YouSaid · the spoken record

Wallstriim

lines on the record: 105
first: 2010-04-27
most recent: 2016-05-11
sittings or episodes: 9
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

“Interfaith dialogue and education play a critical role in reducing such tendencies. Terrorists seek to divide us and spread fear. Our response - our counter-narrative and our actions - must be one of inclusiveness, unity and trust. Real dialogue, based on the equality and dignity of all persons, is certainly the best antidote to racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia. Therefore, the United Nations - as the guardian of global dialogue among nations and peoples - can and must be at the heart of our global efforts to prevent violent extremism and counter terrorism.”
2016-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7690 (2016) · source
“Economic and social disenfranchisement, lack of dignity, corruption, democratic deficiencies and human rights violations are sometimes part of the radicalization context. In that regard, we must tackle those challenges resolutely, not least by implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (General Assembly resolution 70/1). But other threats that underpin the ideologies of terrorism and violent extremism must also be addressed forcefully. That includes racism, hatred, and acts of Violence based on Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and Afrophobia. We must refrain from all forms of scapegoating and fear-mongering. Targeting a certain religion, region, nationality or ethnic group plays right into the hands of the terrorist ideology that we seek to counter.”
2016-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7690 (2016) · source
“Sweden therefore fully supports resolution 2250 (2015) and the work of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Youth, Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi. At home, Sweden has appointed a national coordinator to strengthen the resilience of democracy against violent extremism. We see clear and early benefits of that office, including at the municipal level where many possible preventive interventions can be made. My third point is that we must target the root causes. Destructive narratives sometimes fester because of an abetting context. Terrorism and violent extremism feed on grievances, which they do not solve, but nurture. That is the logic of the instrumentalization that terrorist and extremist organizations employ.”
2016-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7690 (2016) · source
“We need to team up with civil society, the media, religious and community leaders, social workers, faith-based organizations and business. Through them, we can safeguard a culture of peaceful exchange and dialogue - a multitude of actors creating resilience through inclusive dialogue aimed at promoting diversity and tolerance. That will contribute to the loss of the appeal of the destructive discourses. However, we must recognize that more research is needed into the psychology of violent extremism. The narratives - as abhorrent, violent and inhumane as they are - are attractive to some. Our understanding of radicalization processes is still too limited. The key to success will involve reaching out to young people, as we heard the representative of the Netherlands say.”
2016-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7690 (2016) · source
“It can also support and facilitate their work in other ways. The African Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the European Union, the Alliance of Civilizations and the Union for the Mediterranean all bring clear added-value to global efforts through established programmes, networks, counselling and cooperation. In the context of today's debate, I would like to highlight the priority that such organizations give to issues related to the media, young people, education and migration, and the United Nations should continue to provide support to those efforts. My second point is that we need more and different actors. Governments and multilateral organizations will not suffice.”
2016-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7690 (2016) · source
“While I align myself with the statement to be delivered later on behalf of the European Union, I would like to underscore the following. First, our response must be collective. The threat of terrorism is transnational, as we all know, and our response must therefore also be multilateral. The United Nations has unique and important assets enabling it to contribute to providing counters to the narratives and ideologies of terrorism. Going beyond measures aimed at enhancing security, it should focus on implementing the Secretary- General's Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (A/70/674), which Sweden strongly supports. Regional cooperation and regional organizations play a key role. The United Nations can use its convening power to bring together relevant regional and intergovernmental organizations and mechanisms.”
2016-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7690 (2016) · source
“I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening today's important debate. I also welcome the Council's adoption this morning of presidential statement S/PRST/20l6/6 on the subject. I condemn all terrorist attacks, including the recent and horrible attacks in Iraq, in which so many have been killed. I would like to offer my condolences to all those affected. Terrorism poses a major threat to peaceful, democratic and open societies, as previous speakers today have said so eloquently. It tears apart the fabric of society. Here I would like to recall a story about one young man who was tempted to go and fight for Da'esh but was told by his imam that rather than dying as a martyr he would drown in his mother's tears.”
2016-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7690 (2016) · source
“We owe that to the children and future generations in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and other countries in the region. We need to restore the hope of a better future.”
2015-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7540Resumption1 (2015) · source
“Domestic stability in Lebanon is key, and Lebanese leaders need to set their differences aside and elect a new President without any further delay. But Lebanon also needs and deserves more international support. Lebanon, led ably by Prime Minister Tammam Salam, is hosting more than 1.2 million refugees who have fled the war in Syria. Our substantial humanitarian assistance and our contribution to the Trust Fund for Lebanon, managed by the World Bank, will soon be complemented by increased development assistance. I strongly encourage others to follow suit. As already mentioned, the vicious cycle of direct and indirect violence has to be broken. Security cannot be achieved through bombs or rockets, war or violence, humiliation or threats. Genuine security can be achieved only through peace. We need to take our responsibility.”
2015-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7540Resumption1 (2015) · source
“I want to encourage all others present here to also step up their engagement. I know that many are already doing a lot. Throughout the conflict in Syria, women and girls have been targeted on the basis of their gender. Sexual violence is systematic and widespread among many warring parties, including its use as a tactic of terror by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. But Syrian women are not only victims; they are also actors. That is why I am hosting a meeting on Syrian women peacebuilders tomorrow morning. It is important to look upon women as actors of change who want to be given a voice in any discussions about the future of Syria. Lebanon is one of the countries most affected by the conflict in Syria.”
2015-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7540Resumption1 (2015) · source
“The recent escalation of the violence in Syria is deeply concerning, and the present situation, more than ever, calls for the complete, genuine and concrete support of Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura and a political solution. That humanitarian crisis is the world's largest in modern times, and my country, Sweden, shoulders its responsibility in three ways. First, we are currently receiving 3,000 Syrian refugees every week, and to date we have received 100,000, although I know it is a small number compared to the neighbouring countries of Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Secondly, Sweden has so far contributed over $213 million in humanitarian assistance. Thirdly, in addition to our humanitarian assistance, Sweden will allocate another $220 million over the coming five years, through a new Syrian crisis strategy.”
2015-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7540Resumption1 (2015) · source
“It is time to create conditions for a results- oriented peace process, including confidence-building measures such as settlement freezes. Now it is time for the full implementation of agreements reached between Palestine and Israel. Now is time to end the isolation of Gaza and for all factions in Palestine to cooperate. Now it is time to remove obstacles to economic development in all of Palestine, including that of limited access to Area C and Gaza. Now it is time for an international recommitment regarding clear parameters and realistic time frames for negotiations and an end to the occupation. We must not lose track of the real goal: a negotiated two-State solution and an end of the occupation where both Palestine and Israel can live side by side in peace and security, and the Council should lead the way.”
2015-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7540Resumption1 (2015) · source
“One year ago, Sweden decided to recognize the State of Palestine. Our recognition aimed at making the parties to the conflict less unequal. It aimed at supporting moderate Palestinians and Israelis alike, providing a positive input into the dynamics of the dormant Middle East peace process and at sending a clear and convincing message of hope to younger generations that there is an alternative to violence and to the so-called status quo. As we have seen in recent weeks, the absence of hope is one of the greatest challenges facing the prospect of peace and the vision of a two-State solution. But we believe that it is not too late for initiatives for de-escalation, confidence-building and peace in the region.”
2015-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7540Resumption1 (2015) · source
“I thank Spain for organizing this timely meeting and Foreign Minister Garcia Margallo for presiding over it. I would also like to thank Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson for his strong remarks and strong message to us this morning. I welcome the Secretary-General's visit to the region, and, as he said in Jerusalem earlier this week, the terror attacks against civilians are deplorable. Such random attacks make every place unsafe and every person a potential victim. We are, of course, deeply concerned about the deaths on both sides, with nearly 2,000 injured so far in October, a vast majority of whom were Palestinians. The Israeli response must be proportionate. All perpetrators must be brought to justice and excessive use of force must not be used. There is an urgent need for leadership, responsibility and restraint.”
2015-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7540Resumption1 (2015) · source
“These goals together include targets concerning the prevention of all kinds of violence, including violence against women and girls. We believe that the post-2015 development agenda represents a unique opportunity to address violence against women, including sexual violence, on a fundamental level. It is a chance to make real progress.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“All mandates should be based on a gender- sensitive conflict analysis in order to also be tailored to the security needs and to ensuring the participation of women and girls. Gender issues should be part of reporting requirements, and all United Nations missions should have a gender adviser at the strategic level, supplied with resources relevant to his or her tasks. Leadership is critical in ensuring progress on this agenda, at the highest levels of the United Nations as in Member States, and I am glad to hear that come out of this discussion. Lastly, to underline the importance of the post- 2015 development agenda, the Nordic countries support goal 5, on gender equality, and goal 16, on freedom from violence and peaceful societies, proposed by the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“Several critical reviews are under way ~ the review of peace operations, the review of the peacebuilding architecture, the review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 2015 high-level review of resolution 1325 (2000). In order to ensure coherence, all those reviews, and especially their recommendations and outcomes, should take into account the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) objectives in a more coordinated manner. To promote the women and peace and security agenda is not an isolated issue, it is a major part of the peace and security agenda. There has been an increase in the number of mandates of United Nations missions that include references to women and peace and security, but that is not enough.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“In excluding women, we are also excluding the contribution of those sectors of society that are considered as feminine or to be women's duties. Those often include raising children, education, health care and taking care of the elderly. When those sectors, which are vital to the long-term success of nations, are not adequately represented in decision-making, it is to the detriment of peace and security. We need the participation of both women and men in formal and informal processes, in mediation, peace negotiations and in humanitarian and peace-building efforts to bring in new angles, solutions and perspectives to problems. This year provides an unique opportunity to assess and accelerate the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“The role of the International Criminal Court is complementary, but nevertheless crucial in ensuring that accountability is achieved. We therefore welcome and support the undertakings, and in particular the special policy, ofthe Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in order to more efficiently investigate and prosecute sexual and gender-based violence crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court. We recall the unique capacity of Justice Rapid Response, in close cooperation with UN-Women, to address situations where expertise is needed for investigating such crimes. Women are not only victims, but first and foremost actors and agents of change. Sustainable peace and security can never be achieved if half the population is excluded.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“We must therefore firmly address the root causes of gender inequality. That can be done by changing laws, norms, practices and attitudes in societies that are denying women's and girls' human rights. It can also be done by enacting laws, including on equal rights to inheritance, and by adopting policies that ensure women's political and economic empowerment and secure sexual and reproductive health and rights and improve women's security and guarantee the right to quality education for all women and girls. The fight against impunity for sexual and gender- based violence is also crucial, as I know from a previous position I held. Each State has a duty and a responsibility to investigate and prosecute such crimes. It is primarily at the domestic level that solutions to the impunity gap must be found.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“Women, and especially girls, are particularly exposed to violence in conflict. Violence against women affects one third of all women globally. The violence is often amplified in areas affected by conflict. As we see in many parts of the world today, extremism and terrorism are prominent features of conflict situations, constituting new kinds of threats to women's rights and lives and causing flight and displacement. We need to prevent and combat such violations of women's and girls' fundamental human rights. Gender inequalities lie at the heart of the issue. Progress on gender equality and women's rights is a goal in its own right, but it also remains a critical factor in achieving poverty reduction and sustainable development. Gender equality helps to prevent armed conflicts and sexual violence in armed conflicts.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“Civilians should be protected in armed conflict, and we need to prevent and to respond to mass atrocity crimes in accordance with the responsibility to protect. But those rules and principles are challenged and sometimes even ignored. Civilians are particularly exposed in today's complex and often protracted conflicts, as we have seen in the Middle East and in West and Central Africa. That is also the case in Syria and Iraq, for instance, where hospitals and schools are being made the actual targets of warfare. That must stop. The laws of war were written during a time when only men were defined as combatants and the responsibilities of women were seen as far distant from the battlefield. A stronger gender perspective needs to be applied to international humanitarian law.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for your kind words about Marten. I am honoured to be back at the United Nations and to speak on the same topic but in a different capacity. I am now today in one person Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish, so I speak on behalf of all the Nordic countries. I wish to thank the International Committee of the Red Cross and the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. The role and influence of civil society in preventing conflict and building peace are essential and must be supported. For more than 150 years, the international community has been in agreement that warfare should be made less inhumane through the rules and principles of international humanitarian law.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“I am here to do a good, effective job that brings added value to the Council's deliberations. I thank the Council for the presidential statement that it has just adopted. I can promise that I will continue to cooperate with all members, and I hope for their continued support. Finally, I want to say that we have taken a principled approach in reporting systematic patterns, as distinct from isolated incidents of individual criminality. We have been disciplined in our focus on sexual violence that is linked to the maintenance and restoration of international peace and security. We will continue to do so.”
2012-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6722Resumption1 (2012) · source
“Ms. Wallstriim: I wish simply to make two short remarks. First, I thank the presidency for steering this meeting, and all members of the Security Council for what I think has been a very serious, constructive and principled debate. If any issue should unite us, it is this one. I have also heard one word used by every speaker throughout this discussion. It is the word "prevention". We cannot prevent armed conflict when it is already ongoing, or widespread or systematic sexual violence that has already begun. If we are to deliver on the promise of prevention, we cannot fail to monitor, undermine or delay our response. The best impact that the Council can have is to give united political support to our efforts to prevent conflict-related sexual violence. I am not here to expand my mandate.”
2012-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6722Resumption1 (2012) · source
“Ten years since the Council first considered the issue of women and peace and security, women now are watching and waiting all over the world.”
2010-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453Resumption1 (2010) · source
“We will deploy the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law to help Governments to break the cycle of impunity. We will use the platform of the United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict to ensure a coordinated and coherent response from the United Nations system, including more effective prevention, a rapid protection response to early warning indicators and spikes in sexual violence and comprehensive support to survivors. We will continue to amplify in the Chamber the voices of survivors from war-torn corners of the globe. We will not rest. We might even be difficult at times. But, with the Council's help and continued support, we can and we will stop this scourge. For the first time, we will name and shame the perpetrators and track their actions in order to prevent and punish sexual violence as an act of war.”
2010-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453Resumption1 (2010) · source
“Ms. Wallstriim: First of all, I would like to thank the President for her determined leadership, and that of the United States of America, on the issue of conflict- related sexual violence. I also wish to thank all the Permanent Representatives and delegations for their supportive, constructive and, I would say, inspiring interventions. With the adoption of resolution 1960 (2010) we have now been given the tools to fight sexual violence in conflict and to hold the perpetrators accountable through international scrutiny and pressure; now we must use them. A resolution is only as good as its implementation. And implementation, as we all know, requires sustained resolve as well as resources. My team and I will consistently remind the world of the new consensus that we have forged here in the Security Council.”
2010-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453Resumption1 (2010) · source
“War lives on in the children born of rape and orphaned by violence, who line the roads in gangs, begging for money and food, aspiring to be soldiers. By attacking shared values, sexual violence destroys not only people, but their sense of being a people. We cannot bring justice to every victim throughout the history of war. But what we are here to do today, and from this moment on, is to ensure that conflict-related sexual violence no longer goes unreported, unaddressed or unpunished. That will be our collective measure of success.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“I also add my voice to that of the Council in encouraging troop-contributing countries to invite the mobile support team on sexual violence to present training scenarios to their troops prior to deployment. While the resolution to be adopted by the Council today is a welcome development, like any New Year's resolution, what matters most is the resolve to uphold it every day of the year. To that end, I urge the Council to give sexual violence continuous consideration. Long after the guns fall silent, the consequences of rape remain. For women and girls who walk to marketplaces, water collection points or schools on roads still controlled by armed groups and return home to communities teeming with ex-combatants, the war is not over. Sexual violence has been called a war within a war, but often it continues as a war within the peace.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“I recently attended the opening of the Bemba trial at the International Criminal Court, the first international investigation in which alleged rapes far outnumber alleged killings. This sends a powerful signal that no military or political leader is above the law and no woman is below it. Beyond prosecution, there is a need for recognition and reparation. The aim is to bring the perpetrators to justice, but also to bring justice to the victims. My Office will continue to support the capacity of Governments affected by armed conflict to address sexual violence. Specifically, the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law will help Governments to enhance accountability. I am delighted to have the newly appointed Team Leader with me today in this Chamber.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“And it is a credit to the human rights defenders on the front lines. But our monitoring and reporting must become more systematic, timely and complete. Ultimately, sexual violence is not just a tragedy we must redress, but a threat we must prevent. My Office, in partnership with UN Women and others, will develop an early- warning matrix of risk factors to draw attention to the red flags that may signal a spike in sexual violence. Women's protection advisers will have an important role to play in the new monitoring system. Looking forward, significant challenges and opportunities remain in implementing the mandate I 5 have been given by this Council. From the outset, I have made ending impunity my top priority. I remain convinced that in many ways, prosecution is prevention.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“In Liberia, despite 14 years of civil war in which rape was rampant, and despite the reintegration of ex-combatants into society with no psychological counselling, the explanation I heard most frequently for why rape remains the number-one reported crime was "the way women dress". The idea that women are deserving of this violence, or used to it, or that it is their culture, makes a mockery of the notion of universal human rights. Women across the Kivus did not tell me "if only this were not our culture"; they said "if only it were not for the war". Our current understanding of conflict-related sexual violence is a credit to the Bosnian women who broke the silence about rape as a crime of war. It is a credit to the women of the Congo who continue to work and build networks even in the face of terror.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“Most women who endured unspeakable brutality now endure the indignity of seeing their former assailant in the street, the bank or the supermarket, flaunting their impunity. I met with women who, 15 years after the peace agreement, still shake, sigh and weep, and one described how the soldiers led her to the entrance of a rape camp, which she remembers as the door to hell. Rape victims are the only casualties of war that a nation dishonours rather than honours. Their war wounds represent not sacrifice, but shame. When I was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I learned that not a single victim or community has received reparations for sexual violence, not even the approximately 2,000 survivors who have managed to obtain a judgment in their favour.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“When I was in Bosnia and Herzegovina last month, I was reminded that this hierarchy is also a logic on which the perpetrators often rely. For instance, at the start of the well-known Foca trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the three men charged with sexual slavery could barely understand why they were being tried for what was "only" rape, stating by way of defense: "But I could have killed them." The estimated 50,000 rapes that occurred during the conflict in Bosnia have resulted in just 12 convictions in national courts. The process has been 10-69655 painfully slow. Women describe being treated in the courtroom as just another exhibit from which evidence can be extracted, saying: "It is better to be a criminal than a victim in this system".”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“They include sexual violence linked with forced displacement, to control coveted territory and lucrative natural resources, by spoilers to destabilize a peace process, in the context of elections, to extract information during detention or disarmament, and sexual violence that has become normalized in communities that have seen it go unpunished during years of war as well as in countries that have integrated known abusers into national forces. Such violence cannot be separated from the broader security challenges confronting the Council. This understanding is borne out by what I have seen in the field and heard from the survivors. The words of one woman I met negate the traditional hierarchy of wartime horrors that has trivialized rape relative to murder and torture. She said: "They have taken my life without killing me".”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“Historically, sexual violence by soldiers was prosecuted with a view to restoring military discipline, rather than upholding women's rights. The perspective of the victim and the question of reparations barely featured. In all of those respects, the new analytical framework will have an impact. Though we may never have all the answers, we can ask more focused questions. Indeed, after resolution 1820 (2008), the question is no longer whether sexual violence is a peace and security matter for the Security Council, but when. The Secretary-General's report provides a number of examples.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“This approach helps to refute the myth that sexual violence is opportunistic or inevitable by illustrating causal links with security factors and actors. It also counters the stereotype that women are inherently vulnerable by highlighting how they are - intentionally, or through lax command and control structures - placed at risk. Because sexual violence has traditionally been viewed as the random acts of a few renegades or part 10-69655 of the spoils of war, it has been ignored in peace talks, reparations schemes and funding frameworks for recovery. Sexual violence is absent even from peace agreements that followed wars where it was a major feature of the fighting, such as in Bosnia, Sierra Leone and Liberia. It has rarely been included in ceasefire agreements, which only call for an end to acts considered as part of the conflict.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“For instance, the rubric "violence against women" does not reflect cases against men and boys; the label "harmful traditional practices" mischaracterizes sexual violence as cultural or traditional; and the term "gender-based violence" does not reflect the fact that gender discrimination is not the only rationale for sexual violence as a method of ethnic cleansing or a tactic of terror. As a number of field colleagues have noted, the issue warrants specific consideration. It is also significant that this report also appears under the General Assembly agenda item entitled "Prevention of conflict". That is an appropriate - albeit untraditional - lens, as rape increases the spiral of violence, prolongs conflict and exacerbates its impact on civilians.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“To this end, the Secretary-General's report defines for the first time the concept of conflict-related sexual violence. This frame of reference will shed light not only on the profile of the perpetrators, but the factors that facilitate or restrain perpetration. It is, after all, impossible to prevent what we do not fully understand. When my Office reviewed the data being collected from the field, it became evident that sexual violence as a tactic or consequence of war was not captured under existing categories.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“This is despite the fact that sexual violence - which devastates the lives and livelihoods of countless women - has been recognized as a grave breach of international humanitarian law since the early 1990s. The new structure will help to ensure that mass rape is never again met with mass impunity. Instead of serving as a cheap and silent tactic of war, sexual violence will be a liability for armed groups. It will expose their superiors to increased international scrutiny and pressure, seal off the corridors of power and close all exits to those who commit, command or condone such acts. This will reinforce the line between a commander and a criminal. A reliable monitoring and accountability system must be built on a common conceptual foundation.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“The report currently before the Council outlines such a system, structured around four pillars: first, monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements in relevant countries; secondly, a mandate to list parties to conflicts on the Council's agenda that are credibly suspected of committing patterns of sexual violence; thirdly, to use this list as a platform for engaging those parties in a structured dialogue to obtain protection commitments; and finally, tracking measures to prevent and punish sexual violence that can result in either de-listing or, in the case of persistent violators, referral to sanctions committees. In 10 years of the women, peace and security agenda, there has never been an accountability system that directly engages armed groups in protection and prevention.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“Rape persists in contexts of conflict and unrest across the globe because, without the credible threat of consequences, there is no deterrent. The impact on the ground in other areas of Council practice, such as the protection of children in armed conflict and the work of sanctions committees, is real and proven. Thus, our measure of success must be the implementation of a system whereby timely and reliable information on sexual violence flows from the country to the global level, where it provides a basis for accountability and action. Under the long shadow cast by the mass rapes in Walikale, the United Nations can do no less than bring all of its accountability tools to bear. This must apply equally whether the victim is an eight-year-old girl or an 80-year-old grandmother. Today, we are poised to make that system a reality.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“I would also like to particularly thank 3 the Secretary-General for his strong personal engagement on this issue. My remarks this afternoon will outline what the Secretary-General's report (S/2010/604) and the resulting resolution mean for the United Nations system in general, and my mandate in particular. When I accepted this mandate, I consulted an array of United Nations, governmental and non- governmental experts on one critical question: What should be our measure of success? Over the past decade, successive Council resolutions have recognized that international peace and security is indivisible from women's peace and security. And yet, I began my mandate in the knowledge that today, as throughout history, wartime sexual violence is never adequately recognized, reported or remedied.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“Ms. Wallstriim: I am grateful for the opportunity to address the Council on this important occasion. Although it is my fourth briefing as Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, today's meeting is in many ways a first. It is not merely a reiteration or renewal of commitments; rather, it is a decisive step towards a comprehensive monitoring and accountability architecture, aimed at shattering the vicious cycle of impunity for wartime sexual violence. Allow me to start by expressing my appreciation for the leadership of the United States, all Council members for their support of today's resolution, and the more than 60 Member States that have co- sponsored this landmark text and are participating in today's debate.”
2010-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6453 (2010) · source
“For the women of Walikale, peace is not a treaty, a resolution or a conference, but simply the peace of mind to live and work without fear. For these women, justice delayed is more than justice denied; it is terror continued.”
2010-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6400 (2010) · source
“I urge the Congolese leadership to give voice and action to this issue and to send a signal that combating sexual violence is a matter of the utmost priority. The atrocities that are committed daily against women and children will leave a devastating imprint on the Congo for years to come. We have seen this elsewhere. In places where sexual violence has been used as a tactic of war, the consequences spill over into 10-58102 the peace. Where sexual violence has been a way of war, it can destroy a way of life. Children accustomed to rape and violence can grow into adults who accept such behaviour as the norm. Rape is shattering traditions that anchor community values, disrupting their transmission to future generations.”
2010-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6400 (2010) · source
“I commend the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for some of the policies adopted to combat sexual violence. These include the announcement of the moratorium on mining in three 10-58102 provinces following the Walikale atrocities, and the policy of zero tolerance for sexual violence within the Forces armees de la Republique democratique du Congo. But so far, zero tolerance has been underpinned largely by zero consequences for such crimes. This represents a fundamental issue of credibility for the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reputation of the Congo continues to be held hostage by those who commit crimes of sexual violence and the perceived lack of will to address impunity.”
2010-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6400 (2010) · source
“I call on United Nations agency heads here at Headquarters to make it a personal priority to ensure that the innovative and comprehensive approach that is being implemented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo becomes our flagship in preventing and addressing conflict-related sexual violence. MONUSCO's Sexual Violence Unit is charged with coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the Strategy and requires adequate human resources to carry out this role. One thing that many of our colleagues say is that MONUSCO cannot be present behind every tree and every stone. This is true. The role of the United Nations in the Congo is to support national authorities, who bear the primary responsibility to protect the population. For no one should this be a greater priority than for the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
2010-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6400 (2010) · source
“This is coordinated through the Comprehensive Strategy to Combat Sexual Violence. The Strategy provides a platform for joint - not merely joined up - United Nations system action. However, I am very concerned that implementation lags because United Nations agencies are still largely working in silos. Even some of the most critical services for survivors are not yet being delivered in an effective and timely manner. United Nations entities must show more commitment to delivering as one and being accountable for protection and prevention, as well as service delivery.”
2010-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6400 (2010) · source