reviewed and that the process and their armed forces are professional. Their armed forces must serve with discipline, accountability, transparency and clear expectations with regard to professionalism and the protection of all civilians.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“Some of those include being under the influence of drugs, being away from their wives for a long time or complying with peer pressure during war. Some even claim that sometimes people are not in control of what happened. The most ridiculous myth is to blame victims for contributing to the attack because of the way they were dressed and all kinds of similar reasons. We want to see States adopting gender-responsive approaches when engaging with survivors. It is vital to treat people with dignity and be sensitive to their gender and their sexuality. We ask that first responders understand survivor vulnerability and not undermine the impact of sexual violence on survivors because they are older or because of their sexual orientation.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“They should be at the forefront when it comes to the responsibility to raise awareness about conflict-related sexual violence. States should support and see the benefit of inclusive processes, bringing everyone on board in the understanding that tackling the issue of conflict-related sexual violence is a national concern and the biggest attack on humankind. States should promote laws that condemn stigma in all its forms and treat survivors with dignity and care. Once that has become a national conversation, we ask that States work with international partners to identify how international frameworks can complement national efforts. States should also break all the myths and surrounding rhetoric, such as why servicemen or servicewomen perpetuate conflict-related sexual violence.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“Those who work in the forces must first receive mandatory training on how to protect and engage with survivors and how to enforce and comply with national and international laws. States must have courage when holding national conversations about their laws and cultural norms and customs, because we cannot undermine basic human rights in the name of religion or culture. It is the role of the State to ensure that national laws address issues objectively, putting cultural views aside. Currently, many civil society- and survivor-led organizations have been at the forefront of leading on raising awareness about sexual violence, but we need States to support and promote awareness about such work. States should be more present, not absent.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“The repetition of sexual violence keeps people living in fear and vulnerable to further attacks. When people live in a country where there is no rule of law and where those perpetrating the crime get away with impunity, they worry. They do not know when they may have an encounter with groups that perpetuate such crimes. They cannot feel safe. Many survivors have asked me to tell the Council that States need to have organized national conversations about the roles of people in uniform and to hold to account perpetrators from other groups, too. The uniform does not give people licence to commit crimes. It should be worn by servicepeople who understand their duties to represent the State and protect its people. States must reinforce their recruitment processes and take due diligence measures before allowing people to join uniformed forces.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“That said, if States are to strengthen the rule of law to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence, we believe that they first need to come up with clear action plans, effective actions and a commitment to upholding their obligation to their citizens by preventing, stopping and responding appropriately to conflict-related sexual violence. People need to see States taking charge of prevention and response in order to feel safe and to be able to enjoy their basic human rights. Although not all perpetrators are men in uniform, States should work very hard to restore good standards for their servicemen. That is because most of us want to see them doing what they are intended to do, namely, protect the people — all of us. Citizens should not be afraid when they meet men in uniform.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“They were watching their children die of starvation because leaving the camp was not an option. Many survivors are very grateful for the global conversation and attention on the issue and for the efforts to reinforce legal frameworks and mechanisms to prevent and respond. However, we are facing the challenges of translating collective efforts from a global to a national level, so that the people directly affected can have a better life. Many survivors want to see their States take tangible steps that will increase compliance with international legal frameworks and translate their obligations into national legislation.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“As a result of conflict-related sexual violence, some women have to deal with unwanted pregnancies, becoming mothers who bear the burden of being excluded by their own families and communities. Men and boys are facing reporting barriers because of the stigma of perceived emasculation, as well physical and psychological consequences, and often there are no legal provisions regulating the rape of men. The impact of sexual violence is pervasive and destructive. The sheer numbers of people affected by sexual violence show simply how many families and how many communities are affected or destroyed. In South Sudan, women and their families in the Yida camp, who were already displaced when we spoke to them in 2019, were already telling us how difficult it was to try to find work and get food, because getting out of the camp was too dangerous.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“Nadine: It is a great honour to be here. As a survivor champion for the Government of the United Kingdom, I will be speaking in a collective voice, highlighting the views of many survivors from various countries. I also want to take the opportunity to thank everyone here for understanding the need for and importance of a survivor-centred approach to guiding the way we respond to conflict-related sexual violence. Sexual violence is a crime against humanity. It is brutal, deliberate and intended to punish and humiliate individuals and their communities. Many of its victims suffer from physical and psychological trauma, long- term injuries and HIV infections, and some have died as a result.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source